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
The Finding Place: Released Today!
Yes, it has finally arrived… the official release date for The Finding Place is today! My book is for sale in stores. It’s online at amazon.ca and on Indigo/Chapters. The Book Launch is planned for Sunday (come join us for a reading, and a celebration!). I’ve already received several emailed and online reviews. And now the official launch date is here! Rather than blog today, I’m posting a Synopsis below. If you read my novel, please do let me know what you think! And please contact me if you are interested in bringing me in to your school, community, library or book club. You can email me directly at: julie (‘at’ sign here) centauriartscamp (dot)com The big adventure starts today! Synopsis: The Finding Place Found as a baby [...]
Four Days to Go… and some photographs
Just four days to go now until the official release date for The Finding Place! I received an email today from a 9 year old who may well be one of the first children to read the book. She told me she had to read it secretly in class when her teacher wasn’t watching because she couldn’t put it down. That’s the sort of email all writers must love receiving. I try to imagine how I would have felt as the teacher… and I know that if I ‘caught’ a student sneak-reading in class I don’t think I would have been angry at all. It’s hardly the same thing as making paper aeroplanes. Anyway, here are some more photos I have to share of magical [...]
The Finding Place: Signing Books!
Copies of The Finding Place are already in book shops! There can be few things in life, for a writer, more thrilling that browsing the shelves of your favourite bookstores, and seeing your own book there, among the others. Simply incredible. Today, I visited Another Story in Roncesvalles… and there it was in the children’s section. All the more thrilling because the first part of The Finding Place actually takes place in the Roncesvalles area. Five minutes later and I was seated at a table beside the books, signing copies. There is something rather strange about opening a book that is unsold, fresh off the shelves, and signing your name in it. I felt as if I was wilfully defacing someone else’s property. I had [...]