Julia Roberts Author

Find out about Best Selling author Julia Roberts

Publication Day Eve

Firstly, apologies that I’m writing my blog so late this month. Has anyone else been struck down by the cough/chest infection/cold doing the rounds? Mine started two weeks ago and doesn’t seem to want to ‘do’ one! I’ve felt quite unwell with it and incredibly tired. Just what I didn’t need with my first publication day in nineteen months rapidly approaching. I’m still not feeling brilliant so this will be a shorter than usual blog, but as promised there will be a competition to win one of two signed paperback copies of my new book, My Daughter’s Lies – more on that later.

Following our family holiday in Spain, I was feeling energised and so my husband, Chris and I set about painting the end wall in my writing room, something we’ve been meaning to do for ages. It has been a dull shade of dark grey for a while, so we decided to liven it up a bit as a backdrop for the framed prints of all my book covers.

We chose this heritage shade of deep red which has a crimson undertone. I must congratulate Dulux; not only is Florentine Red a gorgeous colour, it also painted on very easily and with good coverage and I hope you agree does make the perfect backdrop for my book covers.

We liked it so much that we ended up painting the small loft room loo in the same colour… even the ceiling. Very dramatic – a bit like me really! 

We have other rooms in our home that could do with a refresh really but that has been put on hold as our daughter has enlisted our help in getting her house ready to go on the market. I’ve been concentrating most of my efforts on their rather large back garden which needed a bit of TLC.

Along with the flowers I’ve planted in some black wooden troughs, I’ve also created a vegetable patch as everyone seems so keen on ‘grow your own’ these days. The runner beans are planted at ground level, but the tomatoes and herbs are in raised planters built by Sophie’s partner, Reece and my husband. We’ve also done some container planting at the front to disguise an ugly fence and lifted a couple of self-set acers which look splendid in their pots.

My whole family love acers. The one pictured above is in my back garden which I haven’t completely neglected while helping Sophie with hers. We’ve also got runner beans and tomatoes, the apple and plum trees appear to have young fruit developing, I have a few strawberries and, for the first time ever (as a treat for my husband) we are growing potatoes which are sprouting nicely.

Back to Sophie’s for a moment. My efforts haven’t been confined to gardening which I enjoy, I’ve also helped steaming off wallpaper and chiselling off tiles in a shower, the latter of which is also enjoyable in a weird kind of way. Sophie has been doing the majority of the painting so far and I’m pretty sure we’ll be helping with that at some point in the near future too but isn’t that what parents are for? I seem to remember mine being similarly hands on when we needed their help.

Speaking of which, after nagging me for months I was finally able to send the very first paperback copy of My Daughter’s Lies to my ninety-seven-year-old mum last week with strict instructions not to read it too quickly. By the third day she was already on chapter seventeen and apparently really enjoying it. 

It’s always a relief to have the seal of approval from my mum and also from the NetGalley readers who receive ARC copies from my publisher in return for a review. To be honest, this book seems to be a bit more ‘Marmite’ than some of my others, but I think it could be because the timeline jumps around a bit and not everyone likes that which is why I’m ‘warning’ you in advance before you part with any money – honesty is always the best policy I feel. It works for the plot though, so I hope you will like it if you decide to purchase. I will be waiting with bated breath for the first Amazon reviews from readers who have purchased the book, possibly as a result of an email sent out by Amazon to people who follow my Amazon Author page.

Sophie received the email above while knee deep in paintbrushes and rollers but she won’t need to buy it a) because the author will give her a signed copy and b) because she read it at the proofread stage to help me pick up on any mistakes… hopefully between us we caught them all. If you’d like to follow me on Amazon to get the latest book updates, you just scroll down any of my book pages to the ‘biog’ bit and hit follow. You can also sign up on here if you’d like news via my sporadic newsletters.

Not mentioned in the email sent out by Amazon is that My Daughter’s Lies will also be available in audiobook as well as paperback and ebook. I’ve only heard a short excerpt from the audiobook so far but loving the way that Melanie Crawley has brought my characters to life.

I guess now would be a good moment to set the competition question for your chance to win one of two signed copies. The book is set in a fictional village on the south coast of England near Brighton. Brighton’s West Pier is a ruin but what is the name of the operational pier? Is it:

a) Castle Pier

b) King’s Pier 

c) Palace Pier

Leave your answer in the comments below by midnight on May 31st (UK only) and the winners will be notified via email on June 1st – good luck!

There’s a nice little link to my football team among those potential answers. For those who don’t know, I’m an avid Crystal Palace fan. We weren’t having the best of seasons under former England manager Roy Hodgson, which could also be attributed to injuries to key players. A new manager was appointed in February, Oliver Glasner and from staring down the barrel of relegation we ended up in the top half of the Premier League table taking nineteen from a possible twenty-one points from our final seven games. I’m still on cloud nine following the final game of the season last Sunday which we won 5 – 0!!! And to add a cherry to the top of the cake, former Palace captain and current England manager, Gareth Southgate has chosen four Crystal Palace players to train with the England squad ahead of the forthcoming Euros, the first time this has happened since 1991.

Well, I should probably end there as I’m supposed to be keeping this short, but I just wanted to thank my daughter for the above flowers and my son for hosting a family get together to celebrate my ‘cancerversary’ last month when they have such busy lives with their own families. It’s now twelve years since I was diagnosed with CML and I’ve been drug-free for the past six years despite some residual disease. The celebration is because I’ve made it through another year and hopefully there will be plenty more to come.

Thanks for reading,

Much love

Julia xx

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Comments

  1. Many more years Julia 🙏🙏.
    Loved reading your blog and love the colour of your writing room and little loo.
    Hopefully you are feeling better soon.The bug, virus, has been a nightmare this year it takes quite a long time to fully feel your self again.two lots of xrays 6weeks apart and still had infection 🙄.All better now thank goodness. 😊 Looking forward to reading your new book. BTW love marmite 😅.Take care xx

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    • Julia, the answer is The Palace Pier, been there quite a few times. I have all but 1 of your books, 100 lengths of the pool. Will get it one day. Hope I win a copy. Xx

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  2. Hi Julia the answer is c palace pier.
    Hope you’re feeling better and hope to see you back on our screens very soon.
    Good luck 🤞 with the latest book I’m sure it will be great 😊 x

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  3. Hi Julia the answer is C, Palace Pier
    I hope to win a signed copy of the new book to take away with me on holiday to Thailand as I always take your books away and always send you a pic on the beach of your book ,am one of your biggest fans ….i sent you the molton brown heavenly gingerly many many years ago , can’t wait for your new book , each book gets better than the last ….. take care and never stop writing xx

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  5. I have read all your others, can’t wait for the new one. I don’t need to wish you well as it will do brilliantly.

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  10. Hi Julia. I can’t imagine why we would need prewarned about your latest book at all. it will be as fantastic as all the previous ones. Looking forward to reading it and probably as quickly as your mum!
    The answer is Palace Pier. D xoxo

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  11. Good morning,
    Your picture wall looks bright and the perfect backdrop for your book covers. Good going! The loo is cute too.
    I know being from Canada I’m not eligible but maybe you can tuck a signed copy aside and when I visit I can pick it up at tea 😁. The answer is C.

    Sending healing vibes for that nasty virus. Congrats on another cancer free year ( that’s another nasty bugger to get through, being a survivor myself I can say that 🤭).

    I’m so looking forward to another good read from you. Thank you for your efforts in that even when you’re so busy with life in general.

    Ciao for now
    Janie C

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  12. Palace pier Julia! So so looking forward to this book I can’t wait looking forward to it on audible. Hope it’s been recorded already. Lovely to read your blog and I am sorry you’ve been ill again. I gather that’s why you were not able to be on QVC lat Friday. Love the red wall it displays your book covers so very well.
    Take care and see yo back on screen soon I hope. Soon to be your birthday too!!

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  13. Wonderful blog, which I always look forward to. Sorry to hear you’re not 100% but wish you well. Look forward to having you back on QVC soon.

    The answer is c) Palace Pier
    I like how the answer is C

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  17. Good afternoon Julia, hope you are feeling better.
    The answer is
    C.. Palace pier

    I look forward to reading your next book.
    Always a wonderful read xx💕

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  18. LOVE LOVE LOVE the colour I had a wall painted in my kitchen that colour. It’s fab.
    Hope you’ll soon be better.
    C. Palace pier is the answer.
    Can’t wait to read daughters lies. Xx

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  24. Hi Julia, its Palace Pier.
    I would love to win a signed copy of your book.
    Take care of yourself xx

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  27. Hi Julia,glad to hear you are on the mend.lovely to hear about your new book ,cant wait to read it!.the answer is C Palace pier.xx

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  30. Hi Julia, sorry to hear you have been feeling unwell, this dreadful cough, cold thing is definitely doing the rounds I’ve had nine for two weeks now and the cough is still lingering hope you get well soon.

    The answer to the question is Palace Pier.

    Wishing you all the very best on publication day and looking forward to seeing my copy arrive in my kindle tomorrow

    Best wishes

    Sharon

    Reply

  34. Palace Pier –
    Sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell. My friend had it and it was really rotten, never really seen her succumb before and retreat to her bed or at least the sofa.
    Hope you’re feeling better and manage to enjoy the launch of your new book.

    Reply

  35. Hi Julia

    You must be so excited for the release of the new book. Good luck with it. Answer to your competition question is Palace pier. Take care of yourself and all the best to the family. Xx

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  36. Hi Julia 👋….. The Answer Is ….Palace Pier …..Love Reading Your Blogs……Would Love To Win Competition…..I Hope You Feel Better Real Soon . 🙏❤💐 xxx

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  37. Hi Julia
    Nice to hear that your latest book is due out, and on audiobooks, so thank you.
    The answer for competition is Palace Pier.

    Reply

  43. C) Palace Pier been many times.
    Also a shame but I got booted off Insta for no reason, said I was spamming people!! Ha, ridiculous obviously! So saying hi here! Good luck with the release!

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  48. Answer: C. Palace Pier.

    Looking forward to reading your new book. Happy Publication Day Julia xx

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  49. Thank you for the lovely blog post. It was good to catch up on all your latest news! I’ve also had the lingering cough/chest infection/cold that’s been doing the rounds. I’ve had it nearly three months now and while it’s better than it was, I still can’t seem to get rid of it for good!

    Your writing room wall looks great in Dulux Florentine Red and it does make a wonderful backdrop for all your stunning book covers. I note that the cover for My Daughter’s Lies is already up on the wall and as I haven’t got my hands on this book yet, I’d love to win myself a copy. The answer to the competition question is: c) Palace Pier.

    Your garden is looking great too and I hope you reap the rewards of your fruit and vegetable growing!

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  53. The answer is c) Palace Pier.

    I have read all your books Julia and I have throughly enjoyed all of them and cannot wait to read the new book xx

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  54. Hi Julia. The answer is c) Palace pier. My husband (also a Chris) is from Brighton so we have been on it many times. Looking forward to reading your book .

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  57. Hi Julia,
    The answer is C- Palace Pier. Loved your gardening hour with David on Saturday. I always pick up great garden tips from him but most of all, I love his cheeky sense of humour & I think you do too! I know Ali Keenan used to always enjoy a giggle with him. Glad you are enjoying your crocheting. It is something I need to crack this year. I have always been a good knitter since childhood & enjoyed knitting my own jumpers from around the age of 11 but never mastered crochet. I think being left handed put me off! As they say, practice makes perfect so maybe I will start with a Granny square & see how I go. Have a lovely Bank Holiday
    Love
    Mandy 🙂 x

    Reply

  59. Palace Pier

    Wishing you well Julia and congratulations on your latest book!
    You’ve surmounted so much. May the days ahead be kind to you and healing thoughts your way.

    Angela

    Reply

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