BACK STORY: "THE UNFAIR FARE" FROM LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION

Originally "rally cry" poster

When I first heard the news, I honestly didn't know what to think.

Tommy Hancock of Pro Se Productions was seriously ill (which I would later learn involved his heart), so Jamie Ramos had presented an idea to Ron Fortier and Rob Davis of Airship 27 (yes, the friendly competition!) to do a benefit anthology on Tommy's behalf, with Hancock getting all the proceeds to help his family out with medical expenses and other bills.

Of course, I volunteered to contribute a story immediately.

For those of you who don't know Tommy Hancock, you would be hard pressed to find a nicer or more knowledgeable man in this crazy creative field that we call "New Pulp". There would be less talent out there now if Tommy hadn't given them (and me) their first big break, so it's only natural that when the need arose, we'd rally to return the favor somehow.

Now, this is far from the first time that a group of people in one specific field united in a common cause and "paid it forward", so it didn't surprise me at all that our small little creative community of writers and artists got together to help out one of our own. The fact that we were able to do so in such a spectacular manner is what flabbergasted me!

Cover painting by Doug Klauba

Back cover creator list

The end result of everyone's hard work is LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION!
At first, the projected totals were (as expressed by the black and white "in-house" poster that was circulated) that the anthology would obtain a tad over fifty contributions, but the project wound up with 64 writers (including Tommy) and 37 artists helping to provide an illustration to each tale under a gorgeous cover by Doug Klauba!

At 776 pages, this is the biggest volume Airship 27 has ever published (to date) and Ron and Rob, along with Jamie and associate editor Todd Jones, deserve a hearty round of applause and time off to rest and recuperate from all their hard work.

As you can see by the back cover list, there is a plethora of creators representing a wide variety of pulp genres within this anthology.

As for my humble contribution...
Everyone had a small word count (4,000 minimum/8,000 maximum) and a short deadline. At first, I seriously considered writing a short story featuring one of my "signature" creations, but there was no way I could do an ALPHA the superhero story without tipping my hand in regards to plot points that will be revealed within his forthcoming second novel, and I honestly didn't know the legalities that might be involved if I did a short HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE mystery.
But that left me with the quandary of what to write?

One thing you must know about New Pulp is its definition. We are telling brand new stories in the classic pulp style of the past with modern sensibilities. Being pressed for time, I intentionally set my tale in the present day to avoid any potential research snares that might arise from doing a period piece, and therefore, a couple of days later, the result was "The Unfair Fare", which came in at a modest 4,677 words.

The story, complete with such modern references as GPS and flash drives, was then sent to Airship 27 for consideration.
Now, no writer expects to hit a home run every time they submit a manuscript; but I was truly happy when I got Fortier's e-mail response to my tale about a cab driver who winds up in an even bigger mess when a passenger tries to skip out on paying the fare...

Damn, Lee, that was a fun little gem.  I really liked that a lot. Great story...authentic pulp feel throughout.
Thanks so much,
Ron

THAT certainly made my day!
The stories are presented in order, alphabetically based upon author's last names, so I am in-between "Señor Tijras" by Joe Hillard and "The Gentleman Thief and the Artist" by Emily Janhke, with an illustration by Joe Arnold.

The one thing I could never decide upon was WHO the cab driver should be, so I'll leave it up to your opinion dear reader as to who the driver is.

Otherwise, on behalf of myself and everyone else involved with this anthology, we really hope you like LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION.
It's a great read for a worthy cause and is now available in both print AND Kindle e-book editions at Amazon.com

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 26, 2015

Well folks, as I originally thought would happen going into last week, unfortunately I didn't get much actual writing done beyond Internet posts.
There were a couple of paragraphs here and there on the final chapter to PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON; but besides finally getting over that dang cold, it was more important to get ready for the holiday and spend precious time with my family and friends.

I hope your holiday weekend went well too.

But that doesn't mean I'm without news!

Last week saw the release of not one,

but TWO projects I have been involved with!

Cover art by Doug Klauba

Cover by Scott McCullar

THE SUPER SWINGIN' HERO 1968 SPECIAL that I co-edited with Jim Beard for Mechanoid Press and THE LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION anthology from Airship 27, aka the Tommy Hancock benefit book that I am just one of many contributors to.

Both were marvelous projects that I'm proud to be associated with, and I cannot say enough about them, especially considering that 1968 and LEGENDS got their own special announcements on this blog when first released last week!

In time, either here or in my capacity as Editor-in-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine, I will be going into further detail on both; but for now, take care of yourselves, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
27 December, 2015

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TOO: LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION NOW AVAILABLE!

Cover by Doug Klauba

Well folks, with the holidays approaching, unless Internet posts count, I've been unable to get any writing done, but just look at this news!

Airship 27 just released LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION in hard copy, with the e-format to follow.
Over 100 people pooled their creative talents together, spearheaded by Jamie Ramos, Air Captain Ron Fortier, and his co-pilot Rob Davis; on a benefit anthology for Tommy Hancock to help him meet his medical and other expenses.
Check out the all star line up listed in the back cover image below, and it's all within a beautiful cover by Doug Klauba!
There's a lot of pulse pounding excitement running a whole gamut of pulp genres within these pages, so there's something for everyone.
You can acquire your hard copy at Amazon now, with the e-book to follow.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: SUPER SWINGIN' HERO 1968 SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE!

From Mechanoid Press, cover by Scott McCullar

Okay folks, I didn't find out about this until earlier, but here's a ray of sunshine to brighten your day!
The Super Swingin' Hero 1968 Special has just been released for the Kindle by Mechanoid Press, with the print version soon to follow.

This anthology was a labor of love over most of the Spring as I helped Jazzy Jim Beard assemble an all star cast of authors to create some of the most outlandish send-ups in all of comicdom in one kooky collection of heroes straight from the flip side.

Thrill to the afterlife adventures of Ghostman by comics legend David Michelinie!
Hang out with Beauty and the Beetle as they solve a mystery of Lovecraftian proportions by Sam Gafford!
Witness The Coming of Changeor by Erwin K. Roberts!
Discover how The Crawler Creeps with Chuck Miller.
Do you dare go adventuring with Fate's Four and Thomas Deja?
Soar with The Peregrine and the Pigeon with Bonnie J. Sterling as your co-pilot.
What enigmatic mystery has Mark Halegua created for the robot detectives of Automation Investigations, Inc.?
Will Hathor's Gift be of any H.E.L.P.? Only Lisa Collins knows.

And finally, your kooky co-editors get into the act!
Jim presents the latest adventure of The Go-Go Gears and I reveal the outrageous origin of The Substandard Quintet!

The sky’s the limit for these Swingin’ Heroes in a pulse pounding collection of superhero prose fiction unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!

The wait is over Mechanoid Mavens!
You can get you Kindle copy now at AMAZON, and the print copy soon!

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 19, 2015

Well folks, it's my sad duty to report that unfortunately, there was no writing progress this past week, for I've been fighting a bad cold!

Now normally, like my recent battles with the stomach crud, I try to keep on writing as much as humanly possible.

Unfortunately, it just isn't possible with a cold in my situation.
Over the course of my life thus far, I have survived TWO bouts of pneumonia, congestive heart failure, AND an aortic aneurysm!
The above has unfortunately taken its toll on my overall health, but I'm still here.
Yet whenever I do get a cold nowadays, there isn't much medicinally I can take without risking something else, and it's bothersome (at best) to wear my reading glasses because of the extra sinus pressure their weight creates on

my nose.

Therefore, I just have to grin and bear everything the best I can, so
unfortunately, there was no writing progress on the final chapter of PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON this past week.
Yes, that first word is back, because the publisher (Tommy Hancock at Pro Se Press considers PROJECT ALPHA the overall series title, while I just thought of it as the title of Book 1.

Anyway, I CAN tell you that I received an e-mail from Pro Se, which included a pencil sketch of the cover for Book 2, and it looks promising!

Not sure how this coming week looks yet. Still have to wrap gifts and am looking forward to spending the holiday with my family and friends.
But I'm not that far away from concluding the last chapter, so who knows?

See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
20 December, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2015

Am still working on Chapter 20 to conclude ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.
Two out of the three sequences are done.
It's the last, and the longest, that I'm still on. It will wrap up Book 2 and set the stage for Book 3.

What I didn't count on was a return of the stomach crud!
Thought I was over this junk after a weekend battle, but it came back Thursday for an encore!


In any event, I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
13 December, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 5, 2015

First and foremost...

To those who celebrate

the Festival of Light,

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Chapter 19 is DONE! Am working on Chapter 20 (the finale) to ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON now.
Once that is completed to my satisfaction, I will take a short break from A2 to write the Sherlock Holmes story I promised Airship 27, then I will go back and reread the Alpha 2 manuscript to make sure it is a solid, coherent novel before submitting it.

After that...?

So, I better get back to writing now.
See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
6 December, 2015