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
Costa Rica Writing Retreat – Day 1
One of my favourite activities each year is taking a group of writers from all over North America to an incredible eco lodge in the Costa Rica rain forest, where I lead writing workshops and discussions for seven magical days. There are few things more inspiring than the opportunity to help others find their voice as writers. I landed in San Jose yesterday, took a few hours to read the short stories and novel excerpts some of my writers had sent, relaxed at a hotel for the evening and returned to the airport at noon today to meet everyone’s flights. Half our group is American this year, half Canadian. All come looking for an adventure, and hoping to discover something new about themselves as writers, [...]
A Typical Day on our Writing Retreat
Early Morning… We wake to the smell of tropical vegetation and the screech of parrots. The world is glistening as we make our way through the trees and down to the poolside restaurant to greet the group. There are fresh fruit smoothies, slices of papaya, ice cream fruit, tortillas, rice, beans, pancakes, eggs and toast. The eggs are brought in by a local family and the crusty bread is made on site. The ‘ice cream fruit’ was picked just moments ago. After a group breakfast, we agree to meet on the outdoor veranda in half an hour for our morning writing workshop. Two of us spend that time climbing to the lookout tower where we gaze down on the tops of the rainforest as a [...]
Why Retreat?
The world is a noisy, busy place. With daily distractions competing for our attention, it becomes almost impossible to truly listen to the voices inside of us. When we clear space in our lives and in our heads – when we remove the ambient noise – we can often be surprised by what we hear. A retreat is about giving time and attention to a part of ourselves that may otherwise get pushed aside. If you dream of being a writer, that can mean many things. It means finding the time to complete a project on your ‘bucket list’, but it can also mean learning to listen to the creative voice inside your head. Ideas need time to gestate. We have to nurture them, be [...]