WRITER
STORYTELLER
TEACHER
Julie Hartley
Welcome to my website! I’m a novelist, poet, creative writing teacher, editor, retreat leader and parrot owner. Here, you’ll find details of my books, including my two historical novels, set in England during World War 2 and released by Bookouture. You’ll also find information on this website about my annual creative writing retreats in Mexico and Costa Rica, and my creative writing classes for adults and teens. Check out my blog, too, for writing prompts and techniques, tales of travel and musings on a creative life. Oh – and there are a few stories about the parrot, too.
The Promise She Made is Out Now!
It’s September 1940, and with the Blitz underway 18-year-old Ruby is determined to protect her little sister from the bombs – after all, she promised as much to their mother, just before she died. So, Ruby books passage for them both on the SS City of Benares, to safety in Canada. However, her plan backfires when the Nazis torpedo the ship as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean. Ruby is injured, and eight-year-old Eliza is reported ‘lost at sea’.
Back in England, Ruby sets about rebuilding her life, determined to plough all her energy into the defeat of Nazi Germany. She trains as a spy and prepares to parachute into Occupied France. But then, she stumbles on a letter that changes everything. It seems her sister may not be dead, after all.
The Promise She Made is available on Kindle and in paperback through most online stores or by following this link: https://geni.us/ThePromiseSheMade
Deboning a Dragon: A Poetry Collection
Yesterday, we settled on the cover for my new poetry collection, out soon with Mansfield Press. I'm incredibly happy with it. The cover, designed by Denis De Klerck, perfectly captures the tone of the book. I've been so fortunate throughout [...]
Why I love to tell stories
I don't just write stories - I tell them. At camp, in schools and here, at our creative writing space in Toronto. Some of my yarns take an hour or more to spin, and it's safe to say that as such [...]
Our Costa Rica Writing Retreat
Sometimes, we all need to retreat. From work, from responsibilities, from our endless Canadian winters. And more importantly, we don’t only retreat from – we retreat to. On our annual creative writing retreat in Costa Rica we retreat into nature, healthy food, daily workshops, an immersion in writing, wonderful weather and a community of likeminded souls. We come back rejuvenated and with fresh inspiration for our creative projects. This past 10 days, I took 11 incredible people to Finca Luna Nueva, our magical writing base in the heart of rainforest in Costa Rica. Mornings were spent in writing workshops, on a gorgeous deck looking down on the bamboo restaurant and pool. While hummingbirds flitted past us, cicadas buzzed and howler monkeys roared in the depths [...]