Jacqui Murray has done it again–she’s released yet another fast-paced book for our reading pleasure. This time she’s jumped genres, and she’s taking us on a tour of prehistoric Africa.
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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.
To make it worse, Lucy’s band hates her. She is their leader’s new mate and they don’t understand her odd actions, don’t like her strange looks, and don’t trust her past.
Born in a Treacherous Time is prehistoric fiction written in the spirit of Jean Auel. Lucy is tenacious and inventive no matter the danger, unrelenting in her stubbornness to provide a future for her child. You’ll close this book understanding why man not only survived our wild beginnings but thrived, ultimately to become who we are today.
This is a spin-off of To Hunt a Sub’s Lucy (the ancient female who mentored Kali Delamagente.
So, Jacqui, I love the genre switch, and especially the new cover, but why the change from military thrillers to prehistoric narrative?
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Lucy’s story in Born in a Treacherous Time was my first effort at fiction writing. A good-meaning agent suggested I move the story into the present rather than a niche market like prehistoric fiction. From that was born To Hunt a Sub. But, Lucy nagged me for two decades until I finally agreed to write her story. This was the only way I could silence her!
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What is it about prehistoric society that drew you, as opposed to a more recent era?
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From the little bit I used to know about earliest man’s life, I just couldn’t figure out how we survived. Even with a clever brain, we had no claws, thin skin, and worthless teeth. One thing led to another, and I was reading everything I could just to satisfy my curiosity. Even then, it didn’t make sense. Only by putting it in context–as Lucy’s life–did the pieces fall into place.
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How did you do our research? Did you go to a lot of museums?
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I did all my research online, in museums and libraries. Most were local, but I did go all over the country visiting libraries with in-depth research on this topic. That included three glorious days at the University of Notre Dame library and one full day at the Library of Congress. What fun!
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How will this series progress?
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I love the idea of writing about how man survives, especially in tough times. Next in the series is the time of Homo Erectus, 850,000 years ago. That story will take two books. Not sure if I’ll go back to Lucy after those two, or proceed with Cro-Magnon man.
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And if you’re still on the fence about checking it out, Jacqui’s already gotten a lovely Kirkus review I’d like to share with you here.
“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.”
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Cathleen Townsend 
Thanks so much for hosting me, Cathleen. I’m going to enjoy getting to know your community!
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It’s my pleasure, Jacqui. 🙂
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Wow–fantastic review for Born in a Treacherous Time! I’ve been following the reviews, have downloaded the book and am so looking forward to reading it. 🙂 Sharing… xoxo
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Thanks so much, Bette. I am pretty happy with the review. They got what I was trying to say!
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Bette, you are a treasure. 🙂
And Jacqui, I’d be thrilled over that review, too. There’s nothing more powerful, I think, than when someone “gets” you. 🙂
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Congratulations, Jacqui! I’ve long been a proponent of finding sequel ideas through shifting genres rather than some formulaic retread of what came before. The real world is a vast place, and there’s no reason the same can’t be true of our fictional worlds.
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I like that. I am adopting it, Sean. I think it works!
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Changing genres is a risk, and as such requires a certain amount of courage. But given that this particular story was so long in the making, I think it was the right choice. 🙂
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I am so happy for you Jacqui. Your book has got so much of attention!
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Yeah, I’m a little jealous of that Kirkus review myself–but I’m sure it was well-earned. 🙂
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Thank you, Balroop. Good efriends out here!
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Another wonderful post with insights into Jacqui’s new book. She makes my launches look so lame. Ha ha. I loved this read, Cathleen – amazing worldbuilding and relatable characters. Nice to see her making the rounds!
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You made me laugh, Diana. I don’t think I could ever make you look ‘lame’! Thanks for your ongoing support.
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Oh yes, very very lame over here. Lol
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I think you’re meandering along just fine–Diana and Jacqui both. 🙂
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Thanks, Cathleen. 🙂
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Lovely to see Jacqui over here with her new book, Cathleen.
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Great to see you, too, Robbie. 🙂
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Thanks, Robbie. Cathleen and I are having fun chatting!
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Great interview, ladies. Always nice to learn more about the inspirations behind stories 😀
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I agree, Luciana. It starts with a love of history but there is so much more.
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Cathleen, you got a great interview with Jacqui about Born in a Treacherous Time. I just got it on my new tablet and am so excited to read it. Jacqui, you know I love stories about this era and I know I’ll be engaged from the first page.
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Add Cathleen’s books, too. I just downloaded her new one and can’t wait to read it!
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