Noreen Wise

Hi, I’m a journalist, author and screenwriter currently living in metro Washington DC. I’m passionate about history and nature, particularly related to how our Founding Fathers’ devoted their lives to not only uniting the 13 colonies into the United States, but also their commitment to the furtherance of botany and botanical principles for the betterment of our democracy. My primary writing focuses are positivity, inspiration, overcoming obstacles, nature and climate action. I work tirelessly to address the global climate crisis and help the American public move in this direction. I’ve spent many hours in the Library of Congress researching historical events and reading Thomas Jefferson’s letters.

I recently uncovered that my 10th great-grandfather, Jean Baptiste Poisson, was Samuel D. Champlain's bodyguard. Samuel D. Champlain was an explorer, like Henry Hudson, back in the early 1600's, and founded Quebec. Learning this as an adult, when no one in my family was aware of it, makes me believe in paranormal phenomenon all the more. I've been saying for decades that nature and ships are in my blood, and this turned out to be true.

While living in Charlottesville, VA, just a few miles from Thomas Jefferson’s famed Academical Village, I became well-acquainted with, and inspired by, the mysterious secret societies associated with Jefferson’s university, as well as the Freemasons and their connection to our Founding Fathers. My hope is that young people everywhere will become excited about botany, which was of supreme importance to our Founding Fathers, and that America’s youth will use nature as a wonderful guide in life, just as Thomas Jefferson did. Additionally, I’m enthusiastic about readers learning and applying Jefferson’s technique for acquiring knowledge by using the scientific method in day-to-day life: make an observation, ask questions, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, create a new hypothesis, test again, and draw a conclusion. Onward and upward.

An endless series of traumatic events, spanning more than two decades, are what led to my becoming a writer. Whether that be the tornado that flattened the townhouse where I was living at the time (and was home during), or the two active shooter horrors with bullets missing me by a hair, Stage III invasive cancer, these as well as many other life-altering events, all became motivation and material for my artistic and passionate pursuit of overcoming emotional anguish through writing. I guess you can say that writing is the positive way I handle negative circumstances. It’s certainly enabled me to get through every extreme personal event I’ve been faced with so far.

I’m happy to share that I’ve written several children books: Pistachio Peak, Dog Named Zog, and Muffin Huff ’N Puff. My novel Escape is scheduled to be released in April 2021. And I'm very excited about the two new books I'm working on centered on a real life murder mystery along Canada's gold belt that connect with my Canadian roots. One book is for children and the other for adults. Both are focused on the heyday of Canada's gold and silver rushes, one hundred years ago. My great grandfather Hugh Walsh died under very mysterious circumstances and all of his land patents confiscated by someone who may have been connected to the Mob. These, along with many more Secret Tortoise books that are in the works are keeping me very busy during covid, so please be on the lookout for each new title in the Secret Tortoise series. I also love podcasting, so join me for some spooky fun and take a listen to the “Secret Tortoise of Sleepy Hollow” podcast.

If you haven't already done so, you'll have to read the first three books of the Secret Tortoise series. I'm certain you'll find the historical information valuable, and hopefully consider the main characters your friends. The fourth book in the series is scheduled for release during the blue moon on Halloween 2020.