1. I hear you have animals in your Man vs. Nature novels. Tell us about the books.
Man vs. Nature is a series of trilogies, each addressing a time in man’s evolution when we should have died out but didn’t. The first trilogy, Dawn of Humanity, takes place 1.8 million years ago when man was new on the landscape. We had no homes, weapons, clothing, few tools, no religion, and no fire. The next trilogy, Crossroads, takes place 1 million years later when man has learned to be tough, plan, create some weapons, and become a lot more human. We are still prey to larger predators but we give them a good fight! The next trilogy, Savage Land, jumps about 800,000 years ahead and deals with a time in man’s evolution where despite our dominance in the animal world, we still couldn’t beat Nature. It’s a dark time in our history when our species almost disappeared from the planet. The first book in this trilogy is due out in about two years.
But Jacqui (you say), I thought dogs were important to your stories?
Absolutely. For most of man’s evolutionary history, we considered animals dominant. In my stories, man and animal create critical partnerships that allow both of us to live better. Look at each book cover—they all include a proto-dog companion.
The latest novel in the Dawn of Humanity series—just published in October—is Natural Selection. It features a prehistoric dog named Ump and a Homotherium cat named Kit, both valued members of man’s tribe. Here’s the blurb for that book:
Lucy and her tribe leave their good home to rescue captured tribe members who are in grave danger. Since leaving her mate, Lucy created a tribe that includes an eclectic mix of species—a Canis, a Homotherium kit, and different iterations of early man. More will join and some will die, but that is the nature of prehistoric life, when survival depends on a mix of man’s developing intellect and untiring will to live. Each brings unique skills to the task of saving Raza and his Group from sure death.
Based on true events from 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her band 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. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.
If you’d like to watch a trailer for Natural Selection, check this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/jZhlvou9hvg
2. Why did you add animals to these books?
In my life, animals are valued and cherished. This is a picture of my beloved puppy, Casey:
In the prehistoric world in this series, the big cats and proto-wolves were the alpha predators in a feral world. Man was his prey and had no idea that these domineering animals weren’t more powerful than the two-legged upright creatures they preyed on. I wanted to explore that sort of ‘frenemy’ relationship, show how each species found value in working together.
3. What other books have you written?
I first wrote non-fiction education books (they can be found at Structured Learning). I was a tech teacher without a curriculum so wrote one and then kept going. Then, as a hobby, I switched to fiction—thrillers—stories of flawed super heroes who saved the world at great personal cost. The ultimate super hero was our earliest ancestors, people who survived a feral world without claws, fangs, or physical power, where they were prey not predator. The story of how they endured powerful predators, violent natural disasters without clothing, weapons, or homes is pretty exciting! I write these stories as a series of trilogies, each addressing a time in man’s evolution when we should have died out but didn’t. The one I’m working on right now is called Savage Land.
4. How do you promote your books?
I sell all of my books through Amazon, as print or digital. They’re even free if you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime. You can find them on my Amazon Author page.
Here’s a quick visual summary of the three trilogies, their tagline, and what you can expect in the stories:
Most of the promotion is done through my blog, WordDreams. That’s where I stay in touch with other writers like me who love to talk and explore writing. My other social media links are:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/
Blog: https://worddreams.wordpress.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquimurraywriter/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
Twitter: http://twitter.com/worddreams
Website: https:/JacquiMurray.net
From Marcia: Jacqui, thank you for being my January interviewee! I love discovering novels that feature interesting animals/pets, and I look forward to reading your books!
MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks! Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!
I have not actually released my cat rescuer book yet. The novel, Way Past Crazy
The first novel, Crazy to Wed, takes place twenty-years later. The remainder of the novels kick off with the twentieth high school reunion of these women. At the reunion, one of the women dares the others to marry in twelve months or pay an embarrassing forfeit. The dare is accepted, and almost immediately, love is in the air! In each novel we get to know all of the “Crazy Eights” a bit better, but only focus on one love story per book.
Before the Crazy’s, my primary books were about four successful, if spoiled, rich boys from the suburbs of Chicago. I like writing about powerful men who get in their own way sometimes, and who need love to lead them in down the right path.
Damien Sullivan was done with the dark misdeeds of West Coast Society. He doesn’t have patience for their dirty games or the parade of submissives out to get His attention, and His collar. Until her, with her sun-fired hair, sweet fragrance and stunning turquoise eyes. This is the one promised to Him by the gypsy elder. She’s His angel, and He’ll move heaven and earth to make her His.
For years, I’ve written romance–mainly suspense or sweet–under my Tabitha Gibson pen name, including the Bodyguards, Inc. stories. Those novellas and short stories can be found at 
He didn’t expect to find her or the danger that followed. Can He keep her safe from the imminent darkness?
He made a mistake that could cost Him everything.
Heart’s Journey
Heart’s Desire is book one of the Heart’s Desire series. Here is the book blurb:
Blind Trust is a sensual thriller. FBI Agent Matthew Montagna joins Nicolas Hayes’ FBI team to investigate a series of bank robberies in Washington, DC, and its vicinity. Though he loves his work, he has trouble dealing with his past in Chicago, his criminal ex-wife, and the loss of his home and his friends—not to mention his dog, who moved in with the neighbors because Matthew couldn’t take him to DC. He’s unhappy about his entire situation and wishes for his old companion. Then he meets a dog owner in the building where he lives. Matthew is quickly enchanted with the dog, Bingo, and spends time in the neighbor’s apartment, not knowing that he’s in the center of a dangerous plot.
After three murders in the Washington, DC, vicinity, FBI Agents Hayes and Beckham are assigned to solve the case. Although the murders seem incoherent at first, it becomes clear that there are connections between them. It turns out that the murderer is far from having reached the end of his deadly list.
I also loved writing Chosen Brothers because I had the chance to write a criminal plot playing in a small town on a horse ranch. Nicolas can show that he’s able to go undercover, and he makes a new friend on the way.
4. How do you promote your books?
Hi everyone. My name is Sam, and I’m the dog in Mariah’s latest romance, Paws For Christmas. As you can tell by my photo on the cover, I’m big, furry, and very happy. Mariah named me for her late, real-life dog Sam, who she said was so sweet she loved him to pieces! Like my namesake, I’m lovable, smart, and can sniff out when someone needs love.
I’m a dog lover and animal lover. [See photo left with a sled dog puppy.] All my heroines–no matter what genre–have pets. I served as a director for a county-wide no-kill shelter for three years and always remember the sage advice my brother gave me when I was a girl: “Always try to save a life by adopting a shelter pet.”
We adopted our Sam [see above right] when he was just under one year old, and he must have felt completely lost like the Sam in the story because his owners had abandoned him. I’d like to tell you more about him.
A Gem Of A Murder Blurb:
Amelia Augusta Ethrington, 18th century Duchess of Abbington and fourth in line to the English throne, is considered by society an old maid at thirty-two. She refuses to marry and relinquish her authority to a husband. Instead, she finds romance in trysts with strangers. Amelia’s claim to her duchy is embodied in the form of an intricate, valuable necklace, The Abbington Jewels. But an unscrupulous time traveler seduces her and snatches the necklace.
Pets make an appearance in almost all my books. In my latest release, A Room in Blake’s Folly, we see a Nevada town evolve from a silver boomtown to a semi-ghost town in six different stories. All six are romances even though some don’t turn out the way we expect they might.
In the other, Desert Rose, the rescue dog Noodle makes an appearance (although Rose is, at first, a very reluctant dog owner). However, I don’t have the new covers for these new editions, so we’ll just have to wait for a month or two.
Falling for the Deputy is a fish-out-of-water, an enemies-to-lovers and a second-chance romance story, where a Boston banker moves to a small town in Georgia after a series of personal tragedies. The move is good for her career, and she hopes it will give her time to recover in a different environment.
Blurb for Book Nirvana 1: Through the Red Door:
Blurb for Book Nirvana 2: Runaway Love Story:
Blurb for Book Nirvana 3: Love, Art, and Other Obstacles:
Golden North
I have published eight books. Golden North is second in the Dangerous Times series along with Silver Screen Heroes, and Bronze Skies. Most of my books are historical, but I do have a woman’s fiction set from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Bronze Skies blurb: