PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 30, 2021

Can you believe the first month of the new year is almost over?

In any event, am on Chapter 10 (or 11, counting the Prologue) of the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT. A little under 20,000 words on this rip roaring adventure at the moment, but I'm having a great time writing it.

Writing is a productive way of escaping the stress and worries of the world for a while and you have something to show for the time afterward.

I've also managed to get more proofreading done on SOLITAIRE.

Back in the Japan section of that novel, so when I get to the point where My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader left off, I'll return it to her so she can finish going over it. Then when she's finished, I'll go over the rest of her notes and submit it for publication.

It may seem like a long and drawn out process to some, but it's a wiser course of action to always submit the best work you possibly can for publication than risk rejection over a manuscript that's far from finished.

In any event, I've got to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

31 January, 2021

JEZEBEL JOHNSTON: MASTIFF RELEASED!

Art by Adam Shaw

Just helping out a friend here.

Nancy Hansen, regularly referred to on this blog as My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader, has just had her first publication of 2021 and the latest volume in the JEZEBEL JOHNSTON Pirate series released.

While each novel is self contained, Book 7: MASTIFF picks up where #6: SISTERS OF VENGEANCE ended.

Stranded far from her Caribbean home, pirate Jezebel Johnston struggles to survive the alien waters of the Barbary Coast. Through a strange twist of fate she and two other freed slaves, Zuri and Amaka, come under the protection of the famous Maratha Indian Warlord Shivaji Bhonsle. The soon to be Maharajah has a strong disdain for foreign interference in his country, along with a unique respect for the faith of others and the intelligence of women.

Thus Jezebel and her sisters-in-arms feel a strong obligation to aid the famous warrior by volunteering to participate on one of his seagoing raids against the Mughal overlords. To do so, they will have to become spies, gather information on which ships are carrying what cargo and how best to take them.

It's a dangerous game, one Jezebel and her companions are aptly qualified for. Their bravery, mingled with their natural charms, set into motion a daring seagoing assault that will have serious repercussions throughout the Indian world.

With a painted cover by Adam Shaw and interior illustrations by Rob Davis, MASTIFF is another thrilling adventure you don't want to miss!

Available now in print or e-format via Amazon.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 23, 2021

Afraid it's broken record time again, for there is really nothing new to report.

Still working on the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT and still need to find the time between that and all the other responsibilities of life to finish reviewing what got checked of the SOLITAIRE manuscript so My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader can finish going over the rest of it herself.

It's not like I haven't wanted to finish that project.

Just that there are only so many hours⌛ in any given day and housework, errands, and the other life tasks facing everyone each day unfortunately are not going to do themselves.

Maybe after I finish the current SCI-FI chapter, I'll go back to SOLITAIRE and just "get it out of the way", so to speak.

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

24 January, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 16, 2021

Although I still have to get back to finishing my initial review of what My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader has checked of SOLITAIRE so far, I'm having a great time writing right now. Working on the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT takes my mind off the stress and worries created by current events.

Not that I'm unaware of what is going on within my own country, let alone the world.🌐

Besides wearing a mask😷 everywhere I go, I plan on getting vaccinated against COVID-19 when it's my turn, and I am seriously hoping that after Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in as the new President and Vice President (respectively) of the United States this coming Wednesday-January 20, that America will finally put its past troubles and issues behind it and finally start working to resolve the problems that need to be addressed as the first steps in hopes of making everything better again.

Yeah, I may have briefly gotten on my soap box again.

I also freely admit to being a dreamer, which is part of being a writer to begin with.

Granted, writing isn't the only occupation where dreaming might be a prerequisite, but it certainly doesn't hurt when you're coming up with wild adventures on other worlds.

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

17 January, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 9, 2021

For better or worse, there really isn't all that much to say on the writing front at the moment.

Still working on the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT and plugging away at reviewing SOLITAIRE as time permits.

But if I may get on my Soap Box for a moment...

The events of January 6, 2021 in Washington DC were both shocking and wrong!

While differences of opinion are part of what makes this country, let alone the world, there are far better ways to express one's viewpoint than employing violence.

Any participating suspect should not be surprised at their arrest and the impending legal actions against them.

Sorry to disappoint those expecting a more poignant or political "rant", but it is well past time for this nation to heal its social wounds, resolve all its problems, and move on.

The above is just my humble opinion.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

10 January, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 2, 2021

LET'S BE HOPEFUL!😎

Hello and welcome to the very first Progress Report of the new year.

Hopefully 2021 will be a good one.

After all, it doesn't need much to beat 2020!😉

Vaccines are on the horizon to combat COVID-19, although it will still be at least another year (or two?) before the world is back on its way to being "normal" again.

But as for the reason you're actually here...

Things are going good on the writing front as well! 😀

I'm about to start Chapter 7 of the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT (there are 6 and a Prologue so far, plus the novel will end with an Epilogue) and—when time permits—have even begun reviewing My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader's thoughts on the first half of the SOLITAIRE novel I completed before the holiday season last year.

While there are a couple of short stories from the past still pending, unfortunately the only tale of mine published last year was "THE ADVENTURE OF THE UNIMAGINABLE" in SHERLOCK HOLMES, CONSULTING DETECTIVE VOLUME 16 from Airship 27.

Alas I have no say over when/if something is actually published, but hopefully at least one of those AWOL short stories will see the light of day this year, if not the SOLITAIRE novel as well.

There is no denying how rough 2020 was on everyone, but it was not the fault of the year itself.

The days, weeks and months are just arbitrary statistics.

What really mattered is the actions and resulting consequences of the people who did or didn't try to address the issues before us.

The world didn't get to its current state overnight and even though it will take time to even start correcting all the problems, without a concentrated effort to resolve them, things will get a lot worse!

Let's hope that doesn't happen.

In any event, I've got to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

3 January, 2021