Julia Roberts Author

Find out about Best Selling author Julia Roberts

My New Book Cover

Finally, I can share with you the title and cover of the book I have been working on since I signed my latest contract with Bookouture. It’s called The Dilemma and is now on pre-order on Amazon following the cover reveal on Thursday of last week. I LOVE this cover and am looking forward to sharing Charlotte’s story with you on publication day, which is October 26th, although you can pre-order now.

It’s always an exciting few days when a book goes on pre-order and readers message to say they’ve ordered and can’t wait to receive it. As a result, The Dilemma climbed into the top 100 of one of its charts on Amazon although it has slipped back a bit now which is to be expected after the first flurry of interest. The thing is, if the rest of the year is anything to go by, October will come around very quickly. To prove the point, can you believe it’s already August? What happened to July?

You might well be thinking what happened to July’s blog? I can only apologise and say I’ll make it upto to you this month with news, photos and a competition to win a £25 John Lewis gift voucher and a choice of any one of my books… more on that later!

I had intended to write a July blog and include some photos of the Bookouture Summer Party. Two things: I ran out of time to write it because I was hard at work on the 2nd edit of The Dilemma which was due to be handed in on the day of the party but, more to the point I forgot to take any photos apart from this one of the cake, to celebrate Bookouture’s 10th anniversary.

So, no photos, but it was lovely to catch up with some of the writers I’ve met at previous parties and to meet new ones, not to mention having an ‘in person’ natter with my patient and brilliant editor, Ruth Tross rather than the FaceTime calls we normally have. It all seems ages ago though, as at the end of that week I went on holiday… again!

You could be forgiven for thinking that I’m always on holiday as it is actually the fourth time we’ve been away this year. To be honest we’re playing a bit of catch up after my health issues last year prevented us from going away at all. This holiday to Javea in Spain where we used to own a house, was originally planned for 2020. Covid had other ideas and we had to cancel our booking due to all the restrictions in place.

We couldn’t book the same villa, but we did manage to find one with a decent sized swimming pool (really important for me as I love swimming) and a games room with table tennis, pool table and table football to keep my daughter, Sophie’s stepchildren entertained. I’ve not played pool before but thanks to some very accurate instructions from Soph I found it quite enjoyable. I’d also forgotten how much I like table tennis. We had a table set up at home when our children were young teenagers and we became very competitive particularly when my parents, who were pretty good at it came to stay.

Along with the very active games, we played cards and dominos, or lolled in or by the pool in the very hot temperatures. To be honest, at times it was cooler than the UK and so much nicer to be able to dive in for a swim or sit indoors in the aircon to cool off. Some of my time indoors was spent on the line edit for The Dilemma which had to be finished the Monday after we arrived home, so it all worked out pretty well for me.

Our son, Dan and his fiancée, Katie were only with us for a week, but they made the most of it with a couple of trips out to other towns and beaches on that area of the coast. Not to mention dinners out as a group of eight with Sophie and her family. We have a few ‘favourite’ restaurants in Javea from when we had the house there and have been to Lungo Mare, a restaurant on the Arenal many many times.

However, I’d never previously tasted their cannoli or in fact cannoli at all. Oh dear, these were delicious so will likely become a new favourite dessert for me.

After Katie and Dan had gone home, Chris and I persuaded our daughter and her partner to have a ‘date’ night while we entertained their teenagers. I dropped Sophie and Reece at the restaurant and was supposed to be making our dinner when I got back, but it had already been mostly done by sixteen-year-old Amber. To quote her brother, Taylor, ‘it was the best pasta I’ve ever had’…. After dinner, we took them to a local fun fair and had a great time on the dodgems. Isn’t it funny how holidays bring out the child in us!

Speaking of which, I couldn’t resist including this photo of Amber. She agreed to pose for some photos with my book, The Woman on the Beach while we were ‘on the beach’ as it had been selected for a Kindle Monthly Deal and I wanted some different pictures to promote it. I didn’t notice the lifeguard’s tower sticking out of the top of her head like a very ‘interesting’ hair do!

Sophie and her family stayed for twelve of the fourteen days, so Chris and I only had one day to ourselves. This photo was taken on our last night and is from one of my favourite viewpoints with the Arenal and the Montgo in the background. I can highly recommend Javea if you want a slightly less commercialised holiday on the Costa Blanca.

So, we had a family holiday in July but no family celebrations. We have a couple coming up this month with my mum’s 96th birthday on the 13th, our 3rd wedding anniversary on the 27th and Chris’s birthday on the 30th – I’ll try to remember to take some photos for next month’s blog. And because I didn’t write a blog last month you maybe aren’t aware that I’m now of pensionable age, although I’ve deferred my pension while I’m still working full time at QVC.

I’d had a very enjoyable day lolling around in the garden rocking chair that Chris bought me as my present. It had featured on QVC in May at a special price, and I was raving about it. He seized the opportunity to get me something I really wanted as apparently, I’m difficult to buy for? It’s the perfect chair for sitting and reading, which I managed to do a lot of on holiday. I finished The Magpie by Elizabeth Day, read my friend and QVC colleague Jackie Kabler’s latest, The Murder List and also read The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan. All were entertaining in their own way although I think I’ll opt for a Rom Com next!

My birthday was rounded off with a family meal out also attended by Quin, Dan and Katie’s dog, followed by delicious espresso martini cake back at our house. A thoroughly enjoyable day for a pensioner!!!

Well, enough of my nattering… it’s competition time. To be in with a chance of winning a £25 John Lewis/Waitrose gift voucher and your choice of one of my books you just need to leave the answer to the question below in a comment at the bottom of this blog before midnight on my mum’s birthday, August 13th.

What is the name of the main character in my latest book, The Dilemma?

Is it:

a) Cheryl

b) Charlotte

c) Camilla

And finally, a massive CONGRATULATIONS to the England Women’s football team aka The Lionesses for winning the European Cup… we’ve been waiting a long time but finally ‘it’s come home’ courtesy of the ladies – Phenomenal!

And finally finally, good luck to my ‘team’, Crystal Palace for the new Premiership season kicking off this weekend.

Much love until next time

Julia xx

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Comments

  6. The answer is Charlotte. So nice to see you enjoying time with your family after your tough year health wise

    Reply

  9. The answer is B. Charlotte
    Thank you for another great blog. Lovely to see you enjoying precious family time after the tough year you’ve had and showcasing Javea which looks beautiful.

    Reply

  13. The answer to the competition question is: b) Charlotte.

    Your new book looks great and I can’t wait to read it. Also great to hear you had a fab time in Javea.

    Reply

  15. Answer is Charlotte, all you books are FABULOUS and i can’t wait for the new one 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

    Reply

    • Hi Julia the nswer is Charlotte! That swimming pool looked huge, glad you had a fabulous holiday oh and I really hope you do end up getting 😺😺 😉

      Reply

  40. The answer is Charlotte. I shall look forward to sitting down in the evening, relaxing and reading your book.

    Reply

  50. The Answer is B…..Charlotte..

    So Pleased You Had A Fab-u-lous Holiday With your Family Julia….
    Thankyou For Another Opportunity To Win Your Fab-u-lous Competition 💖💐 xxx

    Reply

  68. The answer is B) Charlotte

    I’ve pre-ordered the book, can’t wait to read it in October 😄

    Reply

  90. Hi Julia

    Loved all your photos.
    Happy 96th birthday to your Mum on the 13th September.

    B Charlotte.

    Reply

  91. Answer B) Charlotte

    I always love catching up on your exploits- you’re always so busy!!
    Hope you manage a little relaxing ‘down’ time soon (though probably not watching Palace- footy is too stressful as a fan!!) x

    Reply

  94. The answer is

    Charlotte

    Looking fabulous Julia. Holiday pics are lovely. Looking marvellous. Xx

    Reply

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