Jacqui Murray, Author
Authors, Books, Promotion

#Author Interview: Jacqui Murray

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Jacqui Murray, AuthorJacqui Murray has just released her latest novel, Born in a Treacherous Time, and I’m so pleased to help her promote it. She’s doing a blog hop beginning today and running through June 21st. Jacqui has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is editor/author of over 100 tech ed resources, including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, and K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, CSG Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

 

Born in a Treacherous Time by Jacqui Murray
Cover by: Damonza

Buy Jacqui’s book HERE

 

BLURB

Born in the harsh world of East Africa 1.8 million years ago, where hunger, death, and predation are a normal part of daily life, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle to survive. It is a time in history when man was relentlessly annihilated by predators, nature, his own people, and the next iteration of the species. To make it worse, Lucy’s band hates her. She may be their leader’s new mate but they don’t understand her odd actions, don’t like her strange looks, and don’t trust her past. To survive, she cobbles together an unusual alliance with an orphaned child, a beleaguered protodog who’s lost his pack, and a man who was supposed to be dead.

Kirkus Review:

Murray’s lean prose is steeped in the characters’ brutal worldview, which lends a delightful otherness to the narration …The book’s plot is similar in key ways to other works in the genre, particularly Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear. However, Murray weaves a taut, compelling narrative, building her story on timeless human concerns of survival, acceptance, and fear of the unknown. Even if readers have a general sense of where the plot is going, they’ll still find the specific twists and revelations to be highly entertaining throughout.

A well-executed tale of early man.

*************

Please join me in welcoming Jacqui to my blog. Let’s learn more about her and her work.

Before I start, Tina, I’d like to thank you for hosting me on your wonderful blog and for the opportunity to get to know your community. This is quite an honor!

You’re most welcome, Jacqui. I’m delighted to host you! Tell us something personal about yourself.  I adore my husband and my dog (not necessarily in that order). I have two amazing children, one a SGT in the Army and the other a LT CMDR (Select) in the Navy. I am blessed with my family!

Tell us a little about your new book.  My latest novel is prehistoric fiction, Born in a Treacherous Time, to be released June 2018. It is Book 1 of my Man vs. Nature series, planned for four books covering man’s rise from helpless prey to apex predator. I’m excited to get this story out there and hope it will inspire the main character to stop nagging me!

Born in a Treacherous Time is Lucy’s story, how she and her band of early humans struggle to survive in the harsh reality of a world where nature rules, survival is a daily challenge, and a violent band threatens to destroy everything Lucy thinks she understands.

If you like Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild, you’ll love this book. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the ten-syllable academic explanations, this book is for you. It will bring that world to life in a way never seen before.

What inspired you to write it?  I started writing to understand historic events better. Nothing unravels history better than seeing people in real-life situations. I like to throw my characters off a ledge and see if they learn to fly. There is no high as great as solving the unsolvable.

 

Born in a Treacherous Time by Jacqui Murray
Cover by: Damonza

 

How do you write – outline or free flow?  I write from an outline. I put everything into a spreadsheet first, add details, shake everything up, move rows around, and then convert it to Word where I flesh the story out. I know it’s a bit odd but it works well for me!

What subjects do write about on your blog?  I have several blogs (thank you for the opportunity to share them!):

Jacqui Murray - Structured Learning

 

What is your current writing project?  Currently, I am working on Book 2 in the Man vs. Nature series. This one will explore early man’s migration from Africa to all parts of Asia, the Levant, and Europe. It’s tentatively called Crossroads (for obvious reasons) and should be out Summer 2019.

What advice would you give a new writer?  The best I can offer—besides the de rigeur of ‘write well’–is write a lot. Making money at writing is as much a numbers game as anything else—the more books you have out, the more you sell. People are more likely to buy your first book if they see you’ve written a series.

What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book?  I hope readers of Born in a Treacherous Time are blown away with the majesty and nobility of early man. He was the first animal who didn’t rely on instinct to ensure his survival. Instead, he evaluated his surroundings and came up with new solutions to old problems. I am in awe of his tenacity and brilliance.

What is a fun fact about you?  Few people know I used to be a professional ballroom dancer. I competed around the country and owned a dance studio. My favorite dances were tango, Paso Doble, and the venerable fox trot. I haven’t danced since I got married. My husband isn’t a fan and nothing I could do would change his mind!

Perhaps Jacqui could hold a dance-a-thon on her blog. It would be great fun and could very well go viral 🙂

I’d like to thank Jacqui for being my guest. I’m sure we all wish her every success with her writing and her new book.

*************

Jacqui Murray BooksFind all of Jacqui’s books Here

 

Connect with Jacqui:  Blog   Twitter   Facebook   LinkedIn   Pinterest   Nonfiction technology-in-ed books
Amazon Author Page  
I hope you enjoyed learning more about Jacqui. Please visit her blogs, comment and share.
Thanks so much for stopping by ❤️

80 thoughts on “#Author Interview: Jacqui Murray”

  3. Fabulous interview Tina thanks to you and Jacqui both! A professional ballroom dancer? I swear nothing would surprise or delight me more know to know this. I’ve enjoyed everything that Jacqui posts and I wish her so well in this her latest book and in the series to follow … how lovely to look back and see from where we came …

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  6. Like the other readers, I loved the interview. Jacqui – you made me melt when I read the comment about your husband (and dog) and your feelings of pride for your family. It was a pleasant surprise to read about the ballroom dancing. But, it was also great to learn more about your process, and the fact your characters torment you too!!

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  7. Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
    Tina Frisco hosts Jacqui Murray on her celebratory book tour for her latest book Born in a Treacherous Time ” Born in a Treacherous Time is Lucy’s story, how she and her band of early humans struggle to survive in the harsh reality of a world where nature rules, survival is a daily challenge, and a violent band threatens to destroy everything Lucy thinks she understands.” #recommended

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    1. This writing stuff is fun, innit! Congrats to you too, John. I listened to your interview with Grace Allison and really enjoyed your answers, confidence, and the detail you provided. Nicely done.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. Pingback: Author Interview: Jacqui Murray – The Militant Negro™

  14. So fun to see Jacqui and her new book everywhere in blogland! But first…ballroom dancing? I didn’t know that and it just adds to Jacqui’s flair. I started this book yesterday and I’m on chapter 10 as of this moment. Unputdownable! Thanks for hosting, Tina. Now I gotta go read some more. 🙂

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  15. Interesting interview Jacqui. Tina is so good at interviewing and getting the best out of an author. Thanks for sharing some personal facts about you, nice to know more about you. 🙂

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  16. It’s interesting to meet and get to know a little more about Jacqui and her books here on your blog, Tina. I follow Jacqui on another of her blogs “Ask a Tech Teacher”. I hadn’t realised she was so prolific in the blogging world.

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      1. Teacher-author is a wonderful description. I do read many of your Tech Teacher posts and would often like to leave a comment, but they are closed. Never mind. It’s nice to meet you here.

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  17. Tina, this is a brilliant interview with Jacqui – I love your questions! Jacqui, it’s great learning more about you. A professional dancer eh?! I am impressed … will you take up Tina on her suggestion of a dance-a-thon!? 😀😀 Your advice to writers about having many books out at a time is excellent! How true that ‘Nothing unravels history better than seeing people in real-life situations’ … your book will shine a light on this unexplored and unknown era, wakening interest in it, teaching alongside a compelling story. Have fun on your book launch! Wishing you both a lovely Sunday! Xx

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  19. When I first saw “1.8 million years ago” and the name “Lucy” – I immediately thought of the real Lucy skeleton that is 3.2 million years old. Haha. I was an anthropology major, so of course my ears and eyes were like, ZOOM. Hehe. This sounds like a fun series from an author with impressive credentials! And she’s so right about it being a numbers game. It makes me think of the two that I published that are both non-fiction. I admire people who can weave together an incredible tale of fiction with their imaginations! I have tried it and my stories come out flat, so I’m always impressed when folks can really pull it off and it sounds like Jacqui really has!
    Thanks for your openness in sharing new things like this! Sending you hugs and wishes for a wonderful week! ❤

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    1. I wanted Lucy’s name recognition but my gal is much younger than Donald Johanson’s. I have a ton of nonfic publications and a few fiction. I had thought the same as you–that weaving that tail was a bridge too far for me–but after the first, and then the second, I’m OK with it now.

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      1. Jacqui – that’s great, though. We just gotta go with it when a character emerges. They take on a life of their own and we as writers are tasked with making that happen. Kudos for writing as you did! 😊

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    2. Thank you for adding an anthropologic perspective, Cynthia. So nice to learn more about you! You write so beautifully on your blog that I hope you’ll publish a book on your journey through meditation. Hugs, my friend ❤️

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      1. Tina, my friend, that is a compliment of the highest order and just makes my day. Journey through meditation…I hadn’t thought of that, but you know, I have many, many pages of journal entries (which, my posts lately ARE some of those journal entries) and there’s a book in those…you just opened my mind! Thank you! You never know where you’ll find inspiration. 🤔😲🤩

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  20. Pingback: Introducing Born In A Treacherous Time by Jacqui Murray | Melissa Barker-Simpson
  21. Pingback: Reading Links…6/12/18 – Where Genres Collide

    1. Thank you, Robbie. Truthfully, much of the research was completed before I even wrote the book. It was my armchair paleoanthropology phase. All I had to do was see how facts and extrapolations led to Lucy’s life.

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  23. Pingback: Jacqui Murray: Born In A Treacherous Time | Carol Balawyder

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