Monday, December 29, 2025

SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA NOW AVAILABLE!

Cover by Ted Hammond

 I said I'd let everyone know when it was released and I'm a man of my word.
Just didn't expect to see it so soon.

When the son of a wealthy aviation corporation owner is kidnapped by a vicious gang, the family turns to the mysterious entity known as Solitaire to rescue him.
In the process, the female master of disguise soon uncovers a personal vendetta against Andrews Aviation. The gang’s goal is not only to ruin the family but also steal their experimental new drone which the U.S. Military is hoping to purchase.
Once again Solitaire will have to rely on her many roles to confuse and defeat a fanatical enemy.

Airship 27 Production is thrilled to present pulp scribe Lee Houston, Junior’s second fast pace thriller featuring his original, amazing new heroine, Solitaire. This one is filled with exotic locales, cunning bad guys and non-stop action.
With a stunning cover by Ted Hammond and interior art by Chuck Bordell.


AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTION – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERATION!

Sunday, December 28, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 27, 2025

 I hope everyone that got to celebrate had a good Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day and Kwanzaa.
I had a nice time with my family and even texted holiday cheer to a few friends.

Despite the Christmas Chaos trying to get everything done before the celebrating, the problems caused by all the bad Winter weather we've had so far—and unfortunately it's FAR from over๐Ÿ˜’—and the usual daily messes within my life, I FINALLY finished going over the galley for SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA!๐Ÿ˜Ž

I sent it back to Rob Davis at Airship 27, but as I post this I don't have an ETA on when the novel will be released.
I will keep everyone posted on that matter but for now, I'm turning my attention back to the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

The Brothers from Room Service
AND FOR THOSE INTERESTED...
Turner Classic Movies is having a Marx Brothers marathon during the morning and afternoon hours of Wednesday, December 31 and I intend to record at least Duck Soup, A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races because I'm planning a nice, quiet evening at home that night with them and whatever other comedies I record between now and then.

Which reminds me.
Don't forget before the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to raise your left leg so you can start 2026 off on the right foot. ๐Ÿ˜‰

So with that I'm going back to writing now.
Take care.
STAY SAFE!
Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
28 December, 2025


Sunday, December 21, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 20, 2025

 Well....
It was another interesting week.

No work on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES prequel novel because I got the galley proof of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA that I have to go over for Airship 27 to make sure everything is alright before the book is published.
Received that late Monday evening so started fresh on it Tuesday morning.

One has to go over every word and punction mark, line by line from start to finish and note any mistakes there might be along the way so they can be corrected before publication.
Everything was going fine until Friday when the storm hit. ๐Ÿ˜ข

Didn't regain power until Saturday afternoon.
Didn't regain the Internet (let alone cable service) until about a half hour ago.
Thankfully both THE PUZZLE CORNER and THE WEEK IN REVIEW for The Free Choice E-zine were on the Post Timer this weekend, although I didn't discover until well after the fact that I miss set the one for the news, hence it not posting until almost midnight Saturday night.
And I've still got to post this week's SUNDAY FUNNIES on TFCE when I finish here.

With everything that had to be dealt with, I'm only about halfway through the galley.
Chuck Bordell did good work on the interior illustrations for the novel again, although the galley does NOT include the cover art, so no review on that because I'll be seeing it when the book is published like everyone else.

But for that to happen, I better get back to it although considering the time, I won't be staying up much longer to night.
In any event, take care.
STAY SAFE!
Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
21 December, 2025



Sunday, December 14, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 13, 2025

 You would think that I would have learned to keep my big mouth shut by now and not jinx myself.

I got sick again and am trying to get over it as I type these words.
Same symptoms as last time too, except no queasiness or nausea this go around.

I did manage to make one creative decision and combined Chapters 7 and 8 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel: PRIVATE BATTLES, into one so what was Chapter 9 is now the new 8. Otherwise...

At some point I've got to backtrack and add all the images to the current THE WEEK IN REVIEW on The Free Choice E-zine and hopefully I can keep it together long enough to do this week's SUNDAY FUNNIES.

But I'm making absolutely NO predictions about this coming week. We'll just see what happens as it unfolds.

In any event, take care.
STAY SAFE!
Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
14 December, 2025
FOR THOSE CELEBRATING: HAPPY HANUKKAH!


Sunday, December 7, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 6, 2025

 It's a good thing I don't try to make my living as a fortune teller because I'd be a miserable failure at that profession.
This past week was anything but normal.

It started out okay.
Got all my assorted shopping, errands and household chores taken care of early. I even managed to put up some Christmas๐ŸŽ„ decorations.

Then I got sick.๐Ÿ˜ข

Even as I post this, I have absolutely no idea what I was suffering from.
All I can tell you is that for a little over a day I was miserable, nauseous—but thankfully no "expulsions" from that experience—achy, tired and sleepy when I wasn't camped out in the bathroom.
I never once had any sign of a temperature and after my first camp out the nausea disappeared.
Thankfully The Free Choice E-zine's Puzzle Corner for yesterday was already on the Post Timer and I managed to finish The Week In Review between naps, but otherwise little was accomplished on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES.๐Ÿ˜’

Today as I post this PROGRESS REPORT, I seem to be over the worst/most of it.
Still a little tired though.

In any event, at the risk of (bad) history repeating itself, hopefully this coming week will be better.
Take care.
STAY SAFE!
And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
7 December, 2025 HONORING PEARL HARBOR DAY!


Sunday, November 30, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 29, 2025

 As predicted, I didn't get much writing done last week on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but at least I had a great time with family and friends.

Hopefully this coming week will be more productive with things back to what relatively passes for "normal" within my life.

I hope everyone who celebrated had a good Thanksgiving too.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Take care.
STAY SAFE!
And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
30 November, 2025


Sunday, November 23, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 22, 2025

TURKEYS AWAY!
 The start of another week is upon us, and it will be a busy one for me with all the Thanksgiving
preparations I have to do so I can celebrate the holiday with my friends and family later this week.

Depending upon how you look at it, today—November 23—is either the anniversary of the world still reeling over then US President John F. Kennedy being assassinated November 22 or the debut episode of Doctor Who being transmitted by the BBC.

In any event, I have made an editorial decision concerning HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES.
The original version of Chapter 6 was only two manuscript pages long, so I've folded it into Chapter 5, which consequently lowers my Chapter count by one at the moment.
That puts me on Chapter 7 instead of 8 right now, but I'm still well over 11,000+ words into the novel and starting to hit my stride despite outside world interruptions and the fact that I've never actually written a prequel novel before.
NEXT SUNDAY A.D.?

Like I said, with Thanksgiving, not sure how this week is actually going to turn out writing wise, but the family comes first.
Yet there are a couple of things past that I miss concerning Thanksgiving.
Like the annual showing of WKRP In Cincinnati's "Turkeys Away" episode and the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Turkey Day Marathon.

And of course my mom's turkey stuffing and watching football ๐Ÿˆ on TV with my father, even though I'm more of a baseball⚾ fan.

So I hope that despite all the hassles and other problems in the world right now, you and yours have a good week regardless of how or if you decide to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Got to get back to writing now.
Take care.
STAY SAFE!
And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
23 November, 2025