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Happy New Year

I know we are already seven days into 2022, but this is my first blog of the new year so my first opportunity to wish you a happy and healthy new year. I’ve already had a medical appointment, my first post-op brain scan and I’m delighted to say that the news is good. There’s no sign of any remnants of the tumour on my pituitary gland that was removed in October, so it looks like my amazing neurosurgeon managed to get all of it! There will be more brain scans, the next one in six-months-time, but for now everything looks very positive so an excellent start to the new year for me and hopefully a sign of things to come!

Actually, the year had already started really well with Amazon choosing My Mother’s Secret to be included in a Kindle Monthly Deal. I always feel so grateful when Amazon choose one of my books to promote when you think of the hundreds, if not thousands of books published each day. I did mention in my last blog to watch out for an offer if you haven’t already read My Mother’s Secret… 99p to download for the whole of January.

I saw the New Year in with my son, Dan and his girlfriend, Katie. They had come round to our house to spend the evening with me as my husband, Chris was ‘gigging’. He’s a drummer, and had already had two gigs cancelled in December, his most lucrative month due to Covid, so it was a bit ‘touch and go’ right up until the morning of the 31st. Fortunately, it went ahead so I was grateful for Dan and Katie’s company. They had also brought Quin, their dog and Wilfie the cat as they were staying overnight. In the end, they stayed for two nights as there was no rush for them to get home and we love having them here.

My daughter, Sophie and her family came over on the 2nd January and they’ll be here again tomorrow as it is Sophie’s birthday. I always feel a bit sorry for people whose birthday is close to Christmas particularly after all the Christmas decorations have been taken down and the house is looking a bit bare. So, we’re going to make more of an effort for her this year. The chocolate birthday cake is already baked, the presents are wrapped, and the Happy Birthday banner is up! We’re going to pull the remaining crackers and play some games too just to give it a party atmosphere and then she is out with her partner in the evening for a romantic dinner for two.

There are already quite a few January birthdays in my family, and another has been added as my niece, Samantha gave birth to her first baby on January 4th. That is the day after a different niece, Rachel’s eldest son’s birthday (Rachel herself has a birthday on the 6th) and the day before my sister, Lynda’s birthday! And, as it happens, the 5th January was also the date I met my husband Chris at a nightclub in Streatham, a mere forty-four years ago.

This January 5th, after my brain scan in Oxford we arranged to meet up with a friend of mine who lives in Oxfordshire and who I haven’t seen for far too many years. This is a photo of Tricia and I from 1985, although I’m pretty sure that no-one at the Soho Farmhouse, where we went for a very pleasant lunch would have recognised us from the picture… we’ve both changed a bit in thirty-seven years although I have to say the conversation flowed just as freely as it always had. Funnily enough, it was Tricia’s birthday on January 2nd.

Tricia’s husband was intrigued to hear that I’d written nine novels and showed interest in the Rachel Hart series, immediately looking them up on Amazon after I’d told him that I write crime thrillers as JG Roberts. In fact, he inspired me to do a giveaway of the three Rachel Hart books which have been a bit overlooked over the past year. I thought we’d start with a nice easy question for the first giveaway of 2022.

Rachel Hart is a DCI, but what do the letters DCI stand for in the UK police force.

Is it:

  1. Detective Crime Investigator
  2. Detective Chief Inspector
  3. Detective Constable Intermediary

Leave your answer in a comment at the end of this blog before midnight on January 19th (which will be the forty-fourth anniversary of Chris and I living together… and they said it wouldn’t last!) and I’ll announce the randomly selected winner on my next blog on (or around) the 20th.

So, a busy old start to 2022 despite me still being on sick leave from work as I’m not able to wear heavy make-up yet! It meant I was bare-faced when we went to visit another friend of mine last Monday, but it’s not like she hasn’t seen me that way many times before. Denise and I have been friends since we did the first series of The Price is right together in 1983 which was when this photo was taken.

We had a yummy takeaway curry for our lunch and a good laugh playing dominoes and cards. Although I don’t make New Year Resolutions anymore as I always feel so defeated if I don’t stick to them, I do set myself goals and this year I’ve decided to do more socialising and having fun. Hopefully, that will include going on holiday abroad as we haven’t been since our Mexico trip two years ago, just pre-Covid which was the inspiration for The Woman on the Beach.

My other goal is to ‘work smart’ rather than ‘work hard’. I’m planning on writing two more books this year and I’m still full-time at QVC, but as I mentioned in my last blog I’m going to try and manage my time better. Well, it’s a good start that I’ve managed to get this blog out on the right day!!

Good luck in keeping your resolutions if you make them and in the competition too.

Much love

Julia xx       

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Comments

  2. Detective Chief Inspector. Glad things went well at your scan and hope to see you back st Qvc in the not too distant future x

    Reply

  4. The answer is: 2. Detective Chief Inspector.

    I adore crime thrillers so I’d love to read your DCI Rachel Hart series of books.

    Reply

  8. Such good news re: your op ! I’m so glad you’re getting back to normal and look forward to seeing you back at QVC and reading your new books !
    Answer. B to the competition.
    Take care – love and light for the New Year xxx

    Reply

  12. Hi Julia, Happy New Year to you and your family. The answer is Detective Chief Inspector. Take care of yourself

    Reply

  13. Happy new year Julia, wishing you continued good health and happiness in 2022.

    The answer is
    2..Detective Chief Inspector .

    Good luck everyone xx

    Reply

  15. Happy New Year Julia…..The Answer Is..Detective Cheif Inspector.

    ….May I Take this opportunity to Say How Pleased I am to hear your Excellent News About your Scan…And You are feeling much Better Health wise….Also . CONGRATULATIONS 💕 To You And Chris on The Anniversary on the 19th Of The Day You Met… Best Wishes from Lynn. X

    Reply

  20. Hi J. The answer is Detective Chief Inspector. So pleased to hear that you have had positive health results.
    Much love Dorothy

    Reply

  23. Hi Julia
    DCI stands for Detective Chief Inspector.
    Glad things are looking up for you on the health front, and best wishes for 2022.

    Reply

  26. Detective Chief Inspector

    SO great to hear you’re doing so well! Can’t believe it’ll be 10 years since the first time we met. During that swimming gala on a boiling hot Sunday!

    Reply

  27. Detective Chief Inspector

    Happy New Year, if it’s not too late to say so, and let’s all hope that 2022 is a healthy, happy and peaceful one

    Reply

  31. Detective chief inspector x wish I could write a book, I used to love making stories up for my daughter but I would not know where to start of know what to do with the finished story. I would be happy if I could write just one book just for my daughter.

    Reply

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