PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 4, 2025

 LOOKING BACK AND FORWARD

Welcome to the first PROGRESS REPORT of 2025!

Last year was rough.

TWO MAJOR computer crashes, knocking me offline and out of work for a couple of months between them. The loss of a beloved pet was bad enough, but losing my father was another matter. 😢

Looking back over 2024, while I completed the manuscript to SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, unfortunately the only work that actually got published last year was "Operation Colossus", my short story that appeared within the third volume of the CODE NAME: INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series for Robert J. Mendenhall via Blue Planet Press.😊

Even though what you're reading right now covers December 29, 2024 through January 4, 2025; unfortunately nothing got done creatively before New Year's Day and for better or worse, I've only managed to proofread another page of the SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA manuscript since then. 😞

Pending projects for the beginning of this year are:

*Finish proofreading S2 before submitting it to Airship 27.

*Proofread the Science Fiction novel I finished in 2023 before attempting to find it a publisher.

*Get back to work on the ZEPHYR LILY novel at some point, but that is currently delayed because...

*It has been suggested by my friendly neighborhood beta proofreader Nancy Hansen that I write another SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY before Airship 27 goes into semi retirement.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD...

At the end of their 96th podcast on YouTube, Ron Fortier and Rob Davis, the co-founders and main employees of Airship 27, announced that they are going to start scaling back production to enjoy their Golden Years more.

They will NOT be closing the Hangar completely, just that by 2027 at the latest, neither them nor the company will be going full tilt releasing titles on a regular/monthly basis.

Both gentlemen have had long and distinguished careers professionally and personally, so I wish them well in all their current and future endeavors. Yet that also leaves me with the unanswered question of

WHAT NEXT?

Airship 27 will definitely take SOLITAIRE 2 once I finish proofreading it and SHERLOCK HOLMES once I finish writing it.

But ZEPHYR LILY, let alone the Science Fiction novel and any future SOLITAIRE adventures?

And there is still the enigma of trying to figure out the future of HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE and ALPHA the Superhero because I haven't heard a word from Pro Se Press in years, hence my concentrating on SOLITAIRE and other works for Airship 27.

Yet while I don't have all the answers at the moment, the one thing I do know is that: no matter what happens, I WILL KEEP WRITING!

So with that in mind, I better try to get back to it.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

5 January, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 28, 2024

 Can you believe that this is the last PROGRESS REPORT of 2024? Where has the time gone? Just wish I had some actual progress to report. 😞

I managed to proofread about three more pages of the SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA manuscript and that's it! Christmas🎄may be getting too commercial in my personal opinion, but it's also a hectic time of year as well, and I don't even work in the retail industry.

Hopefully things will slow down to a more normal routine soon.

The only New Year's Eve plans I have are dependent upon whatever is on television Tuesday night. Hopefully I can get a lot more accomplished this coming week because I haven't even touched the ZEPHYR LILY material since around the beginning of the month!

So with that in mind, take care.

STAY SAFE!

If you drink, please do so responsibly and don't forget: just before the stroke of midnight to raise your left leg so you can start 2025 off on the right foot.😉

Lee Houston, Junior

29 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 21, 2024

 So, how much "progress" did I manage last week?

TWO WHOLE PAGES PROOFREAD ON SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA!😲

That's it. Period. Maybe my theory is correct about the end of the year not being a good time to attempt accomplishing anything creatively.

But, depending upon how you celebrate, the "Big Event" is coming up so...

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

22 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 14, 2024

 I'm afraid history repeated itself this past week because other than managing to proofread another chapter of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, I didn't get anything done writing wise. Chapter wise, I haven't even gotten into double digits, let alone anywhere near the halfway point of the manuscript yet.

Maybe the last month of the year just isn't a good time to attempt accomplishing anything other what what you absolutely need to, especially with the holidays on the horizon. After all, depending upon what you celebrate, this is the last full week before Christmas, Hanukkah AND Kwanzaa!

In any event, I'll keep plugging away at least before and after everything else I have to do between now and the holidays.

Who knows?

Maybe next week I'll actually have some progress to report.

Until then, take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

15 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 7, 2024

 If I ever find that "Murphy" guy, I'm gonna force him to repeal that infamous law of his—anything that can
go wrong will—immediately!

I'm probably far from the first person who ever said that, but it certainly happened a lot to me this past week.

I only got another chapter or two from SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA proofread at the most with absolutely nothing else accomplished at all on the writing front, let alone anything on ZEPHYR LILY.

I accomplished plenty if you count cooking, cleaning, housekeeping, laundry, errands, et al and ectaras.

But writing?🤣

I hope this coming week will be better, but we'll see how it goes.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

8 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2024

 Other than managing to finish getting all my handwritten material on ZEPHYR LILY transcribed into the computer, I unfortunately didn't get anything accomplished writing wise this past week. 😞

On the other hand, I had a great holiday weekend with my extended family! 😁😎

I've been trying to catch up on housework and other responsibilities today and my weekly grocery hunting trip is tomorrow, weather permitting.

So hopefully I can at least start my final proofread of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA after that because I'd like to get that done and the manuscript off to Airship 27 before the end of 2024.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

1 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 23, 2024

 Since I don't post PROGRESS REPORTS on Saturdays, I hope those who celebrated had a good Doctor Who Day November 23.

Now then, as mentioned last week, ♫I'm back in the saddle again♫ to quote one of my dad's heroes: Gene Autry, trying to catch up on my writing.

At the moment I'm still transcribing all my hand written notes.

After I finished those to complete SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, I started a new novel called ZEPHYR LILY.

The title lady was originally to be my contribution to Jim Beard's 1970s set sequel to the SUPER SWINGIN' HEROES 1968 SPECIAL Anthology from Mechanoid Press.

That project unfortunately got canceled, but Jim was nice enough to let everyone keep the material(s) they were working on, hence I still have LILY.

I had no luck finding a home for the original short story, so I'm rewriting and fleshing out the entire plot and concept into a full length novel.

In the coming weeks I'll share more details about who ZEPHYR LILY is but, since I'm in a musical mood today, ♫“Where it all ends I can't fathom, my friends,♫ to quote Jimmy Buffett.

However, there is no way I will let good material wither in my files.

I still have Chapter 2 to finish transcribing, which will give me about the first 5000 words to the overall manuscript.

Once that's done, I will take a short break to go back over and proofread SOLITAIRE 2 before sending it off to Airship 27 for publication.

Then I will be devoting at least the rest of 2024 to ZEPHYR LILY, when I'm not dealing with The Free Choice E-zine and the rest of my life's responsibilities.

The latter includes the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, which will be spent with friends and family.

Sadly, as the years pass and times change, there are two personal Thanksgiving traditions that I have been unable to observe since the start of the current millennium.

Enjoying the annual Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Turkey Day marathon and one particular episode of WKRP In Cincinnati.

In any event, I hope those celebrating remember to be thankful for the good things you have in life, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Take care.

Lee Houston, Junior

24 November, 2024