PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 3, 2022

 WELL...

My Editor's Hat

I'm still on Chapter 10 of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA. I did make it past the 16,000+ word point before I stopped everything thinking it would be better to do some Editing in case My Friendly Neighborhood Beta Proofreader needed any help while she recovers from hip surgery.

HOWEVER...

While she knows all the details far better than I do, the short version is that some complication(s?) was/were encountered, which forced Nancy Hansen to postpone the operation until sometime next year at the earliest.

BUT—

I still have to honor the editing commitments I made thinking that would be all I might have a chance to do right now before I can get back to writing.

So back to the computer!

Hope your Labor Day weekend is going well.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

4 September, 2022

SINBAD AND THE MINOTAUR by Nancy Hansen

My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader Nancy Hansen has a new novel out from Airship 27!

Photo by Wayne Carey.

SINBAD AND THE MINOTAUR, the seventh volume in THE NEW VOYAGES series, finds the intrepid sailor and his crew somehow in Minoan Crete circa The Bronze Age.

There they encounter the legendary King Minos and his people.

But does that mean the stories of the Minotaur are true too?

The treasures within the labyrinth below the castle certainly are real!

Will Sinbad and Company risk everything for possible wealth?

They certainly will try to help those in need.

A full length novel with interior illustrations by Gary Kato and a Ted Hammond cover, Nancy Hansen weaves an interesting tale of both fact and myth that might become Sinbad's last adventure if he isn't careful.

Now available from Amazon in both PRINT and KINDLE editions.

KIRI'S QUEST NOW AVAILABLE

Okay, same old same old on the Writing Front right now concerning the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT I'm working on, so thought I'd talk about something else today instead.

A DETERMINED DRAGON ON A DANGEROUS QUEST

‘COMPANION DRAGONS TALES VOLUME SIX: KIRI’S QUEST’ DEBUTS!

A very powerful magical tool has been stolen. In the wrong hands, it could be used to conquer the Otherworld realms so it must be recovered at all cost. Only one special companion dragon has the experience and skills to take on this covert quest to bring it back.

Young Pulp! and Pro Se Productions proudly announce the release of COMPANION DRAGONS TALES VOLUME SIX: KIRI’S QUEST by Nancy A. Hansen and Lee Houston, Junior, now available in print and digital formats.

Under the cover of darkness, ruby scaled Kiri travels to Castle Umbra, the monster guarded and foreboding stronghold of Grewsum–a wicked wizard, wretched writer, and shoddy speller now turned thief. Kiri is determined to retrieve what was stolen before it can be used for evil purposes—providing she survives that long!

The journey to Grewsum’s fortress is fraught with dangerous perils and Kiri has nothing but her wits and unique dragon abilities to aid her. One misstep could not only end her quest, but alert Grewsum to the fact that his opponents on the side of keeping the Otherworlds free have invaded his private island. That would amount to a declaration of war.

Yet even if Kiri safely makes it all the way to where the magical item is hidden, she might still have to face Grewsum himself. How can one small dragon outwit such a power hungry fiend?

Book Six in one of the most imaginative young reader for all ages series ever-COMPANION DRAGONS TALES-KIRI’S QUEST by Nancy A. Hansen and Lee Houston, Junior. From Young Pulp! and Pro Se Productions.

Featuring an exciting cover by Larry Nadolsky and cover design and print formatting by Antonino lo Iacono and Marcia Marina, COMPANION DRAGONS TALES VOLUME SIX: KIRI’S QUEST is available in print and e-book formats at Amazon.com.

Also available to Kindle Unlimited members for free.

Truthfully I had a lot of fun writing this adventure, with Nancy mostly serving as My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader and Companion Dragon Universe Continuity Coordinator.

Someday I will definitely have to post a list of all the Easter Eggs I put into the story.

The only thing it lacks is the kitchen sink, and that's only because I couldn't figure out how to squeeze it in!

I can guarantee you that you'll never think of what composes a BLT the same way ever again.😉

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

10 October, 2021

"THE SILVER PENTACLE" BY NANCY HANSEN HAS BEEN RELEASED!

Okay. Spent more time this past week reediting the SOLITAIRE manuscript than working on the SCI-FI NOVEL, but it's all a part of writing.

So is celebrating when one of your writing friends has a new release, like My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader does.

THE SILVER PENTACLE was just released from Airship 27.

Cover Art by Guy Davis

Earth has long been abandoned with the majority of mankind traveling to the stars. Unfortunately old hatreds continue to fester among those who remain until a global nuclear war lays waste to everything. Hundreds of years later a demigod named Jordyn Orion descends on what remains to discover new human enclaves have sprung up among which are men and women possessing strange, supernatural abilities.

One of these is the young fire-starter Aleta Kalama and together they battle the Angel of Death in the ruins of a once great Metropolis. Later they join forces with a lovely Wind Shaper to take on a merciless sea pirate known as Crazy Katy.

“The old phrase about throwing everything into the mix including the kitchen sink was the reaction I had when reading this book,” reports Airship 27’s Managing Editor Ron Fortier. “Nancy Hansen is a treasure to the New Pulp community and her work is always fresh, exciting and above all else original. THE SILVER PENTACLE is nothing like her previous works and we are very excited to be bringing it to her legions of readers.”

Master Storyteller Nancy Hansen launches her most imaginative series yet in THE SILVER PENTACLE. These are fantastic tales from a time and place lost to the future.

Colorado based artist Guy Davis provides both the interior illustrations and the painted cover, while book design was handled by Airship 27's Art Director Rob Davis.

While the last four paragraphs are from the publisher's press release, Ron Fortier's comment about "throwing everything into the mix including the kitchen sink" is a serious understatement.

There's Mecha, Monsters, Multiple Menaces, Much More, and that's just scratching the surface to the first half of this novel.

I know Nancy has THE SILVER PENTACLE planned out as an ongoing series and is waiting for the second, let alone third books to be green lighted.

Hope you enjoy the novel, available now from Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

It's nice to be interrupted by some good news for a change, but hopefully my regular weekly PROGRESS REPORTS will resume next week.

Until then take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet!

Lee Houston, Junior

16 May, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MAY 8, 2021

 A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER THIS WEEK, SO LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT!

I received a nice acknowledgement e-mail from the publisher I recently sent a writing contest entry to that they got my short story.

Still a long way off at this point from the submission deadline expiring, let alone a winner being announced, but considering past contests for other publishers I've competed in never paid entrants this courtesy...

If you're wondering why I still enter such contests to begin with, as a writer I'm always looking for new venues and creative opportunities so if I win, or at least "WOW" the judges enough for them to wonder what else I might have; it will be interesting to see what develops.

Still working on my SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL.

On Chapter 24 (not counting the Prologue) and have passed the 43,000 word mark.

Considering I'm hoping this will be the first book in an ongoing series, I won't have every plot point resolved by the last page, but the story certainly won't end with those dreaded words TO BE CONTINUED.

Got the SOLITAIRE manuscript back from My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader, who once again found some more "bugs" in the Tokyo section of the adventure.

Man, I'm having more problems with that area than Japan does with Kaiju!😉 But this is why writers have beta-proofreaders, to catch such problems so they can be resolved long before the manuscript is submitted to and possibly rejected by a publisher because the errors weren't caught and corrected before sending it in.

When I finish making the corrections, Nancy will pick up where she left off and hopefully will have smooth sailing/reading from there.

Had a long story conference with Nancy Hansen this past week concerning the Mark Halegua Memorial Project.

As members of Team Blue, we have been working on finishing what would have been Mark's debut novel had he not been taken from the world prematurely last year. 😢

Mark was a friendly guy and very knowledgeable in regards to pulps past and present, which shows in the project he was working on.

It's set during the "Great" (quotation marks are mine because I've never been able to figure out what was so great about it) Depression and one man trying to make an honest living when...

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

So take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

I'll see you around the Internet and—>

Lee Houston, Junior

9 May, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 3, 2021

The Easter Bunny

Okay, just a quick shout out to all my peeps readers and fans that I hope you and yours are having a safe😷 and otherwise fun Easter weekend.

Have gotten back to where I left off on the SCI-FI PROJECT and while I am taking today off for obvious reasons, will resume work tomorrow (April 5) to finish that novel.

Consulted a few times with My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader Nancy Hansen, who's also a member of Team Blue, as we strive to get that memorial project for Mark Halegua together.

All of this, PLUS I've been informed of an open submission call coming up for a major publisher that I plan to submit a short story to.

So, other than taking care of the Sunday Funnies on The Free Choice E-zine today, I'm going to be one busy writer the rest of this week.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

HOPPY EASTER!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

4 April, 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 MAY 2, 2020

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE UNIMAGINABLE is in the hands of my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader Nancy Hansen for review.
Once she's done and I go over her amending/editing, that second/final(?) draft will be sent to Ron Fortier at Airship 27 for publication consideration.





Have started going back over the SOLITAIRE novel from page 1 to refresh my memory before picking up where I left off on that manuscript/project.
Currently in Chapter 4 when I paused to do this blog post and between a little judicious editorial tweaking here and there, have added about 50 additional words so far.
Definitely have made the overall book even more tighter and better than it was before.
As previously stated in past posts, one cannot just jot down the first words that come to mind and call it a finished story.
There is A LOT of time and effort that goes into any manuscript, regardless of whether we're discussing a short story or a full length novel.

With that in mind I better get back to writing now.
Take care, STAY SAFE!
And I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
3 May, 2020

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

JEZEBEL JOHNSTON #5: DANSEUSE IS OUT!

The official press release accompanies this post, but I'm excited to announce that the fifth book in my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader's lady pirate series is out as Airship 27 proudly releases Jezebel Johnston 5: Danseuse by Nancy Hansen.

With a cover by Ted Hammond, who won an award for the cover to Jezebel Johnston 4: Mourning Star, Jezebel finds herself working for a new crew and Captain with a plan to acquire riches, as Johnston goes undercover as a barmaid to spy upon other sailors to learn when treasure laden ships set sail.
Yet when an old enemy returns with designs of revenge, Jez soon finds herself wondering who, if anybody, she can trust other than herself.

Accompanied by interior illustrations by award winning artist Rob Davis, the book is currently available in print and Kindle version, while Nancy is already working on Johnston # SIX!

Art by Rob Davis

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

JEZEBEL JOHNSTON – Vol 5 – DANSEUSE

Airship 27 Productions is proud to announce the release the fifth book in the Jezebel Johnston – Pirate Queen saga by Nancy Hansen.

Having sailed to the East African coast with French captains Ancel Thibodeaux, Le Tigre of the Mourning Star and One Eyed Jacques Chagall of the Danseuse, Jezebel Johnston sets about her new career as a spy. Dropped off at trading port in Bombay, it is her task to learn which merchant ships are soon to sail for open waters. She will then pass this invaluable information to the pirate captains.

But there are unexpected surprises in store with the reappearance of buccaneer Denis Blanchett. Though a capable seaman, Blanchett has a cruel streak is obsessed with making Jezebel his private property. Meanwhile Chagall doesn’t trust Jez and she begins to worry that his own greed will scuttle their intricate schemes before they can bear fruit.

Writer Nancy Hansen’s pirate saga of Jezebel Johnston is unlike anything on the market today and offers up thrills and spills on every page. This is the pirate life with all its dangers and romance as authentically depicting by a master storyteller.

Airship 27 Productions award winning Art Director Rob Davis both designed the book and provided the nine black and white interior illustrations, while this year’s Pulp Factory Award winning artist for Best Pulp Cover, Ted Hammond returns for his second gorgeous cover featuring the beautiful and deadly Jezebel Johnston.

So sign aboard now and get ready set sail once more for Jezebel Johnston, the queen of high adventure.

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERTION!

Available now in paperback from Amazon and soon on Kindle!

(https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946183628?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860)

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 26, 2019

FINISHED my review of Nancy Hansen's next fantasy novel!
Good reading, and her fans should not only get excited over this book when it's eventually released, but be prepared for a shock when they come across that one surprise plot twist I talked to you about last week.

I AM working on my "Zephyr Lily" story for Jim Beard's upcoming 1970s anthology now.
Am at almost 6500 words (of 10,000 maximum) and the tale is reading like a prose adventure from some of the great comics that debuted in the decade of disco, Star Wars, and the bicentennial.

I may not be a prolific writer when it comes to overall output, but man, the quality of these assembled words has to be some of my best work yet!

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
27 January, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 19, 2019

At this point, I'm less than 30 pages away from finishing going over my friendly neighborhood beta-
proofreader's latest fantasy novel and I must say that it is not only one hell of a read, but that there was a plot twist about halfway through that I did NOT expect!

In the fairness of full disclosure, Nancy Hansen is my friend and we trade our various manuscripts back and forth between each other all the time for reviews and opinions, but still...

Once this is completed, finishing ZEPHYR LILY for Jim Beard will be the next stop on my Winter 2019 agenda as I try to stay warm, but I also have to go out on 3 different occasions this coming week, so how things actually turn out remains to be seen.

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

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 12, 2019

Still wearing my editor's hat as I go over my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader's latest fantasy novel manuscript while she reviews what will be HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE.

Won't spoil any of the details for you but, even though I'm only about halfway through it at the moment, this IS a tightly written book and a fast paced adventure.
I truly think Nancy Hansen's long time readers and any fantasy fan alike will enjoy this novel when it's eventually published.

But inbetween giving this manuscript back to Nancy and reviewing her thoughts on HUGH to finalize that novel for submission to the publisher, I WILL be fast-forwarding to the 1970s to finish "Zephyr Lily" for Jim Beard first.

So with that thought in mind, I better get back to work now.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
13 January, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 5, 2019

WOW!
Can you believe that this is the first Progress Report for 2019???

Editor's Hat

Anyway, I'm starting out the year wearing my Editor's Hat as I review my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader's latest fantasy novel while she reviews HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE.

Whenever I finish that, I have to complete the "Zephyr Lily" story for Jim Beard's 1970s super hero anthology project before I go back over Hugh myself.

When Hugh is completely finished I will send it on to the publisher and then (probably) begin work on whatever becomes the third novel in the PROJECT ALPHA superhero series.

All this while taking care of housework and other life necessities!

In any event, I better get back to it, so take care and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
6 January, 2019

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 29, 2018

Well, the last Progress Report of 2018. Where has the time gone?
Wish I had some actual progress to report, but except for The Free Choice E-zine, I haven't really done much writing this past week.

2019 will begin with me going over my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader's latest fantasy novel while she reviews HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE.
I know I'll also be getting through the rest of this winter finishing my "Zephyr Lily" story for Jim Beard, starting what will become PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 3 and who knows what else?

Not much of a party goer myself, but for those celebrating New Year's Eve, please party responsibly.
In any event, I'd like to leave you with a timeless but still very appropriate quote from John Lennon...

A very Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year.

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear.

See you in 2019 folks!
Lee Houston, Junior
30 December, 2018

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 17, 2018

First and foremost everybody:

Now then, my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader has decided that between the impending holiday and needing to finish going over what will be the fifth novel in her Jezebel Johnston series before submitting it to Airship 27, that the two of us will not be trading files until after the first of December at the earliest.

I will still be going over her latest fantasy novel while she reviews HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE, just not when I originally thought.

So what have I been doing?
WRITING.
Duh!

At the moment, I am backtracking to finish my Zephyr Lily story for Jim Beard's 1970s comics homage anthology, because that has been green lighted again! 😁

Then I will be racking up the frequent time traveling miles between a few other projects I want to get underway, including another Sherlock Holmes adventure.
So while all of this might be a whole lot easier if I had my own TARDIS😉, I certainly won't be idle, despite the fact that I will be taking Thursday off.

In any event, take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
18 November, 2018

All links were active at the time this Progress Report was posted.

FOR FANTASY FANS: THE DARK GLASS BY NANCY HANSEN

My friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader has reason to celebrate!

Nancy A. Hansen's latest fantasy/adventure novel has just been released by Pro Se Productions.

After the battle for the portal (in MASTER'S ENDGAME), Greenwood begins to prosper again. Between the Light World races of Elf, Dwarf, and Fairy there are tentative peace treaties and trade agreements. Yet Humans remain stubbornly determined in their isolationist mindset of antagonism and contempt for what they perceive as inferior beings.

In the midst of this new era, two infants of disparate backgrounds are growing up. Red haired Callie's half-Elven daughter Roshanna lives in the Woodsgate Inn with her barmaid mother, neither of them comprehending the little girl's vital importance to the frontier world around them. Yet downriver, another child has been born; a boy with a demonic sire and a prescient knowledge of his future potential for conquest and subjugation.

Callie herself is caught up in a web of intrigue when a young man comes back into her life at a time when she is already unhappy with her circumstances. That he wants to take her away from her humdrum existence is tempting, but something about his sudden reappearance hints at a more sinister agenda. He's offering her a very expensive gift—one that no one should ever possess—an enchanted looking glass worth a king's ransom. What part does this Dark Glass play in Callie's own future, let alone that of little Roshanna?

THE DARK GLASS by Nancy A. Hansen. From Pro Se Productions

With a cover  by Cathy Crow, THE DARK GLASS is available now at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1726465411/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536015590&sr=8-2&keywords=the+dark+glass+hansen and Pro Se’s own store at www.prose-press.com for 14.99.

This epic fantasy novel is also available as a Kindle E-book for only $2.99 at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2P198Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536015590&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dark+glass+hansen. This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited, which means Kindle Unlimited Members can read for free.

THE DARK GLASS is also available in hardback at http://www.lulu.com/content/hardcover-book/the-dark-glass/23201278 for only 25.99.

HAPPY READING!

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2018

Well, I've been all over the place this past week.

Most of the time I did work on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE.

But I spent one day in Victorian England kicking around ideas for a new Sherlock Holmes tale (or two), and had to put everything aside for a while Friday to create and review back cover copy for KIRI'S QUEST, the Companion Dragons novella I co-wrote with my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader Nancy Hansen, before the manuscript was submitted.

Hmm...
Between HUGH'S far flung future, Sherlock's vintage setting, and my writing desk being in the present, I wonder if I can get frequent flyer miles for all the time travelling I did??? 😕

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet, whatever century I'm in. 😉

Lee Houston, Junior
5 August, 2018

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 23, 2018

"IT'S DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN!"—Yogi Berra.

Basically what it comes down to is that I'm still working on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE; while my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader is still going over the Companion Dragon's adventure "Kiri's Quest".

Now, some of you may think this is taking a long time, whether we're discussing my writing or Nancy Hansen's editing, but the fact of the matter is that both of us are meticulous in our creative endeavors and try to produce the best work humanly possible.

Of course, stuff like errands, doctors' appointments, babysitting in Nancy's case, me being the Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine, and a whole slew of other matters can interrupt and take precedent over writing.

But when we are at our respective keyboards, we do work hard on these projects, so it's time for me to get back to work now, and if you honestly don't think writing is work, I will have to respectifully disagree with you.

Lee Houston, Junior
24 June, 2018

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 2, 2018

Basically, what it all boils down to is that my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader Nancy Hansen is still going over the second draft of my Companion Dragons novella "Kiri's Quest" while I continue working on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3: FEMME FATALE.

Once the above is totally completed, upcoming projects WILL include a couple of short stories I want to write, going back to that "new idea" I've kicked around and mentioned in previous Progress Reports over the last few months, and what will eventually become PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 3.

Life IS good, especially since I passed my cardiologist exam last week. 😁
My heart💓 and overall health are about as good as a man my age who has (luckily!💚🍀) survived both congestive heart failure AND an aortic aneurysm can be.
I still have my good days😊 and my bad ones😔, but as my Dad would say, at least I'm still above ground.

Well, I better get back to writing now.
See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
3 June, 2018