PROGRESS REPORT: THE LAST ONE FOR 2019!

As noted in the title, this is the last Progress Report for 2019.

The tradition WILL continue in 2020, but I wish I actually had some writing progress to report for the week ending December 28.

As predicted with the holiday week, other than being able to honor my blogging commitments between here and The Free Choice E-zine, not much got done beyond enjoying the company of family and friends.

I expect another "hiccup" in my writing efforts this week with the impending New Year fast approaching, but otherwise things should be relatively back to "normal", whatever that means. 😉

For whatever reason(s) though, my Muse is now telling me I should go back and at least attempt to finish writing that Sherlock Holmes story I was working on ("The Adventure of the Unimaginable") before I resume work on SOLITAIRE.

Then again, considering she interrupted Holmes to present me the SOLITAIRE idea to begin with...

Hey, no one ever said being a writer was easy, but it is definitely a lot more fun😀 than a lot of jobs I've held or have heard of.

In any event, I better get back to it now.

Take care everybody!

Please party responsibly Tuesday night and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

29 December, 2019

DECEMBER 26, 2019

WHICHEVER
IS YOUR
DECEMBER 26...

ENJOY! 😀

CHRISTMAS 2019

REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU CELEBRATE THE DAY...

HAPPY HANUKKAH 2019

For those among my readers and fans who celebrate the Festival of Light... 🕎

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

PROGRESS REPORT, WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 21, 2019

♫Da hoo dorais fa hoo dorais.♫—The Whos down in Whoville.

Well, as I feared, while what writing time I did have this past week was split between my blogging commitments and my prose work, I unfortunately didn't make much progress on the SOLITAIRE novel.
Still in the opening paragraphs of Chapter 14.
Don't know how much writing I'll accomplish before December 25, although from the 26 on should be relatively back to "normal", whatever that means. 😉
BUT, as a special holiday treat, I'd like to present🎁 to you the opening paragraphs of that novel!

He ran, darting and weaving across the crowded sidewalks as fast as he could without drawing too much attention to himself. Afraid of every shadow and person he passed, the man never stopped looking over his shoulder, no matter how many times he saw nothing there.
He zigzagged and recrossed his path at every opportunity while avoiding all forms of public and private transportation, keeping his head turned toward the buildings at intersections so his face wouldn’t be noticeable on any close circuit traffic cameras.
Jesse Frost felt like a hunted animal being relentlessly pursued through the concrete jungle of New York City.

That should whet your appetite and give you some idea of what I am planning with this suspense thriller-adventure.

In any event, it's time to say goodbye for now.
So take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
22 December, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 14, 2019

♫Deck Us All With Boston Charlie...♫—Walt Kelly.

Even if I had a lot more done than I already do, which at the moment is absolutely nothing, Christmas

IS coming! 🎄
As we get closer to December 25, I have no idea how much, if any, writing will be accomplished between now and then outside of my online commitments to this blog and
The Free Choice E-zine.

But as of today, I am on Chapter 14 and 34,000+ words into SOLITAIRE, the novel.
Definitely looking at it being a 2020 submission.
And for those wondering, no, I unfortunately still do not have a release date on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE yet. 😕

In any event, got to get going now.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
15 December, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 7, 2019

This past week was more research than anything else.

Daytime view of Tokyo, Japan.

After all, if you're going to set part of your story someplace you've never been, you still want to be as accurate as possible even if what you're creating is basically a work of fiction.
SOLITAIRE is still in Tokyo, Japan and Chapter 13.
I HAVE passed the 31,000+ word mark though.
Hopefully will at least finish the current chapter this week, especially since the writers' group is scheduled to meet again soon.
How long the Tokyo section, let alone the overall novel will go though...
With the holidays🎄 approaching, will have to take it all one day at a time but any writing time I do get outside of honoring my blogging commitments will be spent on this novel.

In any event, have a great week, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
8 December, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2019

Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and aren't being haunted too much by the poultry-giests of leftovers! 😉

In any event, what writing time I did have this past week went either to my responsibilities as Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine or the SOLITAIRE novel.

NYC at night

I'm on Chapter 13 and just past the 30,000+ words point at the moment.
The first 12 were all spent in New York City, and the writing group I belong to loved each one when I read them, but the adventure has now gone International as the scene shifts to Tokyo, Japan!
Of course I've never set foot in NYC, or left the Continental United States to see the exotic sights of foreign shores, so there is a lot of research involved.

Tokyo at night

Wish I could afford to go to such exotic places, but the Internet's Travel Service is the best I can accomplish on my limited resources.
Hmmm... I wonder if I can get Frequent Web Surfing🏄 Miles, or whatever the computer equivalent of Frequent Flyer Miles is.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Have a great week, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
1 December, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 23, 2019

OKAY...
Short version—
Been busy with some personal stuff over the last day or so, which kept me from posting until now, but I'm still working on SOLITAIRE.
On Chapter 13 and the adventure has gone INTERNATIONAL!
Not sure how much writing I'll get done this week with the impending holiday but

And I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
25 November, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 16, 2019

♫Second verse. Same as the first.♫—Henry the 8th by Herman's Hermits.

Or in other words, still working on the SOLITAIRE novel.

Am currently on Chapter Twelve, 28,000+ words into the project.

The first half of the novel takes place in New York City.

The second half???

We'll see...

"And now for something completely different."—Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Every other Thursday night (or thereabouts, because I don't know yet how or if we'll be doing the next one since it should be the week of Thanksgiving) I gather online with a few friends.

We hang out, discuss writing, and read what we've worked on since our last meeting.

Writing a lot of times can be a singular, solitary occupation so it's great to have a chance to discuss doing so with others who actually know what I'm talking about.
Their enthusiasm, encouragement, and advice helps too.

So here's to Jaime Ramos, Teel James Glenn, Wayne Carey, and Nancy Hansen.

I'm honored to be your friend.

Better get back to writing now.

Take care, and I'll see you all around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

17 November, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 9, 2019

WELL...
Despite my lack of time last week, when I got the chance to do so, I DID WRITE!
Am currently on Chapter 11 and 26,000+ words into the SOLITAIRE novel.
Wish I had more to talk about concerning the above, but why spoil surprises before they're ready to be revealed?

For those interested, I have yet to hear anything from Pro Se concerning a scheduled release date for either HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE nor the project I wrote that emergency short story for.

The Jim Beard Project "Zephyr Lily" was written for has been pushed back to at least 2020.

And Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventure of the Unimaginable"?
I DID work on it a little this past week, but SOLITAIRE still seems to be "THE" project of the moment, so...

Hey, between everything else and my responsibilities to The Free Choice E-zine, at least I AM WRITING!
So on that note♫, I better get back to it now.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
10 November, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 2, 2019

Well folks, it's been a bit of a rough week for yours truly, as evident by the fact of exactly WHEN I'm actually posting this Progress Report, but I have managed to get some writing done off and on since my last Progress Report.
The main focus continues to be my new novel SOLITAIRE.
Am in the middle of Chapter 11, 26,000+ words and going strong.
Unfortunately the week ahead doesn't look that promising.
Two different doctors' appointments scheduled, and still not a TARDIS in sight! 😉
PLUS there's a possibility of the first snow🌨 fall of the "season" (AND IT'S ONLY EARLY FALL!🍂) happening this coming Friday.
Thankfully nothing scheduled that day but staying inside and keeping warm.
Don't get me wrong though.
Snow❄❅❆ IS beautiful to look at as it drifts down a few flakes at a time here and there.
But anything more severe, let alone having to deal with it afterward... 😝

In any event, back to writing after a good night's sleep.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
4 November, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 26, 2019

A LOT of good writing this past week.
Granted, all of it was concentrated upon the SOLITAIRE novel in progress, but anyway...
May have to pause that project soon, but just to go over the second half's plot before I get too far into it and realize I missed the proverbial "left turn at Albuquerque."😉
That would result in having to backtrack to the point wherever things started going wrong and begin rewriting from there.
Main problem at the moment is I'm having trouble visualizing a key fight scene and transferring it accurately from my mind to the computer screen.
I have figured out that I'm stalled on my SHERLOCK HOLMES story, "The Adventure of the Unimaginable" for a similar reason.
At the moment it's the bridging sequence between the second and third "acts".
With everything needing to come to a satisfactory conclusion by the end of the story, I want to make the transition between sequences read more smoothly than just inserting a scene break.

Thankfully neither project has an actual deadline, so I can take as long as I need to make sure both tales are the best I can humanly make them. Yet SOLITAIRE has been "hot" right now, so that's why I've been concentrating on it so much lately.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
27 October, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 19, 2019

Making the final pass on the emergency short story that I was working on last week since my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader went over it.
Sorry that I still can't say anything more about it at this time.
It was a tight deadline to begin with, but the tale is an enjoyable 3600+ words that I'm sure you'll like.
More details when we're closer to an actual publication date and I can say more.

As of tomorrow, I will be back on SOLITAIRE and/or my Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Unimaginable".
So until then, take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
20 October, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 12, 2019

To start off with, for those who have asked, Jaime Ramos is steady at the moment.
No word on a donor kidney yet, but here's hoping.

I'm still writing, duh.
For whatever reason, I'm finding it easier right now to work on the SOLITAIRE novel than my Sherlock Holmes short story, but both projects are now on hold for the moment as I honor a newly arisen short story request.

Afraid I can't say more about it than the nine words at the end of my last sentence except that it has a VERY tight deadline that I have to honor, so I better get back to writing now.

Take care.
I will return to the previous projects in progress as soon as this new one is done.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
13 October, 2019

CAN YOU HELP JAIME RAMOS?

Okay, I'm trying to help my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader Nancy Hansen help out our mutual (writing) friend Jaime Ramos.
If you personally cannot assist, can you please at least spread the word in hopes of finding someone out there who can?
THANK YOU!

Our friend and fellow writer/editor Jaime Ramos has end stage kidney disease. He posted the following today:

Jaime, with his son and wife.

I had a check up with my kidney team...
My numbers aren't good. Got many shots and an infusion of iron. 
Hemoglobin is down... so is protein.
I got a flu vaccination.
End Stage Renal Disease... no fun.
Still looking for a kidney donor.

While prayers and well wishes are important and appreciated, what Jaime really needs is a donor kidney!
PLEASE, if you can do something along those lines, all kidney patients in similar circumstances would appreciate it. At the very least, please share this post—I have Jaime's permission to do so. Let's blanket the world with the news and see if we can locate a donor.

Here is where you can find out more about the donor that Jaime needs.

The people you need to speak with concerning donating a kidney are...

Barnes Jewish Transplant Center
866-886-3003

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 5, 2019

A muse

A muse too

Been getting a LOT of writing done this past week, when time and other life commitments allowed.
Managed a little on the SHERLOCK HOLMES' "The Adventure of the Unimaginable" story, but for whatever reason(s) I am super hot on the SOLITAIRE novel (formerly known as The New Idea in previous posts). About to break 23,000 words on that!
Hey, whatever works.
I'm certainly not going to argue with my muse(s).

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

Lee Houston, Junior
6 October, 2019

OOPS!

Truthfully folks, I have absolutely no idea what happened.
Knowing that I'd be away from my desk and computer September 29, I wrote and set Blogger's Schedule Timer to post both my weekly progress report here and this week's Sunday Funnies on The Free Choice E-zine.
Unfortunately, only one was published.

In any event, I'm still writing, but we'll talk about that in greater detail during my next weekly progress report this coming Sunday, October 6, 2019.

Until then, take care, and

I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

2 October, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 2019

Have you ever really stopped and wondered about colds?
I mean, how come despite how well you're feeling and apparently over one, the dang thing still seems to hang on and haunt you for days long past the point where you should be over it by now?
Even today, I feel MUCH better than I did at this point last week when all of a sudden I either start coughing or have to blow my nose for no known reason other than whatever might remain of the cold germ(s) in my body are going "😜!"

In any event, what writing time I had this past week went to The New Idea, which I am currently calling SOLITAIRE.
Considering I'm at a little over 20,000+ words into this novel, I think that's pretty good under the circumstances.
Yes, I know at some point I should finish my Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Unimaginable", but considering none of my current projects have any actual deadlines, I'm just going where the Muse Whim takes me.

Speaking of which...
I previously posted the image on the left as a possible representation of my Writing Muse, but recently found the one on the right. The new one does look better in a slightly smaller size but hey, there's no creative rule that I'm aware of that says you can't have more than one Muse.

A Muse

Another Muse

In any event, I'm going back to writing now.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
22 September, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

It's Deja Vu. AGAIN!

I initially thought I was being a bit sarcastic when I subtitled last week's Progress Report ♫If it

weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all,♫ which is also a line from an old Hee Haw routine.

However life seemed to have other ideas, for I not only had to deal with everything I was originally aware of that might interfere with chances to write, but by Wednesday I also wound up with a nasty head cold too!

Of course, I did not set out to get a head cold.

No one in their right mind does that, and I am certainly sane.

But regardless of what I wanted, I got one anyway. 😡

The sinus pressure alone kept me from wearing my reading glasses most of the time, which also kept me from seeing computer screens, the newspaper, etc.

So... no writing. 😢

I am thankfully feeling better now.

Hopefully by tomorrow I can sit at the computer long enough to seriously get back to writing.

It was all I could do yesterday to attempt taking care of The Free Choice E-zine as its Editor-In-Chief.

In any event, take care and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

15 September, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

♫If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all...♫

On one hand, I had a great writing week!

The Muse???

Was hoping to work on my Sherlock Holmes story more than I actually did, but my Muse came a'calling and I wound up spending most of my writing time on The New Idea.
Not that I have anything against that but as a minor novella (still thinking it will come in under 25,000 words), Holmes is closer to being completed than the novel The New Idea is turning into. So I was hoping to be close to, if not actually finished with, the first draft of "The Adventure of the Unimaginable" by the time I posted this.
One thing I have learned the hard way over the years is that you do NOT argue with your muse when she comes to visit.
You argue with her and you wind up with a bad dry spell when nothing gets accomplished writing wise.

Anyway...
This week I was hoping to get back to Holmes, but the way my agenda looks at the moment between appointments and other matters, any writing time I do get before posting my next Progress Report will be on The New Idea because
it's a lot easier to work on something set in the present than a period piece.
Especially such a well established one as Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian Era.

Oh well.
And for those wondering about the Muse image accompanying this post.
When I started searching for a potential Muse image, I found it on Google in the Clip Art Options among all the generic Greek Muse pictures and thought she was cute.
No idea who the artist(s?) is, but since it was listed as Clip Art, I'm assuming it's free to post.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
8 September, 2019