Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species

A blue banner with a canine wolf and a neanderthal, front cover of book and title and author.

When I was a teenager, I read a few of Jean M. Auels novels about pre-historic humans.  I loved them and I saw the movie. Now I am reading Jacqui Murray’s novels about pre-historic humans. Jacqui Murray’s books are even more fascinating and very realistic and well researched. The latest Jacqui Murray book I’ve read is Endangered Species, the first book in her new series Savage Lands. This book is set to take place 75,000 years ago among Neanderthals and ancient Homo sapiens. I love all her books, but especially Endangered Species. You can read my Amazon review for Endangered Species by clicking here. I was also happy that she included canines as heroes in the book (Ump, White Streak, etc.) I am a dog lover after all.

Today I’m very pleased to host Jacqui Murray to help launch her new series.

Surprise! Neanderthals Never Lived in Africa

Neanderthals were widespread despite numbering only about 100,000 at a time. Their remains have been found in many areas of Eurasia, including:

  • Krapina, Croatia
  • Weasel Cave, Russia
  • La Ferassie, France
  • Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains, Russia
  • Sha Cave, Iraq
  • Kebara Cave, Israel
  • La Chapelle aux Saintes. France
  • Feldhofer Cave, Germany, the Neander Valley of Germany
  • Ortvale Klde, Georgia

Here’s a good map of their spread:

The picture features a map with a yellow area covering most of Europe, the Asian part of the middle east and Asia up to Kazakhstan.
Yellow indicates where the Neanderthals lived.

Though their tribes covered a vast swath of geography, where you won’t find them is Africa. Yes, you will find their genetics, but this likely comes from African natives mating with Neanderthals in Eurasia and returning to Africa.

Summary

Savage Land is the third prehistoric man trilogy in the series, Man. Vs. Nature. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each tribe starring in the story considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face.

Endangered Species

In Endangered Species, Book One of the trilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe must join with Fierce’s Tall Ones—a Homo sapiens tribe–on a cross-continent journey that starts in the Siberian Mountains. The goal: a new homeland far from the devastation caused by the worst volcanic eruption ever experienced by Man. How they collaborate despite their instinctive distrust could end the journey before it starts or forge new relationships that will serve both well in the future.

Badlands

In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.

Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to potentially life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

Trailer for Endangered Species

Book Information Endangered Species

  • Paperback –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ISBN-10 : 1942101643, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101642, 301 pages, Item Weight : 1.15 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 0.68 x 9 inches, it currently cost  $ 15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ASIN : B0DJ9Y7PQ8, 323 pages, it costs $4.99 on US Amazon but is free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Audio –  ASIN : B0CY6YQL83, Narrator : Virtual Voice, Listening Length : 8 hours 1 minutes, it costs $1.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

Book Information Badlands

At the moment the only the Kindle version of Badlands is available for preorder. Again, the publisher is Structured Learning LLC and the release is scheduled for April 15, 2025. It cost $4.99 on US Amazon. Click here to pre-order it from Amazon.com.

Excerpt: Chapter 1 of Endangered Species

75,000 years ago,

What we call Germany today

Jun was lost. Again. He gripped his thick-shafted spear in one hand, throwing stones in the other, and brushed aside the prickle of fear that flooded his body.

It wasn’t being alone that worried him. This was his first time hunting with the clan. He’d wanted to do well.

Initially, Jun had kept pace with the hunters, his strides long and easy, eyes firmly locked on the back of the male in front of him, but—as too often happened—he became distracted by a bird’s call and wandered off to find it, maybe talk to it. Someone shouted his name, far away and so muted, he barely heard it. He didn’t respond, of course. Upright voices would frighten the bird if it hadn’t already fled. He hunkered into the underbrush, reduced his breathing, and squatted there long … longer … but the bird fell silent.

I’ll look for it next time I’m out here.

He stood. Feet spread, ears perked, he twisted around, and to his horror, didn’t recognize where he was. Nor did he hear the sounds of his fellow hunters moving along Deer’s trail.

I wandered farther than I intended, and hurried away, through the leaves and dirt, hoping to find Deer’s trace or his clan’s prints, but found neither so he shouted. The sound echoed harshly through the trees.

No response.

They can’t be far. By now, they must know I’m not with them.

He hugged his arms around his chest, suddenly cold, and tilted his head up. Sun had moved, a lot. Instead of worrying him, it comforted him.

I’ll stay here until they return.

He crouched, picked at the forest’s hearty overgrowth, ate a few worms, and waited. No one came. He called several times, but all he heard were insects, a snake slithering, and squirrels chattering.

I’ll go where Deer is.

He knew where the herd headed because he’d followed it several times to where it ate the fresh young grasses, safe, it thought, from prying eyes. He trotted down what he hoped would end up their trail, searching for trace, listening for the rustle of hide-covered bodies passing through dense brush carrying carcasses. Finally, later than expected, he found Deer’s path, but they didn’t stop in their usual place. They must have known they were being stalked—the hunters were noisy—and trotted into a scree pile as though knowing that would conceal prints, which it did. Jun could either keep wandering until he re-located the clan’s path or make his way back to the camp.

He checked Sun, but it was now hidden by clouds.

He crouched, comfortable in his waiting. No one would be surprised. He often returned late with tales of an excursion rather than armloads of meat to feed the clan. The group would have ejected him, forcing him to make his way alone, but his mother was the clan healer and wouldn’t allow it. She was training him to take over when her stiff joints and failing eyesight meant she could no longer fulfill her duties. He had no interest in illnesses, but understood he must fulfill some duty or lose the tribe’s protection. As a result, he assisted her if he couldn’t avoid it and learned enough about herbs and mulches and poultices to be tolerated.

None of which helped him now.

I can’t wait, and scrambled up a hillock, found a landmark he knew, and headed toward it along a debris-laden forest floor, head up, eyes shut to concentrate on a panoply of delightful odors. He heard the hiss but as background noise to his meandering daydreams. By the time it stiffened his  hackles and his eyes popped open, it was too late.

Snake!

Jun stabbed with his spear, to frighten not kill, but missed. Snake didn’t. A blur of movement and pain seared through Jun’s body. He collapsed with a thud and Snake slithered away. Jun attempted to stand and crumpled.

I’ll crawl along the path. The hunters will see me on their way back. Sweat broke out across his forehead. As will predators.

He scuttled into the dirt-clotted root ball of a towering tree, sharing the cozy space with worms, slugs, and spiders.

I’ll call out if I hear someone.

He tamped down the pain and dug through his shoulder sack. No surprise, he forgot to restock his treatments. He tried to blink the dust from his eyes and then rubbed, using the cleanest part of a grubby finger. He mulled over what to do as his ankle swelled bigger than his calf and heat flushed through his body. Everything around him spun and his eyes drooped. The more he strained to think, the more his head throbbed. He tucked his legs against his chest and imagined Snake’s poison infecting his insides.

How do I stop it before it stops me?

He solved it by passing out.

The scrape of a foot awoke Jun. Every part of his body hurt, but he managed to crack one eye. An Upright female not his kind strode toward him, a spear in one hand and a blistering frown on her face. He should say something, but his mouth was too dry.

She acts like she knows me.

He tried to rise, but no part of his body cooperated so he stared at her, worried and somewhat disturbed by the dark fury she directed at him.

Why is she so angry? I’ve done nothing to her.

Seeing his swollen red ankle did nothing to soften her attitude. Disgust washed over her in waves and her fists clenched a rough-hewn lance so tightly, the whites of her knuckles gleamed.

There is something familiar about her….

She had the small skull, long limbs, and narrow torso of a Primitive, lacking the musculature common to Jun’s kind. And it hit him.

“Xhosa?”

She growled in response, a sound so like hatred, he would have pulled back if the tree trunk didn’t stop him.

The female Xhosa visited his dreams often and they got along well. They discussed topics no one shared his interest in—where the herds went during their migrations, why Spider’s thin silken strands were so strong, why Sun left if Moon arrived. Did one orb fear the other or had they arranged to share the sky in this way? These types of curious queries annoyed everyone in his tribe, but excited Xhosa.

“Why are you here? I only see you in dreams.” He squiggled, attempted to stand, and collapsed. “Am I dreaming?”

“No, Shanadar. You have forced me to come in person. Night is approaching. It is not safe to be out here alone. Return to your homebase. I have plans for you and being eaten by Cat isn’t one of them.”

Her lips didn’t move nor were her words the clan’s, but he understood what she said. He wanted to ask why she cared if the night stalkers ate him, but what he said was something else entirely.

“Snake poisoned me.”

Shock flashed through her eyes and she scowled. “I see. You won’t be leaving on schedule.”

His head spun, started to ask what schedule, but stopped himself. Whatever the answer no longer mattered.

“Xhosa. Snake killed me. Well, there are treatments for Snake’s venom, but I didn’t bring them. Mother has them, but I can’t get to her fast enough. And the hunters—I don’t know what happened to them. They should have come by now….”

His voice trailed off. Talking exhausted him. Still, he owed her one more explanation. “Whatever your plan, it can no longer include me.”

She dismissed him with a flip of her fingers. “You’re not going to die, Shanadar. Come. My kith can take care of you.”

“Shanadar,” he mumbled. “She keeps calling me Shanadar.” She didn’t explain why and he didn’t ask. Or mind.

But he did ask about kith as Xhosa yanked him to his feet—foot, the injured one dangling uselessly above the ground—encircled her arm around his waist and draped his around her shoulder before replying.

“You call your group a clan. Ours is kith. The Tall Ones are a band, the Canis Pack.”

Tall Ones? He tried to make sense of her answer, but the words got lost in his muddy thoughts.

I’ll ask later.

They slid through the forest, well beyond his clan’s area and Deer’s favorite eating spots, past a tree tall enough to touch Sun. He’d never seen it before. Did it just grow? Soon, they reached a gathering of Primitives the size of Jun’s clan crouched by an overhang. All had low foreheads, prominent brow ridges, and body shapes like a shorter version of the tall slender strangers who occasionally passed through the clan’s territory—

That’s who she called Tall Ones!

The kith members wore long wraps or capes like Xhosa’s, unsewn, as though they simply cut a hole in a pelt big enough for their head to push through. No capes or wraps, and foot coverings were fur or bark strapped to feet.

But the dark, deep eyes, fixed on the new arrival, shone with intelligence. They blinked a greeting  before resuming their work.

“They expected us?”

“No. They have adjusted to strangers trailing in here with me.”

Jun’s eyes popped open. “Other Uprights?”

She chuckled, the first smile he’d seen from her since she showed up. “Usually pawed and tailed.”

He had no idea what to ask about that and didn’t bother trying. Ignoring the growing ache in his leg took all his energy. She has much to explain, but it will wait until I recover.

Xhosa pushed him gently toward a boulder. “Crouch there.”

He collapsed. His good leg was numb. Even if she hadn’t told him to rest, he couldn’t have gone farther. The relief to his pounding ankle was overwhelming. He stilled his entire body, his breathing shallow as another Primitive approached, holding supplies eerily similar to those Jun’s mother carried. Then, before he could blink, she cut across Snake’s puncture and squeezed. He started to scream, but stopped because he felt nothing. The poison dried up and Xhosa scrubbed the puncture. Once she deemed it clean, she applied moss to suck out new impurities, as his mother would. All Xhosa’s ministrations were like his mother’s except Xhosa’s didn’t hurt. Mother’s always did.

Xhosa rotated back on her heels with a grunt of either satisfaction or hopelessness. Jun was too hot, tired, and sick to care.

She stood. “I will deposit you where I found you. You will awake groggy, feeling unwell, but you will be fine.”

When I awake? What does she mean?

“I am—”

But Xhosa wasn’t listening.

Author Bio

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes 100+ books on tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

Author’s Social Media Contacts

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

116 thoughts on “Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species”

  1. It seems the Neanderthals like me were not the only who didn’t like the weather in the UK…Haha… another good post on the Neanderthals, Thomas they certainly had a lot of strings to their bows more than I ever gave them cfedit for…The amount of research Jacqui has done is admirable..Congrats Jacqui …

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    1. Thank you so much Jacqui for allowing me to host and for the reading pleasure. It was a terrific book and with all the facts you added at the end of the book as well as in the different book blast posts, including this one, I’ve learned a lot about Neanderthals.

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  6. What a wonderful post! I look forward to reading this book and participating in the book promotion in March. Thank you, Thomas, for your wonderful Amazon review of my book, “Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine.” I’ll be sharing it on my blog on Friday. Have a great day!

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    2. As I mentioned I loved Jean M. Auel’s books too but it was 30+ years ago. I loved Jacqui’s books even more and from Jacqui’s books you will learn a lot, not only about Neanderthals, but Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, ancient Homo Sapiens and even some about Australopithecus.

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  9. Thank you, Thomas, for showcasing Jacqui. I loved Endangered Species! I’m in awe of Jacqui’s research and ability to bring life to beings who lived 75,000 years ago. Incredible! Kudos to Jacqui for another success.

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    2. Yes I agree with you Gwen. I loved Endangered Species and her other books, and I am also in awe of Jacqui’s research. I have learned so much from her books, and the end section of Endangered Species and from all the different facts in the book blast posts.

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  10. I loved Clan of the Cave Bear too as well as another book series based on Neolithic people as well , I think one of the books was Corridor of Storms , and the main character was Torka . He lived with a pack of dogs as well as his family . I may have to check these books out too .

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    3. I can add that I took a genetic test with 23AndMe to find out about genetic illnesses and ancestry and they also told me that I was in the 99% (percentile) of having a lot of Neanderthal genes, more than most people. I don’t know what that means, I’ve never been called a Neanderthal, but it was interesting. About 23AndMe, it probably was not a good idea, because they might sell the genetic information to insurance companies.

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        1. The insurance companies want that information so they can discriminate. For example, if you are genetically predisposed to have cancer they can reject you or change the price. 23AndMe have been reported to have economic difficulties so who knows what they might do with the data if they are in economic trouble. People are starting to get worried. Not that those worries will help them economically.

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      1. Yes I certainly loved the canine characters in these books and also seeing the name Ump reappearing for different canines, in different books and in different times added a special and fun characteristics to the books, at least for all dog lovers. Thank you for a great reading experience Jacqui.

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  16. I especially like how Jacqui creates strong female protagonists in her novels, rather than the typical male dominated stereotypes. Many writers complain about doing research, but my sense is that Jacqui loves it.

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    1. Sorry, Nicholas–I got your reply on the wrong comment. Here you are:

      A lot of early beta readers wanted me to dumb down the conversations and thoughts of Neanderthals (and all the prehistoric folk in my stories), but they weren’t ‘dumb’, just focused their lives and actions on different things than we do.

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  18. Thank you for sharing Jacqui’s books Thomas…. They sound enthralling. We have some caves near to us, which have records of finding Saba tooth tigers and mammoths that lived some 50,000 years ago, in if you look up Creswell Crags.. Fascinating. As sounds Jacqui’s books xx

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    1. A lot of early beta readers wanted me to dumb down the conversations and thoughts of Neanderthals (and all the prehistoric folk in my stories), but they weren’t ‘dumb’, just focused their lives and actions on different things than we do.

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    2. That is the time of Neanderthals. They became extinct about 45,000 years ago. And they loved caves! I wasn’t familiar with Creswell Crags. Thank you for that. I am planning a sequel trilogy to this one and the UK will probably be featured. Now I know where!

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    1. The author says that she is taking creative liberties with the canines but I believe it’s true. Lulu you dogs were always our best friends. I know it. It also makes for a good story. Chaplin I know you cats would perfectly fine either way. You were saber toothed back then.

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  23. Hi Thomas and Jacqui – back in the dark ages of 2013 … I wrote quite a lot about the Neanderthals as the BBC did a series of programmes on them, and where they are found today … it was very interesting – hence my need to blog about it with some other maps. Our early history is fascinating … cheers Hilary

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    1. She certainly did a lot of research. I read that Homo Heidelbergensis were the ancestors of both Neanderthals, Homo Sapiens and Homo Denisovia and Homo Heidelbergensis lived in Africa as well as Euroasia. Homo Sapiens originated in Africa and spread all over whilst Neanderthals originated in Europe/Asia but did not migrate to Africa.

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