PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MARCH 26, 2022

I am ALMOST finished with my SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL! 😎

All I lack at this point is the Epilog to have completed the first draft.

Of course then it goes on to My Friendly Neighborhood Beta-Proofreader for a thorough review and then I need to make my edits afterward before submitting it to a potential publisher, but that's (somewhat) easier than trying to create a manuscript from scratch.

And in-between the end of my initial writing and waiting for the manuscript to come back, I'll be starting work on what will eventually become SOLITAIRE 2.

No subtitle yet (the first was/is just simply called SOLITAIRE), but I do have the first couple of chapters handwritten out and the basic idea of what I want to do in this sequel.

I know it may seem kind of strange to some to start working on a second novel in a series when the first hasn't even been published yet, but between how long it took to write the first book and the fact that novels don't write themselves, I certainly don't want to rest on my laurels or my hardys. 😉

So on that note♫ take care.

STAY SAFE! 😷

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

27 March, 2022

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MARCH 19, 2022

Hello Everybody.

Thanks for being here.

As you know, I didn't post an official PROGRESS REPORT last week because I had some MAJOR NEWS to share concerning the results of Team Blue's hard work as MARK HALEGUA'S THE BLUE LIGHT was released by Airship 27 on Amazon.com.

You can find either the PRINT or EBOOK versions at the other end of their respective links.

But as to what I've been up to since then...

*The ANTHOLOGY STORY I've been working on is finished and submitted to its potential publisher for consideration.

As usual, afraid I can't say any more at this time since I'm an invited guest to this project but when I'm cleared to do so...

*Am currently working on finishing my SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL. In the middle of the penultimate chapter and then only lack the EPILOGUE.

*After that, writing begins on what will eventually become SOLITAIRE 2 unless something else comes up between now and then.

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

20 March, 2022

MARK HALEGUA'S THE BLUE LIGHT

As reported off and on throughout previous PROGRESS REPORTS in this blog, all the hard work and dedication of Team Blue has finally reached its goal as Airship 27 proudly releases

MARK HALEGUA'S THE BLUE LIGHT.

Cover by Rob Davis

A very special book in memory of one of pulpdom’s most enthusiastic fans and historians, the late Mark Halegua of New York City who passed away in 2021.😞

In the midst of the Great Depression, Robert Ackers is an average guy trying to earn his living as a writer living in New York City. When a strange alien medallion comes into his possession and introduces him to an alien entity with incredible powers, his life is altered forever. 

The being “in” the medallion has the ability to turn mild mannered Ackers into a bonafide super hero, one encased in a seven foot shell of pure blue light. With super strength, invisibility, speed and even telepathy, the Blue Light arrives on the scene with a bang and becomes the dreaded foe of the local mobs and a hero to the people. 

But all isn’t fun and games as Ackers new career puts not only him in danger, but also those around him who he cherishes, especially his new girlfriend Sarah Baker. Inspired by the notes and existing rough draft of the late Mark Halegua, writers Nancy Hansen and Lee Houston Jr. spin a wild and crazy story that is thrilling, humorous and always fun from the first page to the last.  Art Director Rob Davis provides the cover and artist Sam Salas the interior illustrations.

The Blue Light is here to stay.

“Mark was one of the first people I met when entering the world of pulp fandom,” related Airship 27 Managing Editor Ron Fortier. “He was also one of the biggest New York Yankees fans in the world and when he learned I was a Red Sox fan well, there was no stopping his amusing jabs whenever we would hook up at pulp cons.” Over time Halegua embraced the birth of the New Pulp movement and became one of its strongest supporters, never failing to promote it whenever he could. 

“It was Mark’s dream to become a pulp writer,” Fortier concludes. “Nancy and Lee and the entire Airship 27 team are proud to have made that dream a reality. Mark was a kind and loving soul and will live forever in our hearts.”

Nancy Hansen remembers, "Though sadly we never met in person, I became friends with Mark online through The Pulp Factory, and he would always joke around about my alleged dark chocolate 'habit' and how I protected my 'stash' better than the US Government guarded Fort Knox with traps worthy of Jack Benny's legendary vault. He started private messaging me on Twitter first about the book he was writing, then in the Fall of 2019 about his health issues. As  time went on he needed help with the book, but it reached the point where I was busy with the western I was working on, which had a short deadline they had extended once on my behalf. So I asked Mark would it be okay if fellow writer Lee Houston Junior went over it with him."

Which is where I come in. While also only being an online friend I did what I could, even going over the existing manuscript of the time once more. Unfortunately I got busy too, then Mark suddenly went radio silent. Ron eventually learned that Mark had passed away alone in his apartment.😢

So in late March 2020, Team Blue was formed.

Between Nancy and I with Ron's support, we went over the manuscript while compiling Mark's notes and comments from past Twitter and email posts.

Mark lit the way and with about 2/3 of a completed rough draft—around what is now Chapter 18 of the novel—we polished and finished the manuscript.

"Mark was a good friend to all, so this was something we could do to honor his memory and give him the chance to have his name on a cover and his work read by many. Finishing it took up a chunk of last year, but it was a labor of love," adds Nancy.

Mark Halegua's The Blue Light is now available in print paperback and Kindle E-Book from Amazon.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING MARCH 5, 2022

Work on my contribution to that ANTHOLOGY PROJECT I was invited to write for got delayed by a couple of days because TEAM BLUE (Nancy Hansen and myself) got the PDF GALLEY from Airship 27 on the book we had previously worked on for Mark Halegua.

As soon as Rob Davis goes over all the suggested corrections and finalizes what will be the finished product, the novel will soon be released and the subject of Airship 27's upcoming 83rd monthly podcast!

More on that within the next couple of weeks! 😀

I celebrated my 60th birthday yesterday! 😎

Considering I have SURVIVED 2 bouts of pneumonia, congestive heart failure AND an aortic aneurysm, which resulted in a MAJOR heart operation in January 2008 which I thankfully did not know until AFTER the fact that I had less than a 50/50 chance of surviving, PLUS my more recent heart operation of October 2022 because the 2008 artificial heart valve I received was starting to go bad, I'm genuinely surprised I made it to my 50th birthday, let alone the Big 6-0!

Hmm... I wonder if I can make it to triple digits? My 100th birthday will be March 5, 2062. 😉

In any event, now that Rob is working to get the TEAM BLUE book ready for public release, I can go back to finishing the ANTHOLOGY STORY before finishing my SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT before starting work on what will eventually become SOLITAIRE 2.

March 8, 2022

So 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

6 March, 2022