Book Launch: The Quest for Home by Jacqui Murray #NewRelease #PrehistoricFiction

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Hi, friends. I have a first time guest on my blog today, and I’m super excited about that! Please welcome Jacqui Murray with her most recent release,The Quest for Home, Book 2 in the Crossroads series, and part of the Man vs. Nature saga.

Banner ad for The Quest for Home by author, Jacqui Murray, shows prehistoric woman with long dark hair holding spear, wolf by her side

This entire series is on my reading radar. I’ve already devoured book 1 of Jacqui’s Rowe-Delamagente thrillers,To Hunt a Sub, and book two is loaded on my Kindle. I can’t wait to see what she does writing prehistoric fiction with The Quest for Home and the Crossroads series.

Book cover for The Quest for Home by author, Jacqui Murray, shows prehistoric woman with long dark hair holding spear, wolf by her sideGenre: Prehistoric fiction

First up, Jacqui shares some background about the book…

How do you know these People are as smart as they seem?
Just to be clear, because these predecessors to man lived long before recorded history, scientists have no definitive evidence of their intelligence. We do get hints of its excellence, though, from their toolmaking. The complex thought required to create their stone tools (called Acheulean), the variety of tool types (cutters, choppers, handaxes, cleavers, flakes, scrapers, and more), and their aesthetically pleasing and functional forms make many paleoanthropologists believe Homo erectus was cerebrally smart. A 2017 study mapped the brains of students as they recreated these same tools and it showed that the work required higher-level motor skills and the ability to ‘hold in mind’ information—much as you do to plan and complete complex tasks (the study compared it to playing Chopin on the piano but I have no idea about that).

Their speech is too sophisticated.
As a species, Homo erectus lasted far longer than any other Homo species—and there is a reason for that: They were not only highly intelligent for the day but possessed rich communication skills. Their sophisticated tools, especially the symmetry of the hand-axe, suggests to many scientists that they possessed the ability to use language. Since most paleoanthropologists (scientists who study prehistoric man) believe the ‘speech’ part of their brain—the part that allowed them to speak—wasn’t evolved enough for verbal words, I present communication often through body language.

A more convincing argument of why early man didn’t want to talk is that voices are noisy and unnatural. That attracts unwanted attention. For these primordial humans, far from the alpha in the food chain, being noticed wasn’t good.

Short Summary:
Chased by a ruthless and powerful enemy, Xhosa flees with her People, leaving behind her African homeland to search for an unknown future. She leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands. As they struggle to overcome treachery, lies, danger, tragedy, hidden secrets, and Nature herself, Xhosa must face the reality that her most dangerous enemy isn’t the one she expected. It may be one she trusts with her life.

The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated Eurasia. He was a violent species, fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened his survival except one: future man, a smarter version of himself destined to obliterate any who came before.

Based on a true story, this is the unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion as early man makes his way across Eurasia, fleeing those who would kill him. He must be bigger-than-life, prepared time and again to do the impossible because nothing less than the future of mankind is at stake.

Purchase From:
Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle AU

Author, Jacqui MurraryAuthor bio:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice,  a columnist for  NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, In the Footsteps of Giants, Winter 2020, the final chapter in the Crossroads Trilogy.

Social Media contacts:
Amazon Author Page |  Blog | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter
Website       

What a unique and challenging novel! I’ve heard only exceptional reviews for book one in this series, and am certain The Quest for Home, is going to be equally outstanding. Jacqui knows how to weave engaging fiction with impeccably researched history for an epic story.

Please make use of the sharing buttons below to help spread the word about The Quest for Home. Intrigued? By all means, one-click the kindle selection of your choice!

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle AU

61 thoughts on “Book Launch: The Quest for Home by Jacqui Murray #NewRelease #PrehistoricFiction”

    • Thanks, Priscilla. It is a Hero’s journey, filled with everything that you’d expect and some you wouldn’t. Earliest man had no choice in this matter. Some scientists write it off to wanderlust but no one really knows why we spread throughout the world where no other species does.

      Well, except for insects.

      Liked by 2 people

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  3. The book looks wonderful! I haven’t read prehistoric fiction since Clan of the Cavebear but I think that time period is very exciting to read about. Thank you both for sharing more information on The Quest for Home. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. I haven’t read any fiction on early man in many years (possibly going all the way back to Clan of the Cave Bear). It looks like you’ve done your research Jacqui, and this sounds very intriguing. Am adding your series to the list.

    Congratulations on launching Book 2, and I hope it sells like crazy! Fun post, Mae and Jacqui! Thanks!

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Start the booking knowing these are clever, resilient, creative, and intuitive folks. Their lives were nothing like our but they were a lot like us without our technology, electricity, home buildings, and a few of our cultural trappings (like clothes). Anthropologists say if you saw my main character Xhosa on the street, she wouldn’t even stand out (assuming you dressed her and combed her hair).

      Liked by 2 people

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    • Prehistoric fiction is a new genre for me too, Teri. The research that must have gone into the book is mind-blogging, but I know the subject is dear to Jacqui’s heart. Thanks for adding to her release excitement!

      Liked by 2 people

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  16. Thanks so much for the share, Mae! Congratulations, Jacqui! I love finding genres I haven’t read in a very long time. I believe Clan of The Cave Bear was the last that I’ve read. I’m looking forward to reading these.

    Liked by 2 people

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