I have been tagged by R.M. Hamilton and now have to list eight things that most people do not know about me, hmmmm....

Each player starts with eight random facts/habits or embarrassing things about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1.  I checked my family tree (and fell down half the branches!) to discover I'm a combination of heritages including German, Dutch, and Irish...and Texan.  (Where my mom is from!)

2.  I was born in Normandy, Missouri...but I never lived there.  In fact, I was born on the front seat of my parents' car en route to the hospital!

3.  I started getting gray hair when I was 16.  *sigh!*

4.  When "Alien" first came out in 1979 my family and I went to see it (I was nine at the time), and I think I ran out of the theatre four times during scenes that got to be too much!  My tolerance for scares improved considerably since...strange that when I saw "Carrie" three years earlier, I never left my seat!

5.  I don't know how to ride a bicycle.  I swear on a stack.

6.  I smoke like a chimney.  So what?  Two words:  George Burns.

7.  I have a fear and loathing for bugs.  It may not be politically correct for me to say it, but if you're invading my personal space and you have more than four legs, you WILL get swatted!

8.  As far as I'm concerned, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are ambrosia! :D

I'll choose eight people soon...at least, eight people who won't hold it against me!

Most of them came out great, but a few had this strange flare on the image.  I asked the store where I got the photos developed, and they said it could either be something reflecting into the lens at the time each picture was taken...or there's something wrong with my camera.  I hope to heck it's the first one!

    I don't know when I'll be able to get any of these pics online, though...I'm more concerned with finalizing which of these photos, color digital or 35mm b&w, would be best for the covers.  I'll let you know first thing, of course!

   So you know:  changes are coming very soon the closer it gets to my giving everything to the print on demand people.  One thing I think should change is the music you hear on my profile.  I know a lot of you love Rob Zombie, and I assure you he'll be back!  But I've decided that I need to play more than one selection, if you know what I mean.  And there's a lot of great artists I've added to my friends, and you should hear their music, too!

   I'm going to start at random with one of the MySpace artists, and it'll be set up so you hear a different song a day.  I promise Rob will be back, sooner or later!

To be continued...

Charles

...including my mood!  It's much more normal today.  In fact, I can now do what I should've done yesterday.  I can tell you a few more things about the shoot, and exactly how it progressed.  I already let one of my friends know a few details, but now it's time to disclose the rest!

   Most of the shoot took place at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the rest on the grounds of the Gateway Arch itself.  It took a little over four hours from start to finish (including travel time between both locations), and I snapped over 90 digital pictures (six of them are here in my new album!) and over thirty more using 35mm black and white film.  My model was amazing throughout the shoot, and she easily got into character.  There were times, of course, when looky-loos passing by almost got into the shots, but for the most part things went smoothly.  It still took a little too long for the both of us, and we barely got to our respective homes ahead of rush hour traffic.  (Even so, traffic was insane...naturally.)

   All that must be done now is wait for the black and white prints to come back on Tuesday...my fingers are crossed, of course!

   Thanks to those who left comments with my pics already, but of course I'm looking for more feedback so don't dare be shy!

   To be continued...

Charles

It really is, and I can't express how angry with myself I am.  One minute I'm here, about to make good on what I told you about yesterday, then something came up that took me offline.  I'm not making an excuse, just letting you know what happened...and I can't go into details except to say I had to go, and it couldn't be avoided.  I'm mad at myself more than anything else, and I apologize for making you wait.

   But good things come to those who wait, I hope.

   I just added a new album to my pics...and you'll see from the title there's more to come! ;)  Let me know in any way you wish here or through comments what you think!

   To be continued...

Thank Heaven...

   It took too long to get to this point, and after reaching it, the shoot took longer than my model and I thought it would.  But no problems outside of that, we were both happy with the results.  I'll start posting a few of the pics real soon...

   ...but it's been a long day.  I'm whipped.

   Gotta go after I post the bulletin for this blog, but I'll be back soon...with something special!

   To be continued...

Sorry I haven't done this for a while...a lot of things got in the way.

   The biggest thing was the process of trying to strategize my shoot for the covers of "Hell Knight".  It took a lot of hunting with my model, but finally we have a lock on at least two locations appropriate for the shoot!  I'll be doing the photography myself, and it'll depend on which day *next week* will be best for my model!

   Then I'll have to settle between one of my two choices of online print on demand...and THAT, just as much as my shoot, is definitely something I have to get right!

   To be continued...

Charles

I've got a bunch of different things to do today, and only a few of them on MySpace, unfortunately.  One of them involves the preview of the first three chapters of HELL KNIGHT.  It should be up on Yahoo geocities by tomorrow night...

Ah, well.  Until tomorrow...

-- Charles

Searching for The Next Level has included video games...I've been a gamer for most of my life, and proud of it.

   I'm also proud of being an official PlayStation fanboy.  Yes, I've got an Xbox, too...yes, I own "Halo" and "Halo 2"...but where it counts I've been into Sony's consoles.  It had been that way since 1998, when my brother and I broke down (in spite of our owning an N64) and got a PlayStation.  My brother, like me, was constantly on the hunt for The Next Level of being entertained in video games.

   I found The Next Level in a game called "Resident Evil".

   It was a zombie frightfest made into a game...it was bloody, scary as hell, and I loved every minute of it.  I had to trudge through its puzzles with a strategy guide, dammit, but that didn't matter.  I was hooked to "Resident Evil", among other PlayStation games:  "Final Fantasy VII" and "VIII", "Metal Gear Solid", "Twisted Metal 2", "Tekken 3", "Tomb Raider 2", "Silent Hill", and of course "RE2" and "RE3:  Nemesis" are among my favorite games of all time, and all on the PlayStation.  Funny how a gray box can take a hold of one's personal life.  I still have those original games (among others) to this day, but I had to trade in the console they worked on for the smaller PSOne.

   I kept the trend going with the PS2.  I found more favorite game franchises since, including "SSX", "Dynasty Warriors", "Samurai Warriors", "Zone of the Enders" and "Kessen".  At first, though, "Resident Evil" didn't continue on the PS2.  I didn't mind too much, since another new favorite was in the Survival Horror spirit:  "Onimusha:  Warlords".  Then I got "RE Code Veronica", ported from the Sega Dreamcast...and I noticed the game came with a little something extra, a demo disc.

   I was introduced to The Next Level from "Resident Evil"...with "Devil May Cry".

   Coincidentally enough, both the "Onimusha" and "Devil May Cry" franchises involved going into battle against armies of demons.

   I can honestly say, because of both of those series, what was once a seed finally broke open...and something started to grow...

   To be continued...

-- Charles

Sorry, this blog will be a little shorter than usual...and so will my time on MySpace in general today.

   Fortunately, it might be worth it.  I've had a busy day, yet I used a part of it regardless to begin my search for a model.  Seriously!  One of my greatest concerns for HELL KNIGHT is one of presentation.  If the book doesn't look good, then a person won't be curious enough to want to read it, right?  To that end, I'll need a lady model to portray the title character Yuki for the front and back covers of the book...since I'm also into photography, I'll do the shoot myself with a mysterious, slightly gothic and deadly mood in mind.

   I live in St. Louis County, Missouri in the USA, and I began my search for a model today by placing an ad in the Riverfront Times (the ad appears online starting today, and it will be printed in next week's edition).  I also went to the Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA) in University City to post my ad there, as well.  With good fortune, I'll get a response sometime soon and that concern (among others) will be dealt with.

   To be continued...

-- Charles

Sorry, this blog will be a little shorter than usual...and so will my time on MySpace in general today.

   Fortunately, it might be worth it.  I've had a busy day, yet I used a part of it regardless to begin my search for a model.  Seriously!  One of my greatest concerns for HELL KNIGHT is one of presentation.  If the book doesn't look good, then a person won't be curious enough to want to read it, right?  To that end, I'll need a lady model to portray the title character Yuki for the front and back covers of the book...since I'm also into photography, I'll do the shoot myself with a mysterious, slightly gothic and deadly mood in mind.

   I live in St. Louis County, Missouri in the USA, and I began my search for a model today by placing an ad in the Riverfront Times (the ad appears online starting today, and it will be printed in next week's edition).  I also went to the Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA) in University City to post my ad there, as well.  With good fortune, I'll get a response sometime soon and that concern (among others) will be dealt with.

   To be continued...

-- Charles