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 AUGUST 17, 2024

 The writing is going well on SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA. 😀

That major action scene I'm still working on has extended into Chapter 30 and I'm on the verge of breaking the 53,000+ word mark, although there is still more in the overall novel to create before I can happily write "The End".

Of course family commitments, housework and other responsibilities play a part of my every day life, but I'm glad for the time I am able to sit down and just work on my creative endeavors.

We are drawing ever closer to the launch date for CODE NAME INTREPID: CLASSIFIED VOLUME 3; featuring the stories of John L. French, Brian K. Lowe, Brian K. Morris, James Palmer, series creator Robert J. Mendenhall and my own "Operation Colossus".

Cover: Jeffery Hayes/PlasmaFire Graphics

Even if I didn't have a story involved I would still recommend the collection, for the idea of a group fighting any threat "outside the realm of normal circumstances" while trying to prevent Adolf Hitler from gathering every possible item—regardless of its origin—that could help Germany win the upcoming Second World War is an interesting premise to begin with.

PLUS: Each author has a preview of either an existing or forthcoming project at the end of the anthology, which includes a sneak peak of S2: THE AGENDA in my case!

So with that said, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

18 August, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING AUGUST 3, 2024

 IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK WRITING WISE, SO LET'S GET GOING.

First off, Chapter 29 to SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA is turning out to be a major action chapter!

Have broken the 52,000+ word count on the overall manuscript and am not finished with this section so I can go on to Chapter 30 yet!

I did have to stop and do some research on tightrope walking and blackjacks in regards to Chapter 29.

What does one have to do with the other? 😐

You'll just have to wait until the novel is published to find out.

Secondly, I did have to pause SOLITAIRE work for a day because Robert J. Mendenhall sent out to all his contributors the galley draft for CODE NAME INTREPID: CLASSIFIED VOLUME 3, so I needed to go over what will be the final, published version of my story "Operation Colossus" to make sure everything was all right before the book is officially released sometime before the end of August.

And dig this great cover by Jeffrey Hayes of Plasma Fire Graphics!

That's U.S. Army Air Corps Lieutenant Richard "Rick" Justice squaring off against...

well, truthfully I'm not sure what he's facing at the moment because I haven't had a chance to read the other five adventures in the anthology yet but I'm sure that between John L. French, Brian K. Lowe, Brian K. Morris, James Palmer, Mendenhall and myself there won't be a dull moment anywhere in the book.

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

4 August, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 6, 2024

 I have finished Chapter 28 of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA and am currently on Chapter 29 as the
overall manuscript approaches the 51,000+ word mark.

As usual life has had its own demands along the way, so not every moment of my day is at the keyboard writing, but I do make those that are count.

In any event, I am proud of the work I've done so far on this manuscript between the latter months of 2023 and what I've accomplished in 2024 so far.

The computer crash, the death of beloved pet Ariel the Wonder Dog and the passing of my father have taken their toll over the first half of this year.

I hope everyone understands that I just didn't really feel like talking about my personal losses, especially the latter considering I wasn't able to fly back to Texas for his funeral. 😢

Yet somehow I've persevered, even to the point of managing to write "Operation: Colossus" for the third volume of Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology, which is now scheduled for a pre-Labor Day release next month.

SPEAKING OF WHICH...

Robert had the space available in Volume 3, which he is allowing contributors a chance to share brief excerpts of their work with Intrepid readers, so there WILL be a Sneak Peak of S2: THE AGENDA in that volume!😀😁😎

So I better get back to writing now to ensure that S2 really is "a forth coming release from Airship 27".

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

7 July, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 8, 2024

 With all work completed on "Operation Colossus" for the third volume of Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED ANTHOLOGY, my rereading of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA is proceeding apace.

I've added about 35 words to the overall manuscript since page 1 and am in the middle of Chapter 10 (of 29, to date) as I post this.

Once I get through Chapter 28, I can pick up where I left off before the infamous computer crash of Boxing Day 2023 and finish writing Chapter 29, let alone the rest of the novel, before I go on to my next project.

"But what will that be?" I had a fan recently ask me.

There are three possibilities.

1. There is MY SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL that I finished writing last year and still have yet to find a publisher for.

Once SOLITAIRE 2 is finished, I could reread that to make sure everything is as good as it can humanly be before trying it on the Submission Trail again.

2. There is the story I wrote for what would have been the sequel to Jim Beard's Super Swingin' Hero 1968 Special that was set in the 1970s. It needs to be rewritten before it can make its initial trip on the Submission Trail because the 1970s book was going to be a homage to the Marvel Comics magazines of that time, so there are a couple of Interlude scenes as well as some footnotes referencing what would have been the other tales in that volume that need to be removed so the story and featured character that I created can stand on their own.

3. The most obvious, of course, would be getting started on what will eventually become SOLITAIRE 3, subtitle to be determined as the novel progresses.

I would like to do at least #1 before moving on to #3, but in any event I should finish SOLITAIRE 2 first.

So with that in mind I'm going to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY  SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

9 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 1, 2024

 THIS AND THAT.

While not the official galley, for that won't be sent until closer to publication, I have gone back over my "Operation Colossus" story and made a few tweaks and corrections at Robert J. Mendenhall's request.

For those interested, the new word count is now at 9,579; so I remain well above the 7,500 minimum and below the 10,000 maximum.

The adventure is still on track for inclusion in the third volume of his ongoing CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series, which will be available sometime after Labor Day 2024.

Other than the brief INTREPID pause, I have started going back over SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA in preparation for picking up where I left off to finish writing the second novel in the Mysterious Samaritan's ongoing series from Airship 27.

I'm only in the middle of Chapter 2 at the moment and the word count has just changed by 3 words, but I'm not worried about its total length at the present time.

I just want SOLITAIRE'S latest adventure, like all my writing efforts, to be the best I can create.

In any event, I better get back to it.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

2 June, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MAY 25, 2024

 While I celebrated completing my short story "Operation Colossus" for Robert J. Mendenhalll's upcoming third volume in his ongoing CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology last week, I still had to give it a final review before submitting the adventure for publication.

After a little tweaking and sweating over everything from the first word to the last punctuation mark, the submission came in at 9,688 words.

At some point there will be a galley review before the book is released this fall, but there is no point in resting on my laurels, or my hardys.😉

(Private joke for fans of Stan and Oliver.)

So what's next?

It's back to SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA!

Unfortunately, between the time involved creating "Operation Colossus" and the computer crash that tried to keep me from writing for almost 2 months before that, I'm going to have to go back and reread the entire manuscript from the beginning before I can pick up where I left off.

Especially considering that I do not have a complete version of Chapter 29 saved anywhere, which is what I was in the middle of when my previous computer crashed to begin with.

But like The Beatles sing... ♫Ob-la-di, ob-la-da. Life goes on.♫

So on that note♫, take care.

Have a great week.

I'll see you around the Internet.

And for those celebrating... HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

(There is no visible white "ink" for the middle word.)

Lee Houston, Junior

26 May, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MAY 18, 2024

😀 I FINISHED!😁

I have completed "Operation Colossus", my short story adventure for the upcoming third volume in Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series.

I still need to do one more, overall rereading edit of the tale from start to finish to make sure there are no formatting errors or other mistakes as well as ensure that it is as great a story as possible.

Therefore I cannot post a final word count yet.

But I can say that I did break 9,000, but am in no danger of coming near the 10,000 word maximum limit.

So what do I do for an "encore"?

I'll let you know next week.😉

Until then, take care.

STAY SAFE!

I'll see you around the Internet, and who do I notify that Blogger's Text coloring functions aren't working right now?

Lee Houston, Junior

19 May, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MAY 11, 2024

 While "Operation Colossus" isn't totally finished yet, my short story for the upcoming third volume in Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series has broken the 8,000+ word mark!

I'm in the middle of the climax/final battle now.

Will be totally surprised if the adventure breaks 9,000 words but the story will satisfactorily conclude well under the 10,000 word maximum limit.

It's taken me a long time to get to this point, especially considering some of the stuff that I've had to deal with on the personal side of life since I first agreed to undertake this assignment.

Yet this author is extremely happy with the results and hope you will be too upon reading it when the anthology comes out this fall.

And for those celebrating today...

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

12 May, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 27, 2024

 It's hard to believe as I write these words that April is almost over, let alone that we're just about through the
first quarter of 2024!

Where has the time gone?⌛

Granted, I lost all of January and most of February not having a working computer, but I muddled through the best I could with traditional pen and paper, which is how I've managed to be as far as I currently am on "Operation Colossus", my contribution to the forthcoming third volume in Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CLASSIFIED anthology series.

The 7,000 word mark is in sight as I rush toward the story's climatic battle between Team Intrepid and The Sonderstaffel, a special division of the World War 2 era German military dedicated to scouring the globe to secure by any means necessary all possible weapons and devices of any nature to help Adolph Hitler realize his dream of a Third Reich that conquers and rules the world.

Considering that this is 2024, you kind of already know who won.

Yet how they achieved that victory is something you will just have to wait and find out when Volume 3 is released later this year.

Until then, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

28 April, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 13, 2024

 Well, thankfully the 13th of this month wasn't on a Friday😉 and there still doesn't seem to be enough time in any given day to do everything I want to do, let alone all the stuff I have to do, but the writing IS going well! 😁

I've broken the 6,000 word mark on the "OPERATION COLOSSUS" story, my contribution to the upcoming third volume in Robert J. Mendenhall's CODE NAME INTREPID CONFIDENTIAL anthology series.

I figure at this point it puts me about two-thirds of the way through the adventure as I head toward the climatic conclusion.

Of course part of that will be a final showdown, but I'm certainly not going to say against who at the moment, because that could spoil part of the suspense or the adventure for those who plan to read this story and the other exploits of Team Intrepid that will be within the collection.

So with that in mind I'm going back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

14 April, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 6, 2024

 Can you believe that it's not only already April, but that we have a Solar Eclipse Monday, April 8?

Anyway, work proceeds apace on "Operation Colossus", my contribution to Robert J. Mendenhall's
upcoming third volume in his ongoing CODE NAME INTREPID CONFIDENTIAL anthology series.

Unfortunately I had a doctor's appointment and a few other things to deal with this past week, so I didn't get as much writing done as I hoped to, but another week is upon us and I still have plenty of time left before the June 1 deadline on this project.

Not that I've wasted or dilly dallied any of it away, but you know the old adage: Life is what happens while you're busy making  other plans.

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

Take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

7 April, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MARCH 30, 2024

 Work is proceeding well on "Operation Colossus", my short story submission for Robert J. Mendenhall's third volume in his CODE NAME INTREPID CONFIDENTIAL anthology series.

I've broken the 5,000 word mark.

The submission has to be at least 7,500 words minimum but not over 10,000 maximum.

While I can't predict an exact finish at the moment, my tale will conclude somewhere within the two extremes.

In the meantime, for those celebrating today...

Take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

Enjoy the day with family and friends, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

31 March, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MARCH 23, 2024

 Even though I'm still dealing with {REDACTED} on the personal front, work is proceeding apace on "Operation Colossus", my contribution to Robert J. Mendenhall's next CODE NAME INTREPID CONFIDENTIAL anthology.

Volume 2 is due out at any moment, if it hasn't already been released and my tale will be in Volume 3, scheduled for release later this year.

As previously mentioned, the series is like Kolchak: The Night Stalker meets The X-Files in a pre-World War 2 setting where an elite multi-branch military group encounters the "weird and unexplained" while trying to stop a dedicated unit of Axis soldiers from gathering anything they can to help the Third Reich rule the world.

At this point the team knows basically what they are up against in the adventure, just not all the whys and wherefores yet, let alone how to neutralize the threat.

Now then, I've previously discussed how some think that writing is an easy task compared to other jobs. While it's not as physically demanding as some occupations, it is a long term mental exercise between developing plots, doing the research to have background material and details accurate—especially in any story not set in the present—coming up with the right words to tell your story in a clear and precise, let alone entertaining manner.

Yet some also think the life of a writer is all fame, fortune, and glamour.

WRONG!

We have our ups and downs, along with other problems just like every other human being in this world.

I do all my own laundry, cooking, cleaning and errands, along with all the rest of the housework and chores —let alone surprises and outright emergencies—that arise on a daily basis.

Because of my heart condition and age, having recently turned 62, I am now up to 11 pills in the morning and 3 before bedtime.

Yet despite all the hassles at times, I am VERY Happy and fortunate to still be alive and kicking.

Life may be what happens while you're busy making other plans, but it sure beats the alternative.

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 March, 2024