The Promise She Made: Now Available for Pre-Order!

As our ship starts to sink, I see flares lighting up the midnight sky. ‘Hold on tight. I will keep you safe. I promise,’ I say to my terrified little sister as I hold back my tears. But I know I can’t hold on for much longer and as she slips away, my heart breaks. Will I ever see her again? York, 1942. On the night of the Blitz, Ruby returns to her beloved hometown with her heart shattered. She couldn’t keep the one promise she made to her dying mother, to keep her little sister Eliza safe from harm. The Germans have taken everything from her – her family, her fiancé Antoine, and now, her home. When she finds her family home destroyed, she [...]

2024-11-18T14:04:13-04:00November 17, 2024|books, Historical Fiction, Home Page, The Promise She Made|
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Creative Writing: How to Get Started

You don’t have to dream of publication to enjoy creative writing. The writing process has something to offer everyone, and carries enormous benefits even if you never share anything you write. Remember what it felt like, as a small child, to make up stories for yourself? How filled with adventure and excitement those moments were? Here are five reasons everyone can enjoy creative writing – and I’ve included a prompt with each one, to get you started. How do you complete these creative writing prompts? Find a quiet place, open a notebook and start to write. Continue for at least 15 minutes, and stop when you run out of time, or ideas. It’s as easy as that! 1. We are all storytellers, at heart If [...]

2024-11-07T11:32:01-04:00November 7, 2024|Home Page, On Writing|
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Reader Questions Answered!

Now that three weeks have passed since the publication date of my first novel, Her Secret Soldier, I’ve had time to collect a few reader-questions. I thought it would be fun (and useful) to respond to those questions here. Why did you choose to write a World War II novel that is set in England? This is a great question. Many WW2 novels are set in Nazi-Occupied Europe. They deal with subjects such as the Resistance, or concentration camps, or what it was like to live as subjugated peoples under the Nazis. England was never occupied during the war so it’s often assumed nothing as dramatic could have happened there – when in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I love to explore [...]

2024-10-07T12:26:04-04:00October 7, 2024|books, Her Secret Soldier, Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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Her Secret Soldier: More Reviews!

More reviews for Her Secret Soldier are in! Here’s some of what reviewers have to say on Amazon. Reviews from Amazon Canada "A page turner! Couldn’t stop reading! Julie Hartley writes wonderful prose and a can’t-miss-plot!" "Refreshingly unique historical fiction! Days later, I’m still thinking about Rose Tilburn and her secret soldier and longing for a trip back to Silverwood Vale! This refreshingly unique historical fiction novel highlights worthiness, the risks everyone took during wartime, how war makes killers of the best of men, and how far people can be pushed before they give up. Hartley’s book was better than imagined and I can’t wait to explore her backlist as I await her next novel." "Riveting Timelines I don't read [...]

2024-09-26T15:54:38-04:00September 26, 2024|books, Her Secret Soldier, Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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Her Secret Soldier: More About Operation Lena

By September 1940, several countries in mainland Europe had fallen to the Nazis, and Britain held its breath, expecting to be next. Hitler ordered that spies be parachuted into the British Isles to pave the way for an upcoming land invasion, and so Operation Lena - one of the most disastrous Nazi missions of World War Two - was born. The spies sent to Britain under cover of darkness were so badly prepared that it has since been suggested that someone high up in Hitler’s secret service intended the mission to fail. The spies were not fanatical Nazis, but men and women whose support for Hitler was tenuous at best. Some were political prisoners, offered freedom in exchange for their participation. Many simply walked [...]

2024-09-19T08:10:53-04:00September 19, 2024|Her Secret Soldier, Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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Her Secret Soldier: Book Trailer!

Check out the book trailer for Her Secret Soldier, which is now available for purchase on Amazon and other online stores, as a paperback, for Kindle and on Audible! Follow Julie on Amazon’s Author Central to receive book recommendations and to be notified about future publications: https://www.amazon.com/author/juliehartley

2024-09-10T10:51:47-04:00September 10, 2024|books, Her Secret Soldier, Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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Her Secret Soldier: Advance Reviews

I have to say that as Publication Day approached, the idea of book reviews made me a little nervous. I needn’t have worried… the reviews for Her Secret Soldier have been fabulous so far! Here’s some of what reviewers have to say. “The very epitome of page-turner with a chilling storyline that grips from the first and kept me guessing right up to the heart-racing denouement. A STUNNER.” “This is a great debut novel. The writing is beautiful.” “There is a great plot twist towards the end and I was not expecting that at all!” “A captivating story exploring themes of love and sacrifice. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find this story a must-read.” “I loved the moment the title revealed its double meaning!” [...]

2024-09-09T09:55:11-04:00September 9, 2024|books, Her Secret Soldier, Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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The Magical Appeal of Britain’s Ancient Woodlands

When I began to write Her Secret Soldier, an ancient forest seemed the perfect location in which to set the story. I thought of gnarled oak trees and fairy rings. Babbling brooks and moss-covered stones. Sunlight slanting down on mysterious footpaths that led from the modern world into a land that time forgot. It wasn’t difficult to imagine a shy 18-year-old girl taking refuge in such a place from her bullying step-father, nor to picture a parachute caught in the topmost branches of an oak tree and dangling from it, an injured German spy. These days, only 2.5% of Britain remains forested, yet, ancient woodlands have impacted the mythology and literary heritage of the country  more than any other landscape. Most of us remember [...]

2024-09-05T16:33:22-04:00September 5, 2024|Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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Her Secret Soldier – From Concept to Publication

Sometimes published writers can inadvertently give the impression that their journey to publication was easier than it actually was. The truth is that finding an agent and a publisher is tough - and I mean for ALL writers. You need a fabulous book, followed by a LOT of hard work … and then a heavy dose of luck. Most writers send out their work dozens of times before they land a deal. That was definitely the case with me. In spring 2023 I approached Bookouture with my first historical novel. I had been trying to find a publisher or agent for weeks without success. That submission led to several meetings with a wonderful acquisitions editor at Bookouture. She pointed out several issues with the novel [...]

2024-09-03T08:56:36-04:00September 3, 2024|Historical Fiction, Home Page, On Writing|
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Ten Terrific Historical Fiction Authors to Check Out Now!

One thing about writing historical fiction is that you read a lot of it! In the countdown to the Publication Day of Her Secret Soldier on 12 September, I’ve been re-reading some of my favourites. Here’s a list: Ellen Keith The Dutch Wife and The Dutch Orphan combine three essential ingredients of historical fiction: a fast-paced story, great research and prose that sings. Kristin Hannah While Kristin Hannah has written many note-worthy historical fictions, in my view the best are The Nightingale, set in Occupied France during WWII, and The Women, which brings to light the female unsung heroes of the Vietnam War. Kate Atkinson While not specifically known as a historical fiction author, Kate Atkinson tackles the genre with brilliance. In her novel [...]

2024-09-03T08:55:24-04:00August 8, 2024|Historical Fiction, Home Page|
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