Gripes



Christmas at Chatsworth

I picked this up from Facebook today: http://kingrichardarmitage.rgcwp.com/ It's all about Richard Armitage wanting to get a project about Richard III off the ground, so  if you have an interest, why not pop over and have a look?

I'm working hard at the moment, picking up the strands of my current wip after doing a stint of editing on a previous wip. I found I couldn't do both at the same time even though the major characters are the same in both stories. Details got muddled and the storyline confused - and to be honest, my writing on the newest story suffered, so I concentrated on one thing at a time. Obviously I'm not one of those multi-functional females!

I watched  the final part of the She-Wolves series on tv last night and realise I've missed some very good programmes. I'll have to go back and check on I-player. Last night's story concerned the three Tudor Queens - Jane, Mary and Elizabeth.
Dr Helen Castor is an excellent narrator, but I do wish someone would tell the camera man not to sink to his knees so the camera is staring up the nose of the person speaking. It results in an unflattering angle and gives the narrator a haughty, unkind look. But then I have lots of pet hates about tv camera work and I won't bore you with how I hate jiggling cameras, whirling around people, glaring into their faces as they drive and talk - bound to be a bad thing, in my view.

Received my first review for Reluctance, and placed it in full on British Romance fiction blog http://britishromancefiction.blogspot.com Don't let the red notice put you off, the site is quite safe!

Richard Armitage as The Hero

Since it is Valentine's Day here's some more pics of Richard ~ this time as Lucas North, newly returned from eight years incarceration in a Russian prison to join the Spooks team.

Every romantic author in the land seems to fancy Richard Armitage as a template for their current hero ~ and a video on You tube is no doubt helping! Click and prepare to drool. The Romantic Novelists' Association has almost adopted him as a mascot.

More helpful in a different way is a video I found this week on writing. Elizabeth Gilbert talks fluently and amusingly about that elusive thing called genius, muse, whatever. I don't think I have read any of her work, but I shall certainly look out for her titles now.

The snow has gone. Again. Now we're back to Spring. Hey ho! Can I put the wellies away at the back of the cupboard now, please?

RNA and Pin ups 2009

Romantic novelists have voted and the results are out ~ here are their choices for the sexiest male celebrities of 2009:

1 Richard Armitage - see pic to the right. I didn't see him in North and South, regrettably, but caught up with him as baddie Guy in the latest Robin Hood. The fact that he wore black leather and played opposite a less than charismatic Robin had to help. He replaces Penry-Jones in Spooks ( and what an exit he had! Talk about going out with a bang!) and I'm watching....

2 Johnny Depp. H'mm. Saw him as the pirate and recently as JMBarrie. Good actor, but there's something not quite right....

3 Hugh Jackman - see pic with towel. I haven't to my knowledge seen HJ in anything, but like what I see...

4 George Clooney - nah. Almost a caricature of a handsome man

5 Daniel Craig. a bit scary sometimes as Bond, but certainly fanciable.

6 Sean Bean, ah yes. It's that wicked grin and the insubordination that do it for me, but is he perhaps just a tad past the pin up stakes now?

7 Alan Rickman, a great actor but not exactly a pin up for moi.

8 David Tennant. Definitely dislike the wide-eyed look he persists in displaying

9 Pierce Brosnan. Like Sean, perhaps a little over his sell-by date

10 Gerard Butler. Who?

I have no quarrel with most of the choices, though Clooney, Tennant and Rickman don't do it for me. I think one person they've overlooked is the new world number one tennis player

Rafa Nadal (in the blue tee shirt).

How about it? Anyone agree with me?