...all in the name of promoting books!
My friend and author, the fabulous Laura Frantz (author of The Frontiersman's Daughter - my review - and Courting Morrow Little - my review) recently posted a "teaser" about the new series she's working on, slated to debut in 2012 - The Ballantyne Legacy. If you click over to her post, you'll discover that the template for her hero is a very familiar face to those of you who know (and share) my obsession with all things British. It's the one and only Richard Armitage, as he appears in the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.
*pause*
Are you through swooning yet? :) Personally I think I'm still scraping myself off the floor.
I haven't posted about North and South in a while...actually, I've shamefully neglected my Richard Armitage obsession lately! So in honor of Laura's upcoming series, and to hopefully provide her with a little extra "inspiration" as she pens the Ballantyne stories (*wink*), I thought I'd transfer a small collection of North and South related images from my old blog to this one. Enjoy! :)
This last photo is a screen capture collage my friend Kaye put together for a "Best Screen Kisses" post I compiled a couple of years ago (if memory serves, my post was inspired by her own "Fun Friday" post on the same subject). That was a fun post to put together, let me tell you! Staring at this picture is really the next best thing to watching the last ten minutes of North and South over and over (and over and over) again...it never gets old, trust me on this people!
Oh and Laura, might I humbly suggest you look into using actress Daniela Denby-Ashe (Margaret in N&S) as a template for a character in the Ballantyne books? Just a thought, as given her work with Richard Armitage here I'm sure she'd be a good fit. :) Oh, and 2012 is way to long to wait for these stories, just sayin'! :)
Ohhhhhh YEAH!!!!! Richard Armitage in all his beautiful, wonderful, too handsome for words glory! I can never get enough of him...honestly I believe he may just be my favorite actor ever. :-P
ReplyDeleteThanks for revisiting N&S and brightening my day!
XOXO~ Renee
@Renee - Oh, you're welcome. :)
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ReplyDeleteOH. MY. WORD. He looks even better in shirtsleeves!! Honestly, he's my favorite actor ever and I haven't even watched it yet! And if you think it's torture to wait for him to appear in The Ballantyne Legacy, you've repaid me a hundredfold here as you've nearly killed me with this collage...
ReplyDeleteOkay, off to Wally World to shop for TV's...
Bless u both!!
@Laura - Get on buying that TV ASAP, Laura - I'm so anxious to discuss North and South with you!! And yeah, any way you slice it Richard is pretty fabulous. :)
ReplyDeleteI promise to do a post-viewing blog post and we'll share the JOY:) Kaye just told me to stop with the TV and just start watching on my laptop. Luckily, I do have an HP Pavilion Entertainment PC... Hmmmm:)
ReplyDelete@Laura - Looking forward to it. And Kaye took the words right out of my mouth! Yay for DVD drives on computers!! :)
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't believe I haven't seen this yet. I've heard nothing but great things about it.
ReplyDelete@Juju - Oh my gosh, Juju, you have got to get your hands on a copy of North and South, you will LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling you picture Richard Armitage as the lead in most books you read anyway ... ;) I cast books ALL the time. This post made me grin. Also, really liked your Nanny McPhee review. I'm excited to see that movie!
ReplyDeleteI said on Laura's blog that I've borrowed North and South from the library three times this summer, but didn't get around to watching it. I've watched the first disc now, and I SO want to stay up and watch the rest! Alas though, I shall be a good girl, and go to bed.
ReplyDeleteI am totally loving it so far, and the last 20 minutes of the first disc...wonderful stuff!
@Natalie - HA!! I don't picture Richard as the lead in ALL the books I read...Daniel Craig is also a top contender. ;) Casting books is fun, isn't it? Oh, and hope you get to see Nanny McPhee soon, I have a feeling you will love it!
ReplyDelete@Michelle - Your willpower is blowing me away. The 1st time I watched North and South I only "intended" to watch the 1st disc...but once I started I couldn't stop. :) Once you finish it come back & let me know what you think!
How could you ever neglect Richard Armitage?!?!? You've been very naughty, Ruth!
ReplyDelete@loriloo - I know, right?! Heaven forbid I should ever take him for granted, HA!!
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget his guest-starring stint in The Vicar of Dibley:
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@Kaye - Oh no, we can't forget that! Thanks so much for posting the link to that wonderful collage!
ReplyDeleteI'm so embarrassed and disgusted with myself. I can hardly hold my head up in society. I have YET to see this version of North and South. I'm such a loser!!!!
ReplyDelete@Jenny - LOL!! Oh dear - you must change this tragic situation soon. You NEED this in your life, Jenny!!!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed all these passionate comments, Ruth. I liked N&S immensely, but it's not my favorite, nor is RA (please don't hate me!). Whenever a writer doesn't describe his main male lead aside from basic physical type(like in the book I just read, THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US, by Charles Martin, who I don't think even mentioned what color hair his male MC had), then I slide Zachary Levi into the role now. You probably could have guessed that. :)
ReplyDelete@Lori - Aww, that's okay, Lori - to each her own. And that just means more Richard for me anyway, LOL! But like I told Natalie, I'm not 100% all RA all the time...other actors do figure into the mix when I'm "casting" books in my imagination. :) I am working on a second "Casting Call" post, this time for Love Finds You in Victory Heights - trying to only cast classic Hollywood people again. I like the challenge of casting books set in the 1940s with actors and actresses from the time period.
ReplyDeleteRawrrrrrrr. I need to watch this again!
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous N&S pics! Must check out your other blog and the teaser about your friend author. A lead based and inspired in Mr. Armitage is immensely appealing.
ReplyDelete@heidenkind - Me too! :)
ReplyDelete@iz4blue - Thanks so much for dropping by the blog & taking the time to comment! I hope you do get the chance to check out Laura's books - the hero in her last book, Courting Morrow Little, wasn't based on Richard Armitage, but oh my was he appealing... :)
. . . definitely with you on watching the ending over and over. . . and over. . . :P
ReplyDeleteLol, write about RA and N&S, and look at all the comments you get!
@Jess - Hiya Jess! I know...nothing like mentioning Richard Armitage to cause a spike in blog traffic! ;)
ReplyDeleteI may not "look" like it but Ruth's comment of thanks elsewhere made me check her blog out. Although she was already a "familiar" face, of course lucky me to land when the post is about my fave subject. And yes, I do love books too!!
ReplyDelete@iz4blue - Els, so glad you did click over to my blog as it's been great to "meet" you!
ReplyDeleteI finally finished it! Cannot begin to say how much I LOVED it! The ending is just breathtaking, and the "look back at me", I was almost in tears then. I loved the history portrayed in it as well.
ReplyDelete@Michelle - So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! But then again, how could you not? :) The first time I watched the "look back at me" scene, and then the ending - I think I stopped breathing both times. Still have trouble with that, actually. ;) Hard to resist! :)
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