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A Life Less Ordinary

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Did Wanderlust Drive Man to All Corners of the Earth?

October 26, 2022 / / 75 Comments

It is my pleasure to feature my friend, fellow blogger, dedicated tech teacher, and accomplished author Jacqui Murray on Roaming About today. Jacqui is a huge supporter of indie authors, an Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer, and a Jill of many trades. Ever since I started following her blog WordDreams many years ago, I have been in awe of her writing, her research skills, her dedication and passion for the writing and teaching craft, her genre choice of prehistoric fiction, and her publishing achievements. She is a busy bee and I have often wondered if – somehow – her days are longer than 24 hours.

To support and celebrate Jacqui’s release of Natural Selection, the third and last book in her Dawn of Humanity trilogy (which is part of a grander series called Man Vs. Nature, a collection of trilogies, each dealing with a seminal point in man’s evolution when we could have–probably should have–become extinct), I invited her over to talk about the origins of “wanderlust,” a topic close to my heart. On more than one occasion, Jacqui has pointed out similarities between “her people” in the books and our unsettled lifestyle.

Did Wanderlust Drive Man to All Corners of the Earth? Science Thinks So.

GUEST ARTICLE BY JACQUI MURRAY

Few animals leave their original habitat for a new one without being forced. Sometimes, as in the case of crocodiles who have survived over 200 million years, their habitat moves so they go with it. Man is the exception. In the trilogy, Dawn of Humanity, Lucy’s tribe of early humans journeyed from the North end of Africa to the South in a hunt for better living conditions. In the Crossroads trilogy (the sequel to Dawn of Humanity), our kind migrated from the eastern shore of Asia to a frozen England (via the land bridge that once connected it to the continent).

Why?

It’s unclear. These unusual migrations transcend all theories, most revolving around the availability of food, the threat of deadly predators, the danger from domination by other human species, dramatic changes in the climate, and migration of herds. That the available facts don’t fit nicely into a clean puzzle has caused scientists to rethink what they thought they understood. One alternative theory claimed that this unforced travel was motivated by simple curiosity and boredom, what is often called wanderlust. Some scientists credit it to a variation in the human DNA (DRD4-7R) now dubbed the “wanderlust gene”. Present in about 20% of the population, it impacts dopamine levels, increasing the person’s tolerance for risk taking.

If you’d rather climb a mountain than lie on the beach or are inclined to follow whims rather than rules, you may have this gene variation. 

Over time, man–from Homo habilis to Homo erectus to modern Homo sapiens–has evolved a highly adaptable culture that allowed our genus to wander over a wide range of climates and habitats. Our ancestors hunted meat in ever-expanding territories, greater than the usual twelve kilometers of Lucy’s tribe and much more than other primates. The most mobile of our genus, Homo erectus, left Africa multiple times, spread throughout the known world (predominantly Eurasia), again and then again for no particular reason. Once we conquered fire, clothing, and shelter, we found we could go anywhere. 

Whatever the reason, for about 99% of human evolution, we have moved around. As a result, until about 50,000 years ago, there were many species of our genus, Homo, wandering the planet. Even today, a percentage of us is ready to move on, explore the world beyond the hill, search out greener pastures, something we are better at than any other life form.

Summary of Natural Selection

In this conclusion to Lucy’s journey, she and her tribe leave their good home to rescue former tribemembers 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: 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

Excerpt of Natural Selection:

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Book & Promo Update June 2022 – Reaching another Milestone

June 24, 2022 / / 34 Comments

Now that my travel/sailing/adventure memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary has been launched more than 1.5 years ago, these book updates, or better, promo updates, will become less frequent. I’m thinking of sharing book news here a few times a year for the following reasons: to update people interested in the journey of an indie author, to inspire/inform fellow authors about my process, successes, and failures, and to – hopefully – entice new blog readers to check out Plunge. This page here provides the blurb, reviews, free chapters, and more. You can find my previous update here.

My book news

Let’s start with the biggest accomplishment… After I published Plunge in November 2020 (on my 45th birthday), I had three quantifiable goals for the first year after publication: 

  1. Make back my investment in the book, which was $2,700. This chunk of money was spent on an editor (two rounds), cover artist, a packet of ten ISBN numbers, and miscellaneous costs related to the publication process.
  2. Gather 100 ratings/reviews for my book on Amazon.
  3. Sell 1,000 copies of Plunge.

I only managed to reach the first two goals by November 2021, one year in.

Eighteen months after publication, I’m happy to report that I achieved my third goal (in May 2022): 1,000 copies sold on Amazon; this is a combination of eBooks and paperbacks. If you add other markets and personal sales to this, the number is slightly higher. While this might not seem like much (it isn’t), all these books have been sold via word of mouth, personal efforts, and free “promo posts” on Facebook. I have yet to pay money for advertising, which I probably have to do soon if I want to keep selling books.

Crossing the 1,000 mark

If you are curious about my actual earnings for these sales (and who isn’t?), here is my royalty statement for those 1,020 books sold above. Don’t forget that $2,700 of this number went to creating Plunge. So far, I’ve made about $1,400 on a book that took five years to write. 🙂

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Book Update March 2022 – Ups and Downs of an Indie Author

March 5, 2022 / / 54 Comments

It’s been a while (three months to be precise) since I put together a post about how my travel/sailing/adventure memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary (published in November 2020) is doing. So… time for a little overview. I share this information for a few reasons: to update people interested in the journey of an indie author, to inspire/inform fellow authors about my process, successes, and failures, and to – hopefully – entice new blog readers to check out Plunge. You can find the blurb, reviews, free chapters, and more here.

Exploring the “undiscovered” sand dunes with Maya
Camping along Camino Cabo Este, Baja California
Camped next to our “private” beach, which is too soft to park on

My book news

As most of you know, Mark, Maya, and I have been nomads for almost twenty years and are currently “on the road” in Baja California, Mexico. This means not much is going on regarding promoting or selling Plunge, because I’m often without internet. If I don’t actively try to sell my book, not much happens. In December and January, when internet was still part of my life, these events occurred:

  • I (mostly unsuccessfully) tried to encourage members of specific Facebook groups, like Women Who Sail, All Things Sailing, and Women Reading Great Books to check out my book on days when promotional posts are allowed. I’d pick an incredible photo from my sailing life and write up a compelling anecdote, putting links in the comments. Because these groups are so large, any post that doesn’t stand out immediately disappears in a big, black hole. Sometimes, a troll enjoys bashing me.

Somebody bashing my book, without even reading it. This comment was removed by the admins of this sailing group.

  • Plunge was mentioned in SpinSheet, the local sailing magazine of Annapolis, MD, in January 2022. The cute city of Annapolis plays an important role in Mark and my life and a couple of the early chapters are set there. I was counting on a review in this magazine instead of a short mention, so I was a bit disappointed.
Plunge mentioned in SpinSheet
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Writing Update December 2021 – One Year after Publishing “Plunge” & What I’ve Learned

December 1, 2021 / / 72 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For December, the question is: “In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are PJ Colando, Diane Burton, Louise – Fundy Blue, Natalie Aguirre, and my online friend Jacqui Murray.

My answer to the question – In your writing, what stresses you? What delights you?

I’ve always had a strange relationship with writing… It comes easy for personal use: diaries, notes, blog posts, emails. But when I have a deadline or an assignment, I find it hard to place my bum in front of a computer. Something is fighting it. Pressure? Yet, from the moment I start, the words flow and by the end I’m usually pleased with the result.

Regarding book writing, I enjoy most of the process, especially the writing and editing steps. Promotion can be fun if my creative juices are flowing and I have time. When I put my mind to anything writing-related, most of it delights me. If I don’t have other priorities or distractions, which usually is the case. What stresses me is the lead-up to events, like in-person/online presentations, interviews, podcasts, meetings, or other performances. Afterwards, I’m always glad I participated, though.

My book news

November was a relatively quiet month for Plunge. Mark and I have had a lot on our minds lately (more about that in a future post), so book promo was not a priority. That being said, I continued posting the occasional content, positive reviews, and a link nudge on different Facebook groups I am a member of.

Fellow author, blogger, and book reviewer Sue Bavey is featuring me this week in her Indie Spotlight on Sue’s Musings. The post went live on November 25th, Thanksgiving Day in the US. Not the best timing, but the interview was fun to do and exposure is always a good thing. You can find our Q&A here.

It is always a delight to hear from readers, known or unknown. When my Facebook notifications showed that someone mentioned Roaming About in a post and I checked it out, this appeared: a wonderful review of my book and a photo. This new reader didn’t post her review on Goodreads or Amazon, but she shared it with her followers and friends on Instagram and Facebook. A wonderful surprise.

Post by Plunge reader Regina
Photo from reader Regina

And my friend Kavita, whom we visited in the suburbs of Chicago a few months ago, brought Plunge on her vacation in Southern Utah, where she posed with it in the amazing scenery. Here she is with my book at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. It’s one of the photos that she publicly posted about her adventurous trip. Incredible!

Kavita with Plunge in Canyonlands

Three days after Thanksgiving, we celebrated my 46th birthday and Plunge’s 1st birthday in the desert of Arizona. I can barely believe that it has been a year already since I published my travel memoir. The book has come far, but the three of us are still/again in the same place: Southern Arizona.

Liesbet & Plunge in Ironwood NM, Arizona
Liesbet & Plunge in Cactus Forest BLM, Arizona
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Writing Update November 2021 – The Importance of Word of Mouth & Influencers for Book Sales

November 3, 2021 / / 34 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For November, the question is: “What’s harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Kim Lajevardi, Victoria Marie Lees, Joylene Nowell Butler, Erika Beebe, and Lee Lowery.

My answer to the question – What’s harder to create, your book title or the blurb?

What a great question! I think most authors struggle with both. If not, I envy them. The title (and subtitle) is of the utmost importance and is not easy to change once you commit to one. For Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary, it took me years until the one-word, punchy title popped up. I loved the fact that it was short and catchy and that it described my personality.

The subtitle was a different story – I’d made a list of about one hundred potentials and eventually boiled them down to three or so (at which point, I involved others to “vote”). None of these made it. As I hit “send” on the email with crucial information for my cover designer, I impulsively changed the subtitle to the current one. There was no turning back.

Writing a blurb is hard work; much harder and less fun than coming up with a book title. I did not enjoy this process and was glad to receive help from fellow authors, whom I thanked in my acknowledgements. It was a work in progress. I ran the drafts by many people. While it took less long than eventually creating a title for my book (one month versus years), it certainly involved more focus, frustration, and actual keyboard time to put the final blurb together.

My book news

Mark, Maya, and I have been traveling, exploring, and camping the entire month of October. As expected, not much promotion work has happened for Plunge.

  • I post the occasional promo spiel, when allowed on specific Facebook groups I’m a member of. Once in a while – even though the guidelines indicate promotion is allowed once a week (on Sundays in this case) – I get booted and my post is removed, even before it goes live. Often, these posts have to go through moderation first and either get ignored or go unnoticed. Oh well.

  • I played around with a free quotes program, but haven’t used anything yet for marketing. All Author offers free banners for certain occasions. I’ve posted a few of those in the past; most recently a Halloween one. These are fun but don’t create sales.
Happy Halloween!
  • Talk about fun, look at this email I received in my inbox recently… For a company that keeps a close eye on who reviews your book and blocks/deletes what they think are inappropriate ratings (always 5-star ones), I find this hilarious.

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Writing Update October 2021 – Reducing Promotion Efforts and Book Dedication Soon

October 6, 2021 / / 57 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For October, the question is: “In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Jemima Pett, J Lenni Dorner, Cathrina Constantine, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Mary Aalgaard.

My answer to the question – In your writing, where do you draw the line, with topics or language?

This is a toughie, especially with memoir, as the idea is to represent the story as truthfully as possible in this genre, even the dialogue parts. That being said, it is easy to omit curse words or swearing. Yet, when the situation allows it or “asks” for it, I am tempted to and I do leave some of these words in the prose, since they are important to the context of those situations. Finding a balance is the solution, I think. You don’t want to put readers off, but you do want to draw them into these real-life scenes.

An author ready for the road…

My book news

Another month has passed. Can you believe it? Even though I swapped my comfortable “home base” in Massachusetts for the confines of a truck camper mid-September, I still managed to get a lot done, book-wise and otherwise.

The goal was to come to a stopping point with a few promotion tasks I still had in mind for my travel memoir Plunge. Once I moved into our new home on wheels, I knew my focus would (and should and did) shift to a life on the road, driving, figuring out our new set-up, sightseeing, hiking, taking it slower, and not being a slave to the internet and the computer anymore. But all that is for a different blog post. This one touches on what I was up to lately, regarding book stuff.

Facebook banner
Blog banner
  • I finally created a book banner for Facebook and my blog, based on my Yankee Homecoming banner, leaving space for default images in the middle.

These are the quotes I decided to pick excerpts from:

Amazon editorial reviews

Here are a few photos that vied for the background:

San Blas Islands
Barbuda beach
Barbuda
Somewhere in the Caribbean
Island in the San Blas
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Writing Update September 2021 – An Eventful Month

September 1, 2021 / / 70 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For September, the question is: “How do you define success as a writer?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie.

My answer to the question – How do you define success as a writer?

This is an excellent question and answers will greatly vary. As a matter of fact, this question is so good and insightful that I could write an entire post as my answer. Don’t worry, I won’t. Being a perfectionist (when it comes to work) with an A-type personality (I think that’s what it’s called), it is very difficult for me to reach what I would define as success. I always want to do better, reach more readers, inspire more people, engage a wider audience.  

Each writer has their own goals. I set mine six months after publishing Plunge and I will revisit those on my first book birthday. In short: success to me as a writer is first to have my work published – in magazines, newspapers, anthologies, or books. Next, it would be to touch/inspire readers. I also aim to get some kind of recognition (positive reviews, write-ups, feature articles, awards, prizes) and – eventually – make a little bit of money with Plunge, once I break even. All this requires a lot of time, effort, and focus.

My book news

August was an incredibly busy month – in life, with our truck and camper projects, a summer-long noisy condo deck project, helping out my in-laws, writing, editing, and translating commitments, and with book stuff! In this post, of course, it’s all about the book action.

  • I finally created a banner for Plunge.

  • In the beginning of August, I did my first in-person “book event” by manning a (shared) booth during the annual Yankee Homecoming Festival in Newburyport, MA. Fellow travel author Marianne Curcio (find her book here) and I split the cost and the space on Craft Fair Day, which is where the organizers thought we’d fit in the best.
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Writing Update August 2021 – Back to Promo for Plunge & A New Release from Jacqui Murray

August 4, 2021 / / 57 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For August, the question is: “What is your favorite writing craft book and why?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando,Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox. Click on their names to see what they’re up to this month.

My answer to the question – What is your favorite writing craft book and why?

I don’t use writing craft books. In the initial stages of creating my memoir ages ago, I enjoyed and benefitted from Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer and I did read Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir.

Authors helping authors

Laws of Nature by Jacqui Murray

I’m excited to announce the recent release of Laws of Nature, written by my supportive, intelligent, organized and creative friend, the versatile blogger and author Jacqui Murray. This is the second book in her prehistoric fiction series Dawn of Humanity. I have not purchased Jacqui’s newest novel yet, but the first two books of her Crossroads Trilogy are eagerly waiting on my Kindle. I am fascinated by the premise, the era, and the setting of these intriguing series.

Here is more information about Laws of Nature:

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Writing Update July 2021 – Book News from Belgium

July 7, 2021 / / 71 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For July, the question is: “What would make you quit writing?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, and Louise – Fundy Blue. Click on their names to see what they’re up to this month.

My answer to the question – What would make you quit writing?

The answer that makes most sense for me is “Being physically and/or mentally unable to write anymore.” I always write. If nothing else, I still jot down a diary entry every evening (since 1989), which takes between 20 and 40 minutes! Too long, really, especially since I proofread and edit each sentence.

Mark, Liesbet, and Zesty in California

The thing that slows down other writing is my adventurous lifestyle. As I mentioned before, if I had to choose, I’d rather travel than write. In general, I don’t have to choose, but when it comes to bigger writing projects, like a book, I cannot combine my life on the road with a full-time job (which authordom is) behind the computer.  

My promo news

I have been in Belgium visiting family and friends for almost two weeks. Mark joined me last Thursday. Life has been extremely busy and overwhelming. I tried to get press meetings out of the way before Mark arrived, because Dutch became my primary language during that time and because I didn’t want to “waste” the precious, yet short time we have here together.

In June, this happened with my travel memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary: 

Promotion:

  • I put extra effort in Facebook posts for groups where promotion is allowed. I made my blurbs more relevant and compelling to the audience and incorporated a link to my book instead of blatantly sending potential readers to Amazon.
Liveaboard Lifestyle post
All Things Sailing post
  • One of those well-composed posts I put on two big boating group sites with a combined total reach of 100K members (All Things Sailing: 76.2K members; Liveaboard Lifestyle: 39.3K members) and finally had it take off after unsuccessful plugs for Plunge. It led to tons of comments, shares, and extra sales.

Spike in sales due to vigilant (free) promotion on Facebook

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Writing Update June 2021 – Six Months after Publishing & Promoting Plunge

June 2, 2021 / / 61 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For June, the question is: “For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria. Click on their names to see what they’re up to this month.

My answer to the question – How long do you put your first draft aside?

Since I’ve only written one book, I don’t have much experience with shelving first drafts before tackling them again with fresh eyes. This elapsed time period for me – in the past and possibly in the future – is dependent on what I’m doing at that moment. If I’m traveling full-time, I work whenever I can and this might mean the first draft (a good stopping point) might get put aside until the next substantial slot of time becomes available.

I wrote Plunge largely while Mark and I were house and pet sitting throughout the United States (2015-2019). Since my main project then was this book (whenever we were actually living in someone’s house and not in our camper van), I immediately moved from my first draft to the second one and kept improving and condensing whenever I could. I can’t help but edit and reread my existing paragraphs before starting on the next chunk/chapter, so my first draft – which took three years – was in pretty good shape by the time it was finished.

My book news

Can you believe that six months have passed already since I released Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary? In this section, I report on what has happened in the last month, regarding my book news and promotion efforts. If you are interested in an overview of all the marketing methods I have entertained since the publication of Plunge, have a look at my post of last week: “10 Free Ways to Publish Your Book – What Works & What Doesn’t?”

How did April 2021 look like?

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