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

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 16, 2024

 

After another involuntary absence, I'm back again.

At least this time I didn't lose any files, but it took quite a while to get the computer back online and 100% working again.

Not sure what happened.

The technician ruled out user/human error AND mechanical problems, but would never commit to an official diagnosis of what was actually wrong.

All I can tell you is that everything was working fine October 18 when I preposted the October 19 Puzzle Corner on The Free Choice E-zine before shutting down for the night.

Yet the next morning all I saw on the monitor when I turned the computer back on was the BIOS screen and no matter what I did, the display never changed.

Eventually the Operating System had to be totally reinstalled from scratch and then it was a couple of days of endless system updates before I could reinstall my personal files (backup everything EVERY day folks!) and declare myself back online and operational again.

In the meantime, while it was all handwritten on legal pad(s), I did finish SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA and even started a new novel project, which I will discuss in more detail within the coming weeks.

Right now I've got to finish transcribing all those handwritten pages into a word processing document file and by then I can give SOLITAIRE 2 one last read through from start to finish before submitting it for publication.

In any event I better get back to "work" now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet, including my new texting home on BLUE SKY!

Lee Houston, Junior

17 November, 2024