PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 31, 2026

 The first month of 2026 is over. Wish its winter was too!

It has been SERIOUSLY cold these last few weeks.

HOW COLD IS IT?

It has been so cold... you folks will have to make up your own jokes about it because I'm too busy trying to stay warm to do so myself. 😉

In any event, while I'm still on Chapter 11 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL
NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES, I have broken the 21,000+ word mark.

This has been one heck of a novel to write so far because, while I'm trying to set up the series for whoever winds up being the revived HUGH's new publisher once I'm done with this manuscript and start looking for them, I don't want to use anything that I already did in the existing books.

The previous HUGH MONN novels from the late, lamented Pro Se Press are part of my long term plans to restart the series.

I plan to take as many of the cases from the original short story collection and rework them into one novel to be called EARLY DAYS, which starts after PRIVATE BATTLES' last page when HUGH has earned his private detective license and sets up his own practice.

Whether or not there will be a totally new novel after that book remains to be seen, but there will be a new case for the private detective in the far flung future between the rereleases of CATCH A RISING STAR and FEMME FATALES, the other books Pro Se published in HUGH's previous print history.

Of course I will be going back over and revising those manuscripts before they're published again but afterward everything will be brand new from that point on.

Now then, two quick points of interest before I end this post.

The first being I would like to thank everyone for the 8,368 page views FILLING BLANK SPACES received this past month, which is the highest ever according to Google's Blogger logs.

The second should come as no surprise, but SOLITAIRE'S DEBUT NOVEL as well as SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA are both on sale at Amazon from Airship 27.

Now then, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!
And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

1 February, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 24, 2026

😀 GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK!😁

I'm well into Chapter 11 and the 19,000+ word mark on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL PRIVATE BATTLES.

Obviously I still have a long way to go to complete the first draft, let alone consider the manuscript ready to submit to whoever HUGH's new publisher will be, but at least there IS progress!

ALSO, I even got as good of a medical checkup as an almost 64 year old man can get from his cardiologist this past week.

While two bouts of pneumonia, congestive heart failure and an aortic aneurysm have taken their toll on my overall health, I'm still here AND my weight is even lower than my last visit.😀

While I have never been obese by any stretch of the imagination, I have been fighting the proverbial battle of the bulge since puberty, so it's wonderful to see a favorable scale reading.

AND FOR THOSE INTERESTED...

Please don't forget that the original SOLITAIRE novel and it's sequel SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA are both on sale at Amazon from Airship 27.

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

25 January, 2026

All links were active at the time of posting.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, 2026

 I'm on Chapter 10 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES and about to break the 18,000+ word mark.

For those who follow my PROGRESS REPORTS from one week to the next, I know that may not seem like a lot since last week's report, but from my perspective it is considering I also have to cook and clean as well as run errands and do a lot of other stuff in the course of an average day since my entire household "staff" consists of me, myself and I.

Speaking of which, I've got grocery shopping, laundry and an appointment with my cardiologist in the coming week around whatever writing I can get done.

See my point?

AND FOR THOSE WHO CAME IN LATE...

Besides SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, the original SOLITAIRE novel is also available from Airship 27 on Amazon in both print and e-book formats.

Ted Hammond covers and Chuck Bordell interior illustrations surround the opening adventures of the Secret Samaritan written and created by yours truly.

No matter what the quality of their prose, in the end the only true measure of a writer is the response of their readership, so I hope everyone enjoys my humble attempts to entertain you.

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

18 January, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 10, 2026

 This is the first Progress Report of 2026 and there HAS been progress!

I am on Chapter 9 and over 16,700+ words into the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

There is one pretty intense flashback sequence concerning how Hugh's medical condition happened.

For those who came in late, he can't stand cold temperatures (anything below 70 degrees Fahrenheit!) after being caught in a cryobomb blast during Universal War One.

I've also got other scenes planned along the way to reveal how he became the man he is in the far flung future where all his adventurous mysteries take place.

Readers and fans of the original series already know those answers and a whole lot more, but it's time for a restart and bring everyone back to the fold starting from Page 1.

The entire cast, including fan favorites Big Louie the Primoid, Attorney Mau Mynx and Sandra Bunnae, Hugh's girlfriend at the time when Pro Se Press folded WILL be reestablished and returning, but the first novel in the new series deals with Hugh trying to figure out his personal future while earning his private detective license.

However, I don't think I'll be going the Self-Publishing route after all because it's just too much work for one person.

If I was at least 30 years younger, maybe.

But I'll be 64 this coming March and don't always get as much writing time in any given day as I would like, so you can see how all the business end matters in regards to selling and promoting a book would tie up a lot of anyone's time.

Best to leave that to the professionals and just let me concentrate on the writing.

Ted Hammond cover

Who HUGH MONN's new publisher will be is something I will have to figure out after I complete the manuscript to PRIVATE BATTLES.

Yet before I return to writing, A FRIENDLY REMINDER that SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA is available from Airship 27 on Amazon in both print and e-book formats.

A Ted Hammond cover and Chuck Bordell interior illustrations accompany the second adventure of the Secret Samaritan written by yours truly.

So on that note♫, take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

11 January, 2026

2025/2026

 For those expecting the weekly PROGRESS REPORT today, afraid there wasn't much progress to report.

Cover art by Ted Hammond

Been way too busy with household chores, errands and other personal responsibilities—including taking down all the Christmas decorations—and wound up with less than 100 words on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

Hopefully this coming week will be better, but we'll see how it goes.

Despite my best efforts, 2025 only saw one book release, but it's a real winner.

SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA is out from Airship 27 and available from Amazon in both print and e-book formats!

Featuring a cover by Ted Hammond, interior illustrations by Chuck Bordell and a terrific story by yours truly, it is a worthy sequel to the original SOLITAIRE novel without suffering from "sequelitis" like some second installments of popular media properties have experienced over the years.

You can read one or the other or preferably both, but you'll never find those dreaded words "To Be Continued" at the end of any of my novels.

I really do hope you enjoy the Secret Samaritan's latest adventure and when there is word on SOLITAIRE 3 I will share it with everyone as soon as I can, but first I've got to get HUGH back up and running since his original publisher Pro Se Press folded this past Spring.😢

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

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet!

Lee Houston, Junior

January 4, 2026

SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA NOW AVAILABLE!

Cover by Ted Hammond

 I said I'd let everyone know when it was released and I'm a man of my word.

Just didn't expect to see it so soon.

When the son of a wealthy aviation corporation owner is kidnapped by a vicious gang, the family turns to the mysterious entity known as Solitaire to rescue him.

In the process, the female master of disguise soon uncovers a personal vendetta against Andrews Aviation. The gang’s goal is not only to ruin the family but also steal their experimental new drone which the U.S. Military is hoping to purchase.

Once again Solitaire will have to rely on her many roles to confuse and defeat a fanatical enemy.

Airship 27 Production is thrilled to present pulp scribe Lee Houston, Junior’s second fast pace thriller featuring his original, amazing new heroine, Solitaire. This one is filled with exotic locales, cunning bad guys and non-stop action.

With a stunning cover by Ted Hammond and interior art by Chuck Bordell.

Now available in print and e-book formats from Amazon!

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTION – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERATION!

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 27, 2025

 I hope everyone that got to celebrate had a good Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day and Kwanzaa.

I had a nice time with my family and even texted holiday cheer to a few friends.

Despite the Christmas Chaos trying to get everything done before the celebrating, the problems caused by all the bad Winter weather we've had so far—and unfortunately it's FAR from over😒—and the usual daily messes within my life, I FINALLY finished going over the galley for SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA!😎

I sent it back to Rob Davis at Airship 27, but as I post this I don't have an ETA on when the novel will be released.

I will keep everyone posted on that matter but for now, I'm turning my attention back to the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

The Brothers from Room Service

AND FOR THOSE INTERESTED...

Turner Classic Movies is having a Marx Brothers marathon during the morning and afternoon hours of Wednesday, December 31 and I intend to record at least Duck Soup, A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races because I'm planning a nice, quiet evening at home that night with them and whatever other comedies I record between now and then.

Which reminds me.

Don't forget before the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to raise your left leg so you can start 2026 off on the right foot. 😉

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

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

28 December, 2025