CDoart Interviewing Chris T. Delarmy (Author)

From a rare poster, lured out by the birthday celebrations, I want to share a special treat with you today.

I did an interview with a new author, who has a connection to the RA-fandom and chose a pseudonym for the first written novel from one of my fan-stories posted here on this blog.

So what better way to introduce this new author, than to do an interview right here, where the name comes from.

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Interview with Chris T. Delarmy

As your pen-name is a creation from one of my fan-stories (with my permission and I am really proud), my first question naturally goes to Richard Armitage.
Are you a fan of the actor Richard Armitage?

Yes, I admit to my addiction to certain roles of RA and also my admiration for the sensible way he does interviews. In an interview, he first caught my attention and I only later discovered his film oe­vre.

That immediately leads to my second question. What is your favourite role of Richard Armitage?

That is a really hard one to answer. I would have said Lucas North in "Spooks", but the way he was written out of the series spoiled my previous enjoyment of the role deeply. So I would need to evade this role and go to John Porter in "Strike Back". The new "Berlin Station", as much as I could get hold of it so far, was not able to convince me yet and I am still on the fence regarding this role.

I rather go for my possible all-time-favourite, Mr. John Thornton in "North & South", as I am partial to historical film and this one in particular.

Now knowing your role- and time-preferences. How does it come that your first published novel, though entirely fictional, is a contemporary story?

That is a rather long story in itself, how that came to be.

But to tell a long story short, I for years now have a story about a certain character in the late 18th century in mind. The story and adventures grow and grow in my mind and during all that time, another author (completely unrelated to me or my story) used my character's name in his own novel for a story in another timeframe, where the real family I need as a background for my main character was already extinct.

But the main problem was, that with my ideas for the story continuously growing, also my expectations towards it grew and grew and put so much pressure on me, that I had to write and execute something else instead.

As I have many story-drafts for diverse stories in my cupboard, I just had to stick to one idea and so I ordered myself to write and finish the next story that came to my mind.

And Sophia, the quirky, inquisite grad-student came to my mind and never let go.

Who is Sophia? Do you know a real person Sophia, the heroine of your book, resembles?

No, not really. Though her curious traits might be a bit lent from myself. But otherwise, she is assembled according to an imaginary person I really would like to meet. Her directness, her going after what she feels is right, really makes me want to meet her. It was hard to finish the book and to let go of her.

And your main character, Prof. Lynford? Is he somewhat like you or eventually like Richard Armitage?

Perhaps a bit like me, in his grumpy, annoying way. But I should rather not admit to that.

He takes time to warm up to, but he went through a lot, so it is worth the patience with him.

As to be inspired by Richard Armitage or one of his roles, I can't really say. Perhaps a bit like the early John Porter, but more from the book than the films, but mostly rather not.

Prof. Lynford just is his own annoying self, trying to get whatever he wants in his own twisted way.

What made you chose that exact pen-name for you then, if there is no exact Richard Armitage role or reference in your book?

First of all, I liked the sound of the name in itself. It stuck with me the first time I read it. I also liked the French origins of this still English sounding name.

Chris is one of my own names, so the jump was not too far. And T. stands for my mother's name. So in principle, my pen-name combines

- something from myself

- something from my heritage and

- something from my inspiration.

And you don't, by chance, want to lift your pseudonym?

No, definitely not. I have a publishing cover-up and co-corrector involved, who know my real name, but that is as far as my 'outing' goes.

And what are your plans for the future? Is another book already in the pipeline?

I admit, I rather cheated with the 'next book idea' part I mentioned before. I switched to the 'second' one in the row, when I made the same mistake with my first idea which I had made with my historical idea.

With my first idea, I liked the basic idea so much, that I found all my efforts not worthy for an execution. So I had to put it aside for a while. Now that "Rescued Hostage" is finished (though I am still sitting over the German version of if) I am coming back to this 'first' idea, which now hopefully will be my second book.

Can you already tell us, what the second book will be about?

It once again will be "A Camsted Adventure", like Sophia's story, though it will be a completely independent story with new characters. I don't want to reveal more yet, perhaps except that the headcount [murder cases - Clarification by CDoart] will be a bit higher than in the first book.

So now, the one remaining thing to do is, to let you know more about this book by Chris T. Delarmy. (Do I really need to reveal, where the name 'Delarmy' comes from?)

I myself already read and enjoyed the book very much and must admit, that it hit my kind of humour very much. To have a thriller and a quirky love story, which also makes you laugh and think about how you would want the world to develop to make it a tad bit better? This story combines not just adventure and suspense, but all in all is funnily told and enjoyable and gripping.

I certainly could use a Sophia, to solve some of my computer problems ;o)

Book-description:

Sophia, working at home for her graduate studies, sees a man in a window across the street. She immediately takes action when she thinks this man might be in danger. But this pulls her into a vortex of trouble both with secret services and the organized crime.

Can this naïve young woman take on those powerful organizations and get out of the problems she rushed into head first? Can she and the man she begins to have feelings for, make it out of their troubles alive? And is he even worth caring for, or rather one of the bad guys?

Follow Sophia from her desk at home on her way into adventures and dangers beyond her wildest imagination, where curiosity about a stranger lead her.

Chris T Delarmy
(The book is also available via Amazon-Prime. Please read the book there to the end for the sake of the author. Thank you !)

Now remains only for me to thank Chris for doing the interview with me and

to wish you lots of enjoyment with the book. Have a funny and gripping reading time !

Thank you - Fablaktuko ! - Liebster Award for CDoart

Fabolaktuko, on her blog "White Rose Writings", awarded my little blog here with the "Liebster Award" and I am greatly honoured.
I am very greatful, that my meager writings here got her attention and her wonderful friendship.

Thank you so much, Fabolaktuko !!!

The rules of the Liebster Award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog into your post.
2. Answer 11 questions which you have been asked by the nominating blogger.
3. Nominate 5 to 11 other bloggers who have fewer than 1.000 followers.
4. Add a new list of 11 questions for the nominated bloggers.
5. Paste these rules into your post.
6. Make sure your nominees know about your post and their nomination.

I sometimes do interviews, but only really very rarely feel myself being interesting enough to be asked questions in an interview myself and for myself.


1. If you could take Richard Armitage on vacation with you anywhere in the world (except ski resorts) where would it be and why?
Venice - I hope Richard Armitage likes museums (perhaps better to say, loves museums in abundance and never ending), because I have never been to Venice, but studied the history and would like to see every possible museum and library and archive there that is available and accessible to the public.
So it would take a while to get me away from there and stop me talking about all the "Kaiserpakta" (emperors' pacts with Venice), the battles, the maritime inventions, the book printing industry and the democratic specialty of La Serenissima. I so far have not found anyone who would endure me for the length of time necessary to appease my Venice enthusiasm and tolerant enough to bear my company on all the tours and discoveries I would like to make there.
My mother once told me, I should take my future husband on a honeymoon trip there. My comment only was: "That would be quite a short marriage then".
Her response to that was, I should have more confidence in men.
I could try if that works with RA ;o)


2. What is your favorite RA interview?
The first interview I saw with RA and the BBC (27.10.2008), [just can't find a working link to the interview right now and the old link where I saw it on YouTube does not work any longer.], which resulted in me becoming an irrevocable fan, because of the polite and still critical way of an upstanding and sensitive actor.


3. If you were producing a movie starring RA what would it be and who would be the director?
For me, of course: King Richard III
Director - I am not good with choosing one. I would leave that choice to Richard Armitage himself.

4. Your favorite RA sweater?
Sky blue, the photo series just makes him look so ethereal. (I am searching for a link to the images, but can't (any longer?) find them on my go-to source RANet.com.)
I must admit, I normally have my problems with v-necked t-shirts or sweaters on men. (Must be a continental thing. On one of my first visits to the U.K. I was asked if I felt it was o.k. for men to wear v-necks. I was astonished about the necessity for such an absurd question, as those styles are a no-go for men here where I live and men think them to be efeminating, except perhaps in combination with a shirt beneath and then they might seem a bit oldfashioned or nerdy.)
But RA certainly makes them work to perfection, so my general style guides don't apply to him. (Though I still hesitate concerning stripes (except fine pinstripes), dots and checks. Ihhh...)

5. What was your favorite movie as a child?
I can't remember having had one. But you could always convince me to watch a film, if there were pirates or ships in the movies or it was something historical.

6. What is your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate
Tomato sauce with Knödel/dumplings of some kind
Blaukraut
(For the height of effect of the last two, only my mother's would do. Not even my mere cooking, knowing what I like, would suffice.)

7. Favorite RA hair?  Thorin, Guy (season 1, 2 or 3), Proctor, Lucas North, or John Strandring (pre or post haircut)?
Lucas North mostly had a quite lax haircut, but still, I quite liked him that way. Not overly fussy and no stickler for accuracy, but still sweet and decisively male. Proctor on the other hand represents the stickler for accuracy and the necessity of strict order for me, another very attractive extreme on RA. Though he has a beard here, even the beard is short cropped and under control.
I also like the long and well cared for look of Guy of Gisborne’s hair in few parts of series 3, but that look did not last nice for long. I am surprised about that, because only few men can turn long hair into a sexy work of seduction, but RA obviously can. He should really play a historic role, where long hair is necessary. Would like to see him with a wig once. (So not only a Richard III role, but also another historical role would be on my wish list, if I could have a say in the decision making.)
Do I really have to chose just one haircut? As long as it is RA's hair (or Guy's extensions), long short or ruffled, that mostly is enough for me: I just don't like his hair's look as John Standring.

8. Are you a day person or a night person?
More a night person. I need some time to get my body working and into a creative mood, which normally takes till evening, till my brain is not just coping, but creating.

9. Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream?
Straciatella, if I could choose. I like both, vanilla and chocolate, so a combination of the two normally would be my choice and straciatella does that quite fine ;o)

10. Favorite RA premiere look?
Phiuhhh, that is hard. I neither like stripes nor checks nor spots (as mentioned previously), so definitely all those things are quite out of the question for me. Though lately one checkered look was not all too bad on RA.
But I must admit, I am rather an admirer of formal wear and RA just looks so wonderful in it. And aubergine/dark, deep violet/lila is my favourite colour, so the first Wellington premiere with the dark cravat is my absolute none plus ultra.

11. Favorite TV Series?
Spooks (though series 9 still rises some issues with me and I still feel it is a bit of a let down on the possibilities it previously had.)
Le Floch (with Jérôme Robart) - even a few ships ;o)
Hornblower (with Ioan Gruffudd) - full of ships. Though some sink, I am still in heaven here with the wonderful film music I just can't get enough of.
Smuggler (with Oliver Tobias) - Ships again ;o)
Though I am sure on board of a ship myself, I would follow Mr. Hornblower's example and would be 'seasick in Spithead'. You will know what that means, when you have watch part 1 of the series ;o)


As I am not up to date with blog reading and discovering new blogs, I must admit, that I did not come up with a new list of blogs to recommend. I follow a few blogs and some of them for a long while, but quite a few of them became famous by now and do not fit the 1.000 followers recommendation any longer. So for now, I have to pass and postpone the naming of new "Liebster Award" nominees for a later time.

Thank you for reading and following and a big thank you to you, Fabolaktuko, for selecting me as one of your "Liebster Award" blogs !!!

A Personal Insight Defiled

You know I don't grab for attention and so I won't link to the interview my post refers to, nor any of the comments and posts answering and interpreting and ... it.

I don't want the attention a direct link to it might bring, nor do I appreciate major parts of the discussion which followed the interview.
Though I am aware that my post, rather than letting the topic rest, once again puts up a clear opinion and view of the world and the statements RA made in his interview.
If you can't bear my open statement of my opinion, stay away from the freedom of opinion and don't read my post.

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Wer sich in Gefahr begibt, kommt darin um.
(Who willingly encounters / searches danger, dies therin.)

I am not sure if in the translation the ambiguity of the German proverb still is as present as in the original, while even in Germany, most people no longer can apply the proverb correctly or see its whole meaning.
The interpretation possibilities are manifold, though the sentence itself looks rather self explanatory and straight forward, but it is not all as it may seem or as clear an advice for action / none-action as one might read into it.

The connection, why this proverb came up in my mind while thinking about RA, was the whole discussion about RA's interview and his position about weapon possession.

While RA's position is exactly what I would have expected of every well educated and sensible European, it lead to heavy discussions in the fandom.

I know about the background of U.S. legislation, the 'oldest' democracy - and according to that, the first test ground of democracy, while other countries and forms of constitution already had samples and could select what they found re-usable and fit to be copied.
So I don't need a reminder or hint that Europeans just don't see the special situation and necessities of the U.S. (It is rather a well established way of not caring about the specifics of other countries and expecting the same from them in return. I continuously encountered that attitude while visiting the U.S.A. but fortunately also found some very interesting exceptions to that rule.)

Still, the fan-debate - though I followed only very (!) loosely (for reasons of self-preservation. I just hate to explode about things I can't change.) - astonished me in its fierceness, when in my opinion and European world view, it should be common ground to try to live and establish a better future from an obviously not well working out past and present.

Europe has a history where people slaughtered one's neighbours for the least of reasons. The only way to live together in some kind of peace in such a densely populated area is, to set the hurdle to kill as high as possible.
So I am deeply in favour of our strict weapons legislation we have here in Germany.
Everyone who possesses a weapon, but should not, commits an immediately punishable crime.

Whoever can possess a weapon, e.g. for reasons of job (hunters, police forces, etc.), hobby (sport, hunt), is constantly checked and controlled: Mentally, ability (weapons training) and security (safe keeping of the weapons, separated from the ammunition and especially unavailable for children).
Every breach means the loss of all weapons and enables the police to enforce the prosecution.

Clear, clean and secure for all involved.


I myself did shoot and was even asked to join a sports club of shooters in my youth. But while I enjoy shooting at fairs and as teen was allowed to use the air rifle of my uncle to learn how it works,  I was more interested in the mechanics than the shooting itself, though it is nice if you exactly hit your intended target.

Still, I am very much against weapons. I even broke the connection to the first boyfriend interested in a closer relationship, because he worked in a weapons factory (Not just guns, but a bit more heavy and sophisticated killing machinery.) and thought nothing of it.
They paid their employees extraordinary salaries to forget about their morals and provided exceptional additional educational and work possibilities.

In weapons lies money, big money.

So the two things I detest most and are up to no good, come together here to build an unhealthy union.

To allow everyone to have a weapon just is like trying to extinguish the devil with Beelzebub. (Another German proverb: Den Teufel mit dem Beelzebub austreiben.)

It won't work, ever.
Or can you imagine me with a pistol trying to defend myself against professional killers?
Think again, if you ever want to reason with me that this is a sensible way of defence, except you think the killers will fall over dying on their own laughter over seeing me thinking that I have a chance that way.

Though I even know where a sharpshooter needs to place an exact killing shot or where a shot is more likely to kill, ache, heal or simmer and lead to cruel death or amputation.
Curious, how my mind works. But that knowledge interests me far more than wanting to possess a weapon and actually shoot.

How many people in possession or able to get hold of a weapon do you think also know those facts? How many do you think are even interested or even able to direct and execute their shots in such an exact way?

The professionals need to learn those things and need to train their abilities, to get their moods under control as well as get their abilities up to scratch to execute exact shots.

I am glad to live in a country where I can rely on the strict rules and training of security services to guard my safety, much better than I ever could or would like to and am grateful that they create big hurdles for anyone to possess a weapon.


Thank you, Mr. Armitage, for making this statement and hoping, as I do, for a better future and not giving up on us ungrateful and unworthy humans.


(As I don't really want to hear a single word more about this discussion, but felt it necessary to make this clear statement, comments are closed on this post. What, by the way, I never did before, as I am a fierce democrat - just not a compromise-democrat - and believe in the freedom of opinion.)

Knowing or Not Wanting to Know Richard Armitage ...

Some days ago, I read an old interview with Richard Armitage I had not read so far.
It was so intimate and contained so many detail, that afterwards I wished, I had not read it, though I must admit, I read through the whole interview.
It clouded my perception of him and when I watched the last episode of Strike Back yesterday, I re-interpreted his performance due to the interview. I did not like that of me and so - what I have never done before - stopped the film before the end. (Here I must admit, I have watched it so often, that in my head it continued anyway.)

What also disturbed me the last days is, that I think John Porter will die or at least disappear in "Strike Back II". That is what was to be expected, after he is filming "The Hobbit". But I think he is not only hunted down by the Americans, the Afgans and As'sad's men, I also think his own team sends out the rescue team to eliminate him and not to rescue him from the imprisonment of the preview scene.
For his own team must think, he has killed his boss Collinson. As he is the only eye witness of the real events, he has no chance to come back to "Strike Back" again.

Today, I read on RichardArmitageNet.com, that RA had been filming in South Africa with some lovely details about him with the crew.
The wonderful artwork by bccmee also did help - this look just warms every heart!
And kadamaja's wallpapers did continue the process to bring me back to full appreciation.

This  reminded me of the key points, why I really appreciate him:
* His high-quality performances
* his absolute dedication to work
* his easy going and friendly attitude towards colleagues and co-workers.

I am not sure what really affected me most:
* That he suddenly became a real person?
* That he fell down from my imaginary pedestal? (That he did not really do or at least he climbed back onto it quite fast ;o)
* That I felt like a bit of a prude or at least very naive? But still this interview was more than I wanted to know, more than I wanted to know about a virtual stranger. (I have heard quite a lot of [even extreme] confessions in my life, but with these I felt uncomfortable.) And I must add, I am not even sure that what I read is the truth! I think it partially is a role set up to entertain the audience and keep up a certain image of attractive vulnerability.

The one thing which was not affected by reading the interview, was my writing the dream-solution for "Spooks 9". My writing it continued quite undisturbed, but I am still not very far, though the outline is finished.

You will not believe it, but I really started it (without real time for it, but I just could not resist ;o)
I reckon, I have to reveal my storyline before "Spooks 10" starts, as these 'real events' will make my phantasy sequel obsolete anyway.


Now securely back in deep RA-fandom, I will try to start posting my dream-sequence soon, to not keep you waiting for the solution of "Spooks 9" much longer ;o) 
Have fun and enjoy!

FanstRAvaganza 2011 - Introduction

FanstRAvaganza 2011 - The Major Fan-Event Begins !

It is such a great honor for me to be allowed to take part in this event and join such brilliant and experienced bloggers. (Complete List of participating blogs here.)
To see their plans and creative ways of finding topics to attract their audience and make every visit to their blogs worthwhile fascinates me greatly. I love being part of the RA-community and hope my appreciation and love for Richard Armitage and the community feeling of his fans and fellow bloggers shows in my blog and my contributions to FanstRAvaganza.
I hope you will enjoy the presented story, gradually unfolding in the next 7 days and finally, the identity of the mysterious "Max" (Maximilian), the name-giver for my new computer, is finally revealed.

1. Installment here: The Gold Card (Part 1 / 7)

But first of all, I needed some feedback from the source of admiration, Richard Armitage. I wanted to know, what he thought about my story "The Gold Card" and therefore held a short interview with him. (I am very grateful, that he supported me though all the inconvenience caused by the distance between Germany and New Zealand.)
Some excerpts I put together for you in the following video:



The pictures for the interview-video are kindly provided by: RichardArmitageNet.com.

Pre-Spooks9-Interview with Richard Armitage - By David Stephenson

David Stephenson had Richard Armitage in for questioning before Spooks 9 started. Mr. Armitage only revealed a bit about the first two episodes, but unfortunately did not shed much light onto the rest of series 9.
Nonetheless a worthwhile interview:


Express - The Sunday Express interview: TV Editor David Stephenson talks to Spooks star Richard Armitage