Tag: Jacqui Murray

Review of Balance of Nature

This is a Leonberger blog, but I sometimes post about books that are not about Leonbergers but books that I love and want to promote. With this post I would like to promote a truly great novel featuring Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens. The book is called Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray. It is the third book in a series called Savage Land.

Below is an overview of the three formats of Balance of Nature:

  • Paperback –  Structured Learning LLC (February 2, 2026), ISBN-10 : 1942101686, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101680, 305 pages, Item Weight : 14.6 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.69 x 9 inches, it cost $15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Structured Learning LLC (February 2, 2026), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0G45MFBWW, ISBN-13 978-1942101697, 307 pages. It is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com and free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Audiobook – Structured Learning LLC (March 8, 2026), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GRG8XG1T, It is currently $14.99 on Amazon.com.  Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author, a canine/wolf, a couple of humans or Neanderthals, and there is a large mountain in the background.
Front cover of Balance of nature. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon Description of Balance of Nature

A tribe haunted by the past. Lies that threaten the future. A reason to find the truth.

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man 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 of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face. 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 life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

In Balance of Nature, Book Three of the trilogy, the tribes face one final roadblock to reach what they hope will become their new home. They prevail but not without deaths and setbacks by collaboration and respect for the strengths of those they originally disdained. Now, in their homeland, where life should be about finding their place in a new landscape, instead, they find threats from old enemies and potentially lethal challenges.

Follow the courageous Yu’ung, the determined Kazeb, the mystical Shanadar, the pawed-and-clawed Canis and their tribes as they navigate a perilous world of tribal conflict, unexplained visions, and shifting loyalties. Their journey is a testament to resilience and the strength found in true leadership. Their personal struggles and heroic triumphs define this sweeping saga that ultimately leads to who we are today.

My Amazon Review of Balance of Nature

The Adventures of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens by the Shoreless Sea

When I was young, I read Jean M. Auels’ novels set in prehistoric Europe and I loved them. Jacqui Murray’s books have a lot in common with Jean M. Auels’ books, but they are set at an earlier time. This series, Savage Land, takes place about 75,000 years ago (this is the third book in the series). In addition, we know more about prehistoric man now than we did back then and Jacqui Murray has certainly done her research. I loved Jean M. Auels’ books, and I love all of Jacqui Murray’s books. This book is a continuation of the previous book Badlands and is yet another thrilling prehistoric adventure involving both Neanderthals (the people and the clan) and Homo Sapiens (tall ones). Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens work together to reach a new homeland but there are some who have dark motives. There are hidden agendas, betrayal, and mysteries.

One aspect of this book and the previous books in this series and the previous series’ as well, are the Canis. Domesticated dogs probably did not exist 75,000 years ago, but they may have still interacted with humans, and the way the author uses them in the plots adds something to the stories that I really love. If you are a dog lover you will love Ump, Blaze, Ocha, Spirit, Ragged Ear, White Streak, and their loyalty, amazing abilities, and courage. There is a reference in the book to a previous book where Ump rescued Blaze and it brought back great memories of past adventures.

The book focuses a lot on Yu’ung who a female Neanderthal and a healer and she is also a leader of her tribe. There is also Fierce, the leader of a tribe of Homo Sapiens, Kazeb and Turk, the leaders of another Neanderthal tribe, and Shanadar a Shaman and mystic who lives at the outskirts of his Neanderthal tribe. There are many other characters both good and evil, of both species (Homo Sapiens / Neanderthals). The many characters added to the richness of the stories at the same time as the there is a risk for confusion. However, the author provided a list of the characters, their tribe belonging and role at the beginning of the book. I found this list to be very helpful. Whenever I was wondering “who is that dude again?” I looked at the list and there was no problem.

Another special feature I enjoyed was the “Questions You Ask” section at the end, where the author is listing answers to potential questions about Prehistory, Neanderthals, and the book. For example, you learn about Neanderthal genetics, how they lived, their use of fire, could they talk (yes), did they care for their sick (yes), the eruption of the super volcano Mt. Toba, and much more. There is also a bibliography.

Like all Jacqui Murray’s novels this novel is full of adventure, and it is captivating and realistic. You connect with the characters and their struggle for survival. The importance of cooperation and belonging for survival becomes clear and you will understand the advantage of everyone having a role and a purpose in the tribe. The book makes you wonder about all those millions of pre-historic humans who came before us so long ago. Our modern civilization has existed for a very short time, and it is easy to forget how privileged we are. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure, especially if you are curious about prehistoric man.

Photo of the author, an overview of the author, and a description of the book.
Back cover of Balance of Nature. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.

About the Author of Balance of Nature

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 the 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. When not writing, she is grad schoolteacher, author of over a hundred tech ed resources including K-12 technology curricula, and an Amazon Vine Voice.

You can find her resources at her publisher, Structured Learning LLC. She lives in So. California with her husband of forty years, Labrador Casey, and lots of contact with her adult children, one a Cdr in the Navy, the other a SFC in the Army. Feel free to reach out to Jacqui at her blog, WordDreams, or her social media platforms.

These are some of her other books on prehistoric humans

These are some of my reviews or book blasts for her books

Virtual Book Blast for Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray

A black banner showing the silhouette of a woman holding an arrow and small picture of the front cover of the book Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray. There are also pictures of a wolf and a fire. In the middle it says, “Balance of Nature Book Launch”.

Today, I am delighted to welcome the very talented author, Jacqui Murray, with her latest novel in the Savage Land Book series, Balance of Nature.

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. This post is part of a Book Launch series for Balance of Nature held February 2-13, 2026. There is more information here.

This is black square picture showing the silhouette of a woman holding an arrow. There is text that says, “Balance of Nature Book Launch”. In addition, it says “Written by Jacqui Murray, February 2-13, 2026, Articles, Interviews, Meet new writers.”

Summary

A tribe haunted by the past. Lies that threaten the future. A reason to find the truth.

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature. 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. Viral tribes of Neanderthals and early man considered themselves apex predators, but that crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the two-legged blight from her lands.

In Balance of Nature, Book Three of the trilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe hopes to settle at Gibraltar but instead find unexpected threats and lethal challenges.

Follow the courageous Yu’ung, the determined Kazeb, the mystical Shanadar, and the pawed-and-clawed Canis as they navigate a perilous world of tribal conflict, unexplained visions, and shifting loyalties. Their journey is a testament to the resilience and strength of true leadership in a sweeping saga that ultimately leads to who we are today.

Book information:

Genre: Prehistoric fiction

Editor: Anneli Purchase

  • To purchase the kindle version of the book, click here
  • To purchase the paperback version of the book, click here
The front cover shows a huge coastal mountain in the background. There are also people (Neanderthals) with spears and wild seacoast with large waves. The author’s name Jacqui Murray and the title Balance of Nature is shown in large text. There is additional text stating “A Tribe Haunted by the past. Lies that threaten the future. A reason to find the truth. Savage Land ... Book 3”.
Front cover of Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray. Click here, or click on the picture to visit the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Balance of Nature trailer

Excerpt: Chapter 1

75,000 years ago

The area we now call Gibraltar

Shouts woke the brothers from their sleep.

“A boat—on the Endless Sea! Headed toward us!”

At night? How is that possible? But Kazeb didn’t ask because it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was there.

He and Turk had waited long for this news, Kazeb with excitement, Turk with dread. Without discussion, they raced across the grassland, leapt over crevices, the width familiar even in the dark, and then scrambled up Big Rock’s knobby flank, grabbing tiny ledges with their fingers and toes with a speed mountain goats would envy. The behemoth’s height dwarfed all hills on the peninsula save the distant, towering range that separated it from others.

The brothers summited the crest and crouched behind a thick patch of scrub at the cliff’s edge. The brisk breeze atop the promontory whipped Kazeb’s hair around. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth so tightly he should have broken a tooth, and waited for the vague elongated shadow on the water’s inky surface to reveal its intentions.

Is it them? He glanced at his brother’s square face. Turk thinks it is.

Sun’s steady arrival slowly erased the dark, made the sea shimmer in shades of blue as waves crashed against the coastline. Just below the surface, under the foam, were sharp shoals. Any boat must tediously avoid these, better yet, continue down the shore where there was no risk, unless they knew of the sole safe mooring used by natives and those they shared the location with, like they did with the Tall Ones from long ago.

Turk hissed, “It’s them, Liis.”

The Clan called him Liis, but he preferred “Kazeb,” the name awarded him when he agreed to guide the Tall One Fierce to the sea’s end. That was far beyond anywhere he had ever traveled, but Fierce claimed Kazeb’s knowledge of the area was invaluable.

“We can’t tell who is onboard, Turk,” he said, though who else knew of the hidden cove?

Kazeb rose and scanned a full circle, hoping whoever came on that craft wasn’t looking up here.

“What are you doing, Liis?”

“I need to see if they’re alone, or do more come from other directions.”

Flat grassland bordered one flank of the promontory, water the rest. Sun’s earliest rays colored the sky in pinks and blues. Birds plummeted into the crystalline water. Fish with no desire to be food dove. Farther away, pigs rooted through the stubble and a herd of deer feasted on ever-abundant fresh young shoots, protected by the range of mountains from unexpected predators.

When we finish, that’s where we will go.

He turned back to the shoreless sea. Visible on clear days, a faint brown outline shadowed the horizon, what the Tall One Fierce had called home.

Turk said, “They knew enough to stay in the calm waterswhen darkness arrived, to avoid the underwater shoals.”

Sun broke above the horizon, telling the boat it was safe to continue. The craft nimbly skirted the shoals, aiming for the spot a similar vessel had beached long ago. Kazeb gripped his spear tighter. Fierce had promised to return once his exploration was completed. Kazeb trusted his word, but the more time passed, the more he wondered if he had been lied to.

“Liis!” Turk interrupted his reverie. “There is another boat, behind the first!”  

Now Kazeb saw it. Both prows plowed through the water, their shapes clear in the sunlight. Shivers ran through Kazeb.

These aren’t like Fierce’s craft … but we have seen no one from that direction either by sea or foot.

Kazeb studied the gaggle of Uprights, their bold stripes, the confident stance of the slender male in the bow of the front boat. All fit his recollections of the Tall One band. His gaze drifted to the back boat, a shorter stockier figure at the prow.

Is he Fierce’s guide? My replacement? But why would he be behind Fierce?

Legs wide for balance, sunlight glinting off flame-red hair, the sturdy figure scanned the Big Rock. To Kazeb’s surprise, his gaze paused at the clump of brush where the brothers hid. He couldn’t see them, of course. Both had mudded their skin and squinted to keep Sun’s glare off their eyes. Still, the figure shouted to One-who-might-be-Fierce and pointed.

Turk gurgled, “Are they looking for us? But why come back here, considering what they did?”

“We don’t know for sure—”

“Who else would it be?” Turk’s voice a strangled yelp.

They argued this question often. The Clan Healer originally thought the deadly illness had been caused by insects or a toxin in the air, but before he died, he admitted an individual could have poisoned the members’ food and water. Who could say?

Kazeb didn’t bother to reply, busy admiring the vessel’s sleek profile, so unlike the Clan’s flatter, smaller ones. The sailors effortlessly beached it at the base of the monstrous rock where the brothers hid.

Voice fiery, Turk hissed, “Our destiny has arrived, why we survive and the rest died.”

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, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

Author’s Social Media Contacts

Click on the links below to visit the author’s media

What should I do about AI?

A woman on a red background says, “What should I do about AI”

This is a bonus section about AI provided by Jacqui Murray

In 2024, readers crave more than just a passive experience. Interactive storytelling has become a significant trend, allowing readers to actively participate in shaping the narrative. With the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), stories are no longer confined to the pages of a book. Authors are experimenting with immersive experiences, creating narratives that respond to reader choices, making each journey through the story a unique adventure. Here are a few quick guidelines:

  • Use AI as an assistant, not as a replacement
  • Check everything AI does. It’s not perfect. Don’t expect it to be something it isn’t.
  • Be legal and ethical in your AI use. Confess to its use (like in your Kindle publications) when necessary. Don’t try to hide it.
  • Protect your privacy–don’t share personal information.
  • Assume AI-generated images can now be reverse-searched and tied back to you in some cases.
  • Voice cloning only needs 5–30 seconds of audio—don’t post long clear voice notes publicly if you’re worried about impersonation.

What are your tips?

Two Great Book Reviews on World Animal Day

This post is to highlight a post by Lauren Scott featuring two exceptionally well written as well as supportive reviews of Jacquie Murrays book Endangered Species and my book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. I would also like to remind everyone that today is World Animal Day. Please visit her post, I reblogged it below.

Visit Lauren Scott’s Post (had issues with Reblog).

Naturally I would also like to mention my review of Lauren’s wonderful book King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry. Click here to see it

The front cover features the title and author, a big photo of Copper and a pumpkin.
Front cover of King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry by Lauren Scott. Click here, or on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Review of Badlands

This is a Leonberger blog, but I also post book reviews of books that are not about Leonbergers, non-Leonberger books I love and want to promote. With this post I would like to promote a truly great novel featuring Neanderthals and other archaic humans. The book is called Badlands and is the second book in the savage land trilogy by Jacqui Murray.

To visit my review for the first book in the series, Endangered Species – Click here. To visit my contribution to the book blast for Endangered Species, Click here. To see the Neanderthal super fact post (facts given to me by Jacqui Murray) – Click here.

Below is an overview of the three formats of Badlands

  • Paperback –  Structured Learning LLC (April 15, 2025), ISBN-10 : 194210166X, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101666, 259 pages, Item Weight : 12.5 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.59 x 9 inches, it cost $15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DFCV5YFT, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101673, 311 pages. It is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com and free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Audiobook – Structured Learning LLC (January 4, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F5NGVJ3H, Virtual Voice, listening length 8 hours and 22 minutes, it is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com.  Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author, a neanderthal woman and three canines (wolves). There is an erupting volcano in the background.
Front cover of Badlands. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon Description of Badlands

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man 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 of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face. 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 life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

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.

My Amazon Review of Badlands

Once Upon a Time 75,000 Years Ago

The adventures of Yu’ung continue in this book. Yu’ung is a female Neanderthal and a healer and a leader of her tribe. The world she and her tribe inhabit is threatened by massive volcanic eruptions. The Neanderthals, referred to as The People, as well as the Tall Ones (the Homo Sapiens), and other Uprights (Home Erectus, Denisovans, etc.) are forced to relocate. Yu’ung’s tribe and many other tribes are migrating towards the shoreless sea. Unfortunately, Yu’ung has to leave her tribe as she accompanies an old member of her tribe to meet up with the mountain clan. Both groups are accompanied by smart and loyal canines. There are disasters, unexpected events as well as dangerous enemies along the way.

Like all Jacqui Murray’s novels this novel is very intense, captivating and realistic. Life was harsh back then and the author has a great way of depicting this vividly and realistically. You connect with the characters and their struggle for survival. There is kindness, generosity, heartbreak, cruelty, battles and betrayal. The importance of cooperation and belonging for survival becomes clear and you understand the advantage of everyone having a role and a purpose in the tribe. Jacqui imagines what pre-historic man must have felt and experienced and she does this very skillfully. She has also done her research regarding the way pre-historic man, including Neanderthals, lived and what they were capable of.

The novel features a number of pre-historic dogs or semi-domesticated wolves referred to as Canis, including Ocha, Ragged Ear, Blaze, White Streak and Ump. These Canis cooperate with the Neanderthals in various ways and together they are much stronger. Neanderthals may not have domesticated dogs, and the author admits to using a creative license or narrative license in this regard. However, the Canis adds a lot to the story. Her use of the loyal and smart Canis makes it easier to relate to the pre-historic tribes in the story and it allows her to add interesting plot twists. Somewhat ironically, the Canis adds humanity to the story.

At the end of the book is the first chapter of the next book in the trilogy, Balance of Nature, followed by information about Neanderthals. The beginning of the book features a helpful list and explanation of terms used in the book as well as an explanatory list of the characters in the book, including the Canis. It is a nice habit the author has, which makes it easier to follow along, especially if you forget a character, or you did not read the first book.

I loved this book just like I loved the other books written by Jacqui Murray. It is both captivating and interesting and it makes you think about all those millions of pre-historic humans who came before us long ago. Our modern civilization has existed for such a very short time, and it is easy to forget how privileged we are. I believe you can read this book standalone without getting confused, but it is better if you have already read the first book in the series (Endangered Species). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure.

Photo of the author, an overview of the author, and a description of the book.
Back cover of Badlands. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.

About the Author of Badlands

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 the 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. When not writing, she is grad school teacher, author of over a hundred tech ed resources including K-12 technology curricula, and an Amazon Vine Voice.

You can find her resources at her publisher, Structured Learning LLC. She lives in So. California with her husband of forty years, Labrador Casey, and lots of contact with her adult children, one a Cdr in the Navy, the other a SFC in the Army. Feel free to reach out to Jacqui at her blog, WordDreams, or her social media platforms.

Review of Endangered Species

This is a Leonberger blog, but I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but other types of books I love and want to promote. With this post I would like to promote a truly great novel featuring Neanderthals. The book is called Endangered Species by Jacqui Murray. I recently participated in a so-called virtual book blast for this book. It is a special promotion. This post is just about my review for this book. The virtual book blast is the important post and if you did not see it yet please click here. Below is a list of some additional book blast posts for this book. If you know of additional ones, please tell me in the comments.

  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Darlene Foster – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Liz Gauffreau – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Carol Cooks – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – John Howell – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Booomcha, Kymber Hawke – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Miriam Hurdle – click here.

To see the Neanderthal super fact post (given to me by Jacqui Murray) – Click here

Below is an overview of the three formats of Endangered Species

  • Paperback –  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 cost $15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJ9Y7PQ8, 323 pages. It is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com and free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Audiobook – Structured Learning LLC (January 4, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CY6YQL83, It is currently $1.99 on Amazon.com.  Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author, a neanderthal woman and her canine/wolf and there is an erupting volcano in the background.
Front cover of Endangered Species. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon Description of Endangered Species

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man 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 of the tribes 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 is Book One of the trilogy. Yu’ung and her Neanderthal tribe must align with Fierce and his Tall Ones—an advanced tribe of humans. Even then, survival is not ensured. The story starts in the Altai Mountains of Siberia as they prepare for a cross-continent journey to a new home away from the volcano’s devastation.

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 life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

My Amazon Review of Endangered Species

Something Big Happened 75,000 Years Ago. We The People Are Still Here.

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. Her books also cover a larger time interval starting 1.8 million years ago. The story in this fairly new book takes place 75,000 years ago when our planet was home to several human species including Homo neanderthalensis or Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens. The focus of the story is on a tribe of Neanderthals calling themselves “the people”. Homo Sapiens (people like us) are referred to as “tall ones”. There were also other humanoid species alive at the time such as Homo erectus and Denisovans and they are referred to as “uprights” in this book. Well, all homo species are referred to as uprights in this book.

Something very bad is about to happen. Something that threatens the survival of all homo species. You can guess what from the front cover. There is a vision, or a spirit, of a Homo erectus woman called Xhosa who provide help and wisdom from the spiritual realm. Some central characters are Yu’ung, a female Neanderthal who is a healer and the leader of her tribe, Fierce the leader of a Homo sapiens tribe, Jun or Shanadar a young Neanderthal man and his canines Ump, White Streak (and a few more), who are sent by Xhosa on a special mission. I loved the canines (related to wolves). As a side note I can add that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens could interbreed despite being considered different species because the concept of species is complex.

The many adventures recounted in this book are fascinating, intense and captivating and there is something interesting and fun happening on every page. The character development is detailed and well done. Despite being so ancient and so different from us modern people, the humanoids in the book come alive in your imagination and you are transported into a different world from long ago. I found myself cheering for and caring for a Neanderthal woman and loving a wild dog. One passage that I found to be so intense that I was breathless was when Jun/Shanadar saved the life of a drowning canine pup called Blaze. What a job he had, saving a pup and saving the world. Did all this happen for real? I don’t know, but it could have. I loved this book. It is a page turner, and I highly recommend this book as well as her previous books.

Photo of the author, an overview of the author, and a description of the book
Back cover of Endangered Species. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.

About the Author of Endangered Species

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 the 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.

When not writing, she is grad school teacher, author of over a hundred tech ed resources including K-12 technology curricula, and an Amazon Vine Voice. You can find her resources at her publisher, Structured Learning LLC. She lives in So. California with her husband of forty years, Labrador Casey, and lots of contact with her adult children, one a Cdr in the Navy, the other a SFC in the Army. Feel free to reach out to Jacqui at her blog, WordDreams, or her social media platforms.

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

Click on the links below to visit the author’s media

Prehistoric Refugees

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I read Survival of the Fittest (Book 1 of Crossroads trilogy) the Paperback version – March 2, 2019, by Jacqui Murray. It is another of Jacqui Murray’s wonderful prehistoric novels and I loved it. It exists in three formats on Amazon.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 2, 2019), ISBN-10: 194210135X, ISBN-13: 978-1942101352, 311 pages, Item Weight : 1.01 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 0.78 x 9 inches, it cost $14.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Hardback –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (February 28, 2021), ISBN-10: 1942101708, ISBN-13: 978-1942101703, 328 pages, Item Weight : 1.24 pounds, dimensions : 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches, it cost $24.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 6, 2019), ASIN: B07NKM58GB, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover feature title and author name and a picture of a wolf and a tall prehistoric girl holding a spear.
Front cover of  Survival of the Fittest. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the book. Picture is scanned from the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Five tribes. One leader. A treacherous journey across three continents in search of a new home. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Survival of the Fittest is an unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion. Chased by a ruthless enemy, Xhosa leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands following a path laid out decades before by her father, to be followed only as a last resort. She is joined by other fleeing tribes from Indonesia, China, South Africa, East Africa, and the Levant, all similarly forced by timeless events to find new lives. As they struggle to overcome treachery, lies, tragedy, secrets, and Nature itself, Xhosa is forced to face the reality that her enemy doesn’t want to ruin her People. It wants to ruin her. The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia, where ‘survival of the fittest’ was not a slogan. It was a destiny. Xhosa’s People were from a violent species, one fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened their lives except for one: future man, a smarter version of themselves, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.

This is my Amazon review of Survival of the Fittest by Jacqui Murray

The Survival Story of Prehistoric Refugees

What does survival of the fittest mean? The most fit are not necessarily the strongest or the fastest but the ones who are the most adaptable to change. The survival of prehistoric man was helped by so many aspects of skills, health, intelligence, making tools, the ability to cooperate and the willingness to change, as well as empathy. In this book we follow a few tribes of Homo Erectus who are forced to relocate due to the encroachment and attacks of the so called “Big Heads”.

Xhosa is a Homo Erectus woman who becomes the leader of her people as well as other tribes who join them on their trip through north Africa and into the Middle East. She is a powerful, resourceful, and ruthless warrior and hunter but at the same time she is kindhearted, intelligent, and open minded. Other important characters are Nightshade, Rainbow, Zvi, Seeker, Pan-Do, Lyta and the Hawk People. These tribes are pre-historic refugees if you will. This is the first book in a series of three about her and her tribe(s).

When I was young, I read the novels written by Jean M. Auel, and I was fascinated by the suspenseful stories and the topic of prehistoric man. I’ve read so many science fiction novels set in the future as well as novels set in the past but during historic times. However, there is not much out there that takes place during pre-historic times, perhaps because we don’t know much about it. Jean M. Auel changed literature history with her novels taking place during prehistoric times.

More recently Jacqui Murray changed literature history once again by continuing this path and by writing suspenseful epic sagas taking place at different time periods. This book and the next two in the series take place 850,000 years ago. Now we know a lot more about prehistoric man and Jacqui Murray has certainly done her research. I can add that the three first books I read by Jacqui Murray was about a homo habilis woman who lived 1.8 million years ago. Her name was Lucy and there are some references to Lucy in this book through Xhosa’s dreams.

It seems like Jacqui loves to incorporate dogs or friendly wolves in her books. There was Lucy with her big dog Ump in the Dawn of Humanity series (Homo Habilis) and in this book we have a tame blue-eyed wolf, Pup later called Spirit and his rescuer and handler Zvi. I love this aspect of these books. The front cover of the paperback (what I read) shows a prehistoric woman and a wolf. The wolf is obviously Spirit, but I am not sure if the woman is Zvi or Xhosa.

The adventures recounted in this book are intense and gritty and feature a lot of violence, suffering, and cruelty but that was the reality back then. There are cannibals, crocodiles eating people, various beasts attacking people, and attacks by other tribes. Prehistoric times were cruel and violent. You had to learn how to survive. This book is filled with action-packed adventures and interesting subplots. You never know what is going to happen next and you just must find out. It is a real page turner. Without giving anything else away I can say that the book ends on a happy note after a long arduous and dangerous journey. In summary, I loved this book. It is enjoyable, fun, and action packed. The stories are creative and fascinating, and the book is very well written. I highly recommend this book.

The back cover feature a photo of Jacqui Murray, an author description and the description of the book. The text is white and the background is black.
Back cover of  Survival of the Fittest (scanned from book).

About the Author

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, and a contributor to NEA Today.

You can find her resources at Structured Learning. Read Jacqui’s tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days here on Amazon Kindle. Also, read her new series, Man vs. Nature, starting with Born in a Treacherous Time–also on Kindle.

Finally, links to the Dawn of Humanity series. Book on Amazon on the left, and my review on the right.

Virtual Book Blast For Natural Selection and Ump and Bronco

Today I and Jacqui Murray the author of Natural Selection, the third and last book in the Dawn of Humanity series – October 18, 2022, will compare our giant dogs Bronco and Ump. Bronco is our late Leonberger about whom I wrote a book, the life and times of Le Bronco, and Ump is the loyal and brave fictional canine in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy. As Jacqui has pointed out, Ump and Bronco are separated by a couple of million years and Ump is more of a wolf than a domesticated dog. Yet they have a lot in common. They were both big, loyal, strong and brave and I can add that Bronco was also accused of being a wolf.

Below are the questions that we both will answer:

  1. Quick one-sentence intro to our friend. Include a picture.
  2. Life with a large dog.
  3. How does Bronco hunt?
  4. How does Bronco show he’s part of his human pack?
  5. A story about loyalty.

To see the three first questions and our answers please visit this link (note if the link does not work in the subscriber email open the actual post).

These are the last two questions and our answers:

#4 how does Bronco show he’s part of his human pack?

Ump: Actually, in Lucy’s story, Dawn of Humanity, Ump sees no difference between the human pack and his proto-wolf one. They were killed so early in his life, he doesn’t remember them, just knows Lucy as his Alpha and pack leader.

Bronco: Leonbergers were bred to be companion dogs as well as working dogs. They love people, they are sensitive to your feelings, they are excellent therapy dogs, and they don’t like it when there’s an argument. Whenever, someone was upset or sad Bronco tried to comfort them by pushing his head into their side and licking their face. He wanted everyone in the family to be together and to be happy. When we went for a walk as a family, he would not accept that one of us was leaving and going a different way. He also liked to sit with us on the sofas, and sleep in our bed, which we only allowed him to do for some time because he took up too much room.

#5 A story about loyalty

Ump: Ump’s kind knows no attitude other than loyalty to his pack. There is no option and he doesn’t want one. His pack is what makes life work. One example that most wouldn’t think of is that Ump often shares his food with Lucy and her tribe. There are times they can’t hunt or forage enough food for their needs, but Ump rarely experiences that. He can always come up with a hare or rat he then happily shares with his hungry packmates.

Bronco: Leonbergers are loyal and protective. Once we were attacked by an unleashed German Shepherd who first went after Daisy our Pug. Bronco who was old at the time stepped in between and, in the process, he got bit in the leg where he had just had surgery. He saved Daisy’s life.

Now I would like to focus on Natural Selection, which is one of the most captivating and fascinating historical fiction books that I’ve ever read.

Summary

In this conclusion to Lucy’s journey, she and her tribe leave their good home to rescue former-tribe members captured by the enemy. Lucy’s tribe includes a mix of species–a Canis, a Homotherium, and different iterations of early man. In this book, more join and some die, but that is the nature of prehistoric life, where survival depends on a combination of our developing intellect and our inexhaustible will to live. Each species brings unique skills to this task. Based on true events.

Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her tribe struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.

A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!

Book information:

Title and author: Natural Selection by Jacqui Murray

Series: Book 3 in the Dawn of Humanity series

Genre: Prehistoric fiction

Editor: Anneli Purchase

Available print or digital at: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0B9KPM5BW

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 over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice,  a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

Social Media contacts:

Amazon Author Page, Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Website

Some interesting information about the series

Finally, an excerpt:

Chapter 1

One Pack Ends, Another Begins

Africa  

The Canis’ packmates were all dead, each crumpled in a smeared puddle of blood, Upright killing sticks embedded where they should never be. His body shook, but he remembered his training. The killers’ scent filled the air. If they saw him—heard him—they would come for him, too, and he must survive. He was the last of his pack.

He padded quietly through the bodies, paused at his mate, broken, eyes open, tongue out, pup under her chest, his head crushed. A moan slipped from his muzzle and spread around him. He swallowed what remained in his mouth. Without a pack, silence was his only protection. He knew to be quiet, but today, now, failed.

To his horror, a departing Upright looked back, face covered in Canis blood, meaty shreds dripping from his mouth, the body of a dead pup slung over his shoulder. The Canis sank into the brittle grass and froze. The Upright scanned the massacre, saw the Canis’ lifeless body, thought him dead like the rest of the decimated pack. Satisfied, he turned away and rushed after his departing tribe. The Canis waited until the Upright was out of sight before cautiously rising and backing away from the onslaught, eyes on the vanished predators in case they changed their minds. And fell.

He had planned to descend into the gully behind him. Sun’s shadows were already covering it in darkness which would hide him for the night, but he had gauged his position wrong. Suddenly, earth disappeared beneath his huge paws. He tried to scrabble to solid ground, but his weight and size worked against him and he tumbled down the steep slope. The loose gravel made gripping impossible, but he dug his claws in anyway, whining once when his shoulder slammed into a rock, and again when his head bounced off a tree stump. Pain tore through his ear as flesh ripped, dangling in shreds as it slapped the ground. He kept his legs as close as possible to his body and head tucked, thankful this hill ended in a flat field, not a river. Or a cliff.

When it finally leveled out, he scrambled to his paws, managed to ignore the white-hot spikes shrieking through his head as he spread his legs wide. Blood wafted across his muzzle. He didn’t realize it was his until the tart globs dripped down his face and plopped to the ground beneath his quaking chest. The injured animal odor, raw flesh and fresh blood, drew predators. In a pack, his mate would purge it by licking the wound. She would pronounce him Ragged-ear, the survivor.

Ragged-ear is a strong name. A good one.

He panted, tail sweeping side to side, and his indomitable spirit re-emerged.

I live.

But no one else in his pack did.

Except, maybe, the female called White-streak. She often traveled alone, even when told not to. If she was away during the raid, she may have escaped. He would find her. Together, they would start over.

Ragged-ear shook, dislodging the grit and twigs from his now-grungy fur. That done, he sniffed out White-streak’s odor, discovered she had also descended here. His injuries forced him to limp and blood dripping from his tattered ear obstructed his sight. He stumbled trying to leap over a crack and fell into the fissure. Fire shot through his shoulder, exploded up his neck and down his chest. Normally, that jump was easy. He clambered up its crumbling far wall, breaking several of his yellowed claws.

All of that he ignored because it didn’t matter to his goal.

Daylight came and went as he followed White-streak, out of a forest onto dry savannah that was nothing like his homeland.

Why did she go here?

He embraced the tenderness that pulsed throughout his usually-limber body. It kept him angry and that made him vicious. He picked his way across streams stepping carefully on smooth stones, their damp surfaces slippery from the recent heavy rain, ignoring whoever hammered with a sharp rock inside his head. His thinking was fuzzy, but he didn’t slow. Survival was more important than comfort, or rest.

Ragged-ear stopped abruptly, nose up, sniffing. What had alerted him? Chest pounding, breathing shallow, he studied the forest that blocked his path, seeking anything that shouldn’t be there.

But the throbbing in his head made him miss Megantereon.

Ragged-ear padded forward, slowly, toward the first tree, leaving only the lightest of trails, the voice of Mother in his head.

Yes, your fur color matches the dry stalks, but the grass sways when you move. That gives away your location so always pay attention.

His hackles stiffened and he snarled, out of instinct, not because he saw Megantereon. Its shadowy hiding place was too dark for Ragged-ear’s still-fuzzy thinking. The She-cat should have waited for Ragged-ear to come closer, but she was hungry, or eager, or some other reason, and sprang. Her distance gave the Canis time to back pedal, protecting his soft underbelly from her attack. Ragged-ear was expert at escaping, but his stomach spasmed and he lurched to a stop with a yowl of pain. Megantereon’s next leap would land her on Ragged-ear, but to the Canis’ surprise, the She-cat staggered to a stop, and then howled.

While she had been stalking Ragged-ear, a giant Snake had been stalking her. When she prepared her death leap, Snake dropped to her back and began to wrap itself around her chest. With massive coils the size of Megantereon’s leg, trying to squirm away did no good.

Ragged-ear tried to run, but his legs buckled. Megantereon didn’t care because she now fought a rival that always won. The She-cat’s wails grew softer and then silent. Ragged-ear tasted her death as he dragged himself into a hole at the base of an old tree, as far as possible from scavengers who would be drawn to the feast.

He awoke with Sun’s light, tried to stand, but his legs again folded. Ragged-ear remained in the hole, eyes closed, curled around himself to protect his vulnerable stomach, his tail tickling his nose, comforting.

He survived the Upright’s assault because they deemed him dead. He would not allow them to be right.

Sun came and went. Ragged-ear consumed anything he could find, even eggs, offal, and long-dead carcasses his pack normally avoided. His legs improved until he could chase rats, fat round ground birds, and moles, a welcome addition to his diet. Sometimes, he vomited what he ate and swallowed it again. The day came he once again set out after what remained of his pack, his pace more sluggish than prior to the attack, but quick enough for safety.

Ragged-ear picked up the female’s scent again and tracked her to another den. He slept there for the night and repeated his hunt the next day and the next.

Everywhere he traveled, when he crossed paths with an Upright, it was their final battle.

A Leonberger and His Little Pug Friend

Our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) grew up with several dogs, one of them being our Pug Daisy, which we still have. Bronco and Daisy were good friends and on one occasion Bronco saved Daisy from an attacking lose German Shepherd. We’ve owned a very well-behaved German Shepherd, they are good dogs, but this particular one wasn’t.

Bronco stepped in between the German Shepherd and Daisy and got bitten in the leg in the process. Leonbergers are about double as strong as German Shepherds and almost double as massive and they have more powerful jaws. However, Bronco was old and had just had surgery in the leg in which he was bit, so it was certainly a sacrifice on his part. I was mad and I ran after the German Shepherd and tried kicking him and between mine and Bronco’s efforts he ran off. I cursed at the owner of the German Shepherd for letting him run lose in a public space. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but in the end Daisy our innocent sweet Pug was alive. What a day that was. Anyway, in this post I am showing a few photos I took of Bronco and Daisy.

Photo of our Pug Daisy (left) and our Leonberger Bronco (right)
Daisy (Pug) and Bronco (Leonberger)
Photo of Bronco and Daisy in the kitchen with pieces of gingerbread on the floor. Bronco raided the gingerbread house, but he is sharing with Daisy.
Bronco raided a gingerbread house, but he is sharing with Daisy.
Photo of Daisy and Bronco in the backyard. Green grass, a fence and some trees.
Daisy and Bronco in the backyard

Above Daisy and Bronco on our large wide leather sofa.

Photo of Daisy and Bronco in front of a sort of hotdog cake. It is Daisy's birthday.
Daisy’s birthday

Finally, I also would like to highlight the Dawn of Humanity series written by Jacqui Murray once again. I loved this series and I highly recommend it. Below I am posting some information about the Dawn of Humanity series.

Book Trailer

A Gigantic Cone of Shame And Our Friend Ump

Our Leonberger Bronco (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) had an issue with recurring squamous cell carcinoma in his toes requiring surgery. Each time Bronco had toe surgery, he needed to wear a so-called cone of shame to prevent him from licking the site of the amputation. In the beginning, we used a standard hard plastic see-through cone. They are very practical and work well, but they don’t seem comfortable. Then we tried a Comfy Cone and a pillow cone. A Comfy Cone is shaped like a standard cone of shame, but it’s made of a soft material that’s comfortable to lean your head on. A pillow cone is an inflatable ring-shaped pillow that you put around a dog’s neck. In terms of comfort, this was probably the best solution. But in Bronco’s case, it wasn’t practical. He was just too big, and he could reach around even the largest size available. For him the best solution was the Comfy Cone.

The Comfy Cone came in the extra-large size that Bronco needed. However, the large size of the cone came with its own issues. As Bronco walked around the house his very large Comfy Cone was swinging back and forth knocking things over. Another problem was that the big swinging cone scared the living day lights out of our mini-Australian Shepherd. To him Bronco probably looked like a Dilophosaurus  or Triceratops with a giant frill. However, they loved each other. See Rollo lick Bronco’s face in the picture below.

Photo of our Leonberger Bronco accidentally clearing the coffee table of books, notepads and magazines.
When Bronco wore his Comfy Cone, he sometimes accidentally cleared the coffee table as he walked by.

Bronco was getting old, and he was having issues with his toes, and I believe that is why he also became a bit clingy. He often followed me around the house, and he did not want to be alone. When I went to the bathroom, I closed the door on him, and he waited for me outside the bathroom. I took the photo below after opening the bathroom door and he just barged in, cone and all.

Photo of Bronco Bronco barging into the bathroom with his huge cone and all after I opened the bathroom door.
Bronco barging into the bathroom with cone and all after I opened the bathroom door.
Photo of our mini-Australian Shepherd licking Bronco’s face. They loved each other.
Our mini-Australian Shepherd licking Bronco’s face. They loved each other.

Finally, in this post I also would like to highlight the Dawn of Humanity series written by Jacqui Murray. This captivating series is about the adventures of a group of pre-historic humans who live 1.8 million years. The books also include a pre-historic canine called Ump. He is affectionate, loyal, brave, and big, just like our Bronco was, which was another endearing aspect of these books. I highly recommend this series. Below I am posting some information about the series.

Book trailer: