New Book Publication Spotlight & Review: The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild

The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild

When Izzie Dean’s beloved nan, Molly Blackshaw, passes away, Izzie returns to the Blackpool bungalow where she grew up, to say goodbye once and for all. When Izzie’s homecoming reunites her with her first love, Justin Swift, every emotion that Izzie has repressed since the day he broke her heart comes rushing to the surface. But then an unexpected discovery changes everything.

Between the pages of the battered secret diary Molly kept during WWII, Izzie discovers a story of love, heartbreak, and the incomparable hardship of life in a world at war. Reading her grandmother’s words soon puts her own story into perspective, and suddenly Izzie realises that the only thing holding her back from happiness, might be herself. Now she just has to convince Justin that they deserve a second chance at forever…

Lies, deceit and sibling rivalry all play a part in this fascinating and emotionally charged dual-timeline novel.

When Izzie Dean finds an old diary belonging to her late grandmother, Molly Blackshaw, it shines a light on how her grandparents met and married during WWII. However, the notes expose an unexpected family secret. Meanwhile, everything Izzie thought she knew about her own past life and marriage to her late husband is shockingly exposed as lies, as the past comes back to haunt her.

Ms Wild has written an exceptionally well thought out novel highlighting the daily struggles people experienced during wartime; how social attitudes of the day impacted those who found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. Reading about Molly's life gave food for thought and highlighted the precariously balanced lives people had during difficult times.

Izzie's life, although sad in parts very much reflects current attitudes on how we handle and go about our everyday life whilst dealing with painful situations. Some sections of the contemporary narrative didn't hold my attention as well as the historical one however the final twist more than made up for it. Everyone loves a happy ending and this was more than satisfying.

Overall, fans who enjoy novels set during WWII and those who enjoy dual timeline romances will enjoy the hidden surprises within The Secret Notebook.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher One More Chapter via NetGalley***

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08RS6JBRJ/

Lancashire born, I moved to Bedfordshire in the late seventies, married and started a family. I’m a past Hon Sec of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, have been a member since 1993 when I joined their New Writers’ Scheme as a probationer. That came about after winning a week’s historical writing course on the strength of the first chapter of my third Poldark-era romance. The tutor on the last day loved the story and handed me details of the Romantic Novelists’ Association – she said I absolutely must join as they would be able to help me towards publication.

Some four years later my first published book, Dark Canvas, won the RNA’s New Writer’s Award in 1997, the sixth, Illusions, won the RNA’s Romance Prize in 2003.

After working in the local library service for 18 years, during library cut-backs I took the leap to become self-employed as a writer and worked on releasing my backlist as eBooks for Kindle.

Most recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with amazing Charlotte Ledger when she pulled me from the writing wilderness and have now signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter.

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Website: www.juliawildauthor.co.uk

Book Tour Stop and Author Guest Post: Trail of the Jaguar by Jonathan Hanson

As Trail of the Jaguar’s protagonist mentions, the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona and northern Mexico belies the traditional idea of a “lifeless desert.” In fact there are more flora and fauna species here than on the pine-clad summits of the 8-9,000-foot mountains around Tucson, which are 20 degrees cooler and receive three or four times the rainfall. It’s as if evolution took it as a challenge to populate the desert with animals and plants that can survive and thrive there. Yet the life is not all reptiles and coyotes; there is surprising delicacy. After good winter rains the desert will be carpeted by golden poppies and purple penstemon, sprouted from seeds that can lie dormant for years. Even the cactus flowers come in luminescent violets and creamy whites.

Nevertheless, it remains a harsh environment, especially for humans. And the Arizona/Mexico border remains a contentious issue. The massive wall, which was completed across southwestern Arizona, divides opinion in two as harshly as it divided what had been a single ecosystem into two, blocking off passage for many large mammals that formerly were able to follow isolated rainstorms to find water and new forage. Time will tell what the effects will be on the critically endangered Sonoran pronghorn—and also on illegal immigration and the drug trade.

All these elements—wildlife, immigration, the drug trade, endangered species—figure into the plot of Trail of the Jaguar.

Trail of the Jaguar by Jonathan Hanson

Biologist and wildlife photographer Clayton Porter witnesses what appears to be a routine drug-smuggling flight across the Arizona-Mexico border. Instead, he uncovers a sophisticated operation involving a secret lodge high in the Sierra Madre, canned hunts for endangered jaguars, a ring of opioid-dealing doctors in the U.S., and a string of cartel victims partially consumed by a large predator. After he unwittingly throws a wrench into the works, Porter becomes a target of revenge, and resorts to skills from his military service to save himself and those close to him.

 https://books2read.com/u/bWrEPx?store=amazon

Jonathan Hanson grew up northeast of Tucson, Arizona, with Sabino and Bear Canyons as his backyard, providing him with years of desert expeditions, hunting like the Apaches and building wickiups (which failed spectacularly).

He has since written for a score of outdoor and adventure magazines including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Nature Conservancy, and Global Adventure, and has authored a dozen books on subjects including natural history, sea kayaking, wildlife tracking, and expedition travel.

Jonathan’s exploration experience encompasses land- and sea-scapes on six continents, from the Atacama Desert to the Beaufort Sea, from the Rift Valley to the Australian Outback, and modes of transportation from sea kayaks to sailboats to bicycles to Land Cruisers.

He has traveled among and worked with cultures as diverse as the Seri Indians and the Himba, the Inuit and the Maasai. Jonathan has taught tracking, natural history writing, four-wheel-driving techniques, and other subjects for many conservation and government organizations.

He is an elected fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, and a charter member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and lives in Southern Arizona with his wife of 37 years, Roseann Beggy Hanson.

You can follow Jonathan’s Overland Tech and Travel blog and order signed books at ExploringOverland.com.

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