PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 25, 2026

MY MUSE, Internet estimate

 Another busy week is behind me.

About all I really had time to do most days was just take notes of whatever my Muse had to say to me.

Hope I can read my own handwriting when the time comes to use them.😉

In any event, I HAVE made it to Chapter 23 and past the 41,000+ word mark on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES.

I've got a long way to go yet considering I'm only about at the halfway point, plot wise, of HUGH earning his private detective license.

If it was the halfway point in the manuscript, then I'd be looking at an estimated 46 chapters and 82,000+ words but the longest HUGH novel from his now defunct publisher was about 35 chapters and close to 68,000+ words.

Not sure how this coming week is going to turn out because I have to see my cardiologist Monday July 27 for my bi-annual (twice a year) physical and that's usually a most of the day event with travel time and I'll still have to have errand day (more hours away from the computer shopping for groceries and other stuff) sometime later this coming week.

But to get any writing done this week I better get back to it so take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

26 July, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 18, 2026

 Once again, it wasn't one of my better weeks. 😐

I'm still on Chapter 22 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE
BATTLES, but at least I'm closer to the 41,000+ word mark than I was last time.

Haven't gotten into that neighborhood yet, but some progress is better than none.

I will admit to not being a fast writer.

I take my ideas as they come.

Sometimes I'm "in the zone" as they say, trying to get everything down on the computer file as fast as I can, and other times the only "zone" I'm in seems to be the one with Rod Serling.

I will admit to not being a quick typist either.

The last time I was ever officially timed, my typing speed was about 40 words per minute and that was well over a decade ago.

Even if I was in a position to get my typing speed tested again, I'm not sure I want to find out because it's probably slower now than it was back then just because of the passage of time.

I've spent way too many past PROGRESS REPORTS talking about errands, chores, life, the universe and everything versus the fact that the only ones on Team Houston are me, myself and I.

Yet above all else, I AM A WRITER!

Come what may, I will get this and all future projects completed as soon as humanly possible.

With that in mind, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

19 July, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 11, 2026

 FIRST AND FOREMOST, MY MOST SINCEREST APOLOGIES FOLKS.

With everything going on lately, I forgot to mention in my previous PROGRESS REPORT that my second Last Kiss contribution was published on July 3.

This time I co-wrote a Fourth of July based gag with series creator John Lustig.

I do have a couple of more submissions pending and am always thinking of other possible gags, so will try to keep everyone posted as to when my next joke will appear there.

But everyone can enjoy John Lustig's Last Kiss feature either on Go Comics or his website.

And as for the reason a lot of people check out my writer's blog every week, I have finally made it to Chapter 22 and past the 40,000+ word mark on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES.

Besides all the usual obligations and hassles of life, there have been times when this manuscript has been a real emotional ride as it dives into HUGH's past to (re)establish the character as he tries to obtain his private detective license.

Once it's finished and accepted for publication, this novel is both a jumping on point for new readers while restarting the series that was orphaned when HUGH's previous publisher went out of business.

But to get this book done and restart the series so HUGH's past and future adventures can be told, I better get back to writing now.

So with that in mind, take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

12 July, 2026

The 4/FOUR links used were active at the time of posting.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JULY 4, 2026

 THIS IS THE 700TH POST OF MY WRITER'S BLOG!

I hope those who celebrated America's 250th anniversary of Independence yesterday had a good Fourth of July despite the excessive heat in some areas.

The heat wave is supposed to end today in my neck of the woods but herald a lot of rain off and on over the next several days.

I'm still on Chapter 21 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES, but at least I'm now past the 38,000+ word mark, so there has been some progress this past week.

And I would also like to thank all my readers and fans for granting this humble writer's blog 24,231 page views during June 2026.

My very first post was September 28, 2013 and we all have come a long way since then, so thanks for sharing part of the journey with me.

This coming week is the usual plethora of chores, errands and other household duties. Nothing major on the horizon until a doctor's appointment the next week.

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

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

5 July, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 27, 2026

 First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has already acquired a copy of JAIME RAMOS' STREETS OF GOLGOTHA.

His last creative project at the time of Jaime's untimely passing was finished by his friends Teel James Glenn, Nancy Hansen, Wayne Carey, Bobby Nash and myself; along with Ron Fortier, Rob Davis and Adam Shaw at Airship 27 to honor and celebrate the life of a friend and kindred spirit in the world of New Pulp.

Cover by Adam Shaw

Jaime's creative voice might have been stilled, but his spirit lives on in his past works that current and future fans will enjoy.

For those who haven't read the anthology yet, it can be found on Amazon in both print and e-book formats at

https://tinyurl.com/y7zvmmbr

As for my own work, it was another rough week between appointments and the usual assortment of chores, errands and other personal life responsibilities, so I'm still on Chapter 20 and within the 37,000+ word count on the first draft of HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE'S prequel novel: PRIVATE BATTLES.

Hopefully this coming week will be better, but we shall see.

With that in mind 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

28 June, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 20, 2026

 There IS actual progress to report this week!

I have made it into Chapter 20 and the 37,000+ word count on the first draft of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES!

I freely admit that it took far longer than normal to get to this point, but I've been busy over the last couple of weeks helping to finalize the galley for publication and then promoting the release of JAIME RAMOS' STREETS OF GOLGOTA, the memorial anthology realizing my friend's final creative dream and making it a reality.

COVER BY ADAM SHAW

Teel James Glenn, Nancy Hansen, Wayne Carey, Bobby Nash and myself; along with Ron Fortier, Rob Davis and Adam Shaw at Airship 27 all worked on seeing this project through to publication because unfortunately Jaime passed away while it was still in production. 😢

I like to think we did him and his family proud, but the final say on that lies with the readers.

If you haven't already acquired a copy yet, it's available from Airship 27 via Amazon in both print and e-book format at 

https://tinyurl.com/y7zvmmbr

I'm going back to my own writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

21 June, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JUNE 13, 2026

 Unfortunately there is very little progress to report on my own material over this past week between a doctor's appointment and other commitments, but things are going well concerning the Jaime Ramos tribute anthology: JAIME RAMOS' STREETS OF GOLGOTHA.

The initial announcement of the memorial book took off like wildfire on social media, with a lot of reposts and comments concerning the man and his work.

While I don't have any access to those statistics, I'm hearing sales on Jaime's last project have been good between the print and e-book formats, which is nice to hear.

It means his final creative dream was a success.

Cover by Adam Shaw

For those who haven't gotten a copy of either version yet, it's available from Airship 27 via Amazon at 

https://tinyurl.com/y7zvmmbr

I'm going back to my own writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

14 June, 2026