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

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

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 20, 2025

 Well....

It was another interesting week.

No work on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES prequel novel because I got the galley proof of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA that I have to go over for Airship 27 to make sure everything is alright before the book is published.

Received that late Monday evening so started fresh on it Tuesday morning.

One has to go over every word and punction mark, line by line from start to finish and note any mistakes there might be along the way so they can be corrected before publication.

Everything was going fine until Friday when the storm hit. 😢

Didn't regain power until Saturday afternoon.

Didn't regain the Internet (let alone cable service) until about a half hour ago.

Thankfully both THE PUZZLE CORNER and THE WEEK IN REVIEW for The Free Choice E-zine were on the Post Timer this weekend, although I didn't discover until well after the fact that I miss set the one for the news, hence it not posting until almost midnight Saturday night.

And I've still got to post this week's SUNDAY FUNNIES on TFCE when I finish here.

With everything that had to be dealt with, I'm only about halfway through the galley.

Chuck Bordell did good work on the interior illustrations for the novel again, although the galley does NOT include the cover art, so no review on that because I'll be seeing it when the book is published like everyone else.

But for that to happen, I better get back to it although considering the time, I won't be staying up much longer to night.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

21 December, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 13, 2025

 You would think that I would have learned to keep my big mouth shut by now and not jinx myself.

I got sick again and am trying to get over it as I type these words.

Same symptoms as last time too, except no queasiness or nausea this go around.

I did manage to make one creative decision and combined Chapters 7 and 8 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel: PRIVATE BATTLES, into one so what was Chapter 9 is now the new 8. Otherwise...

At some point I've got to backtrack and add all the images to the current THE WEEK IN REVIEW on The Free Choice E-zine and hopefully I can keep it together long enough to do this week's SUNDAY FUNNIES.

But I'm making absolutely NO predictions about this coming week. We'll just see what happens as it unfolds.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

14 December, 2025

FOR THOSE CELEBRATING: HAPPY HANUKKAH!

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 6, 2025

 It's a good thing I don't try to make my living as a fortune teller because I'd be a miserable failure at that profession.

This past week was anything but normal.

It started out okay.

Got all my assorted shopping, errands and household chores taken care of early. I even managed to put up some Christmas🎄 decorations.

Then I got sick.😢

Even as I post this, I have absolutely no idea what I was suffering from.

All I can tell you is that for a little over a day I was miserable, nauseous—but thankfully no "expulsions" from that experience—achy, tired and sleepy when I wasn't camped out in the bathroom.

I never once had any sign of a temperature and after my first camp out the nausea disappeared.

Thankfully The Free Choice E-zine's Puzzle Corner for yesterday was already on the Post Timer and I managed to finish The Week In Review between naps, but otherwise little was accomplished on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES.😒

Today as I post this PROGRESS REPORT, I seem to be over the worst/most of it.

Still a little tired though.

In any event, at the risk of (bad) history repeating itself, hopefully this coming week will be better.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

7 December, 2025 HONORING PEARL HARBOR DAY!

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 29, 2025

 As predicted, I didn't get much writing done last week on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but at least I had a great time with family and friends.

Hopefully this coming week will be more productive with things back to what relatively passes for "normal" within my life.

I hope everyone who celebrated had a good Thanksgiving too.

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

30 November, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 22, 2025

TURKEYS AWAY!

 The start of another week is upon us, and it will be a busy one for me with all the Thanksgiving
preparations I have to do so I can celebrate the holiday with my friends and family later this week.

Depending upon how you look at it, today—November 23—is either the anniversary of the world still reeling over then US President John F. Kennedy being assassinated November 22 or the debut episode of Doctor Who being transmitted by the BBC.

In any event, I have made an editorial decision concerning HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: PRIVATE BATTLES.

The original version of Chapter 6 was only two manuscript pages long, so I've folded it into Chapter 5, which consequently lowers my Chapter count by one at the moment.

That puts me on Chapter 7 instead of 8 right now, but I'm still well over 11,000+ words into the novel and starting to hit my stride despite outside world interruptions and the fact that I've never actually written a prequel novel before.

NEXT SUNDAY A.D.?

Like I said, with Thanksgiving, not sure how this week is actually going to turn out writing wise, but the family comes first.

Yet there are a couple of things past that I miss concerning Thanksgiving.

Like the annual showing of WKRP In Cincinnati's "Turkeys Away" episode and the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Turkey Day Marathon.

And of course my mom's turkey stuffing and watching football 🏈 on TV with my father, even though I'm more of a baseball⚾ fan.

So I hope that despite all the hassles and other problems in the world right now, you and yours have a good week regardless of how or if you decide to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Got to get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

23 November, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 15, 2025

 Managed to finish Chapter 8 and start Chapter 9 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

Everything went well with my personal doctor's appointment and the pets received a clean bill of health from their vet.

Other than the usual routine of housework, errands, etc; there is nothing on the horizon this coming week besides preparing for Thanksgiving the week after, so hopefully I'll get more writing done.

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

16 November, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 8, 2025

 Have made it into Chapter 7 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL: PRIVATE BATTLES.

Wish I could say more, but at least there has been some progress since last week.

I know some of the slow writing pace is having to deal with all of life's other responsibilities.

For example: I have two different doctor appointments this upcoming week, although one of them is just chauffeuring the dog and a cat to their vet.

Yet I (only being human) reluctantly realize that part of it is procrastination on my part.

And a lot of that stems from still trying to figure out who exactly HUGH MONN was before he became a private detective.

Not that I don't know at least some of the character's backstory.

It's just that I never really had to sit down and think about, let alone develop all the details of it before now.

We all have things we have to figure out in life.

Who you are now, compared to who you want to be.

It's the same for fictional characters, just that most of the time, they're already past that point when you first meet them.

But because HUGH's original publisher went out of business and I'm having to start all over again, I figured to start fresh with some new material instead of just reworking the existing words.

And of course I've still have to either develop my self-pub game or find another publisher when the time comes.

Definitely sometime by Spring 2026.

So with all 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

9 November, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 1, 2025

 Someday I might actually get my balancing act together😉, but another busy week on the personal life front means I'm still only on Chapter 6, but the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL now has a subtitle!

PRIVATE BATTLES.

Considering HUGH's past and the fact that he was just recently Honorably Discharged from the service after fighting in Universal War 1 (and everyone is praying there is never a sequel), there are still some issues that the new Veteran who wants to become a private detective has to deal with.

But I'll save what those are for the novel.

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

2 November, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 25, 2025

 October 25 would have been my father's 89th birthday. Although he passed away Spring 2024, he outlived my mother by about six and a half years. To say I miss both of them is a serious understatement. 😢

I'm hard at work on Chapter 6 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel, but find myself having to go back and tweak details of Chapter 5.

It's kind of hard to explain without giving away plot details, but basically I'm writing what turns out to be HUGH's first case as he works to obtain his Private Detective License.

Being my own worst critic😉, I know I'll get everything write/right eventually to my personal satisfaction in time, but I'm not sure how much of that I'll have available this coming week.

On top of all my regular errands, housework and other personal responsibilities of life; I also have my annual examination with the cardiologist💓 this week and that usually turns into practically an all day event just because of the long drive to and from their office.

My prerequisite fasting blood work tests all came back good, but it doesn't hurt to have a professional confirm that in person.

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

26 October, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 18, 2025

 It's been another busy week behind the scenes on the personal front, but at least I'm on Chapter 5 of the
HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel.

Still don't have a subtitle for the book, but it's early yet.

Hopefully something will come to me in time.

Afraid there's not much else to say at the moment, so 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

19 October, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 11, 2025

 I'm posting a very familiar image with today's PROGRESS REPORT because once again, it has been one of those weeks.

Besides all the housework, errands and other personal matters that needed attending to; my short story was eliminated from the writing contest I submitted it to.

While disappointed, not a major problem. I have absolutely no idea how many actual entries there were and the apologetic email I received did say "competition was fierce".

Better luck next year.

Still trying to finish Chapter 4 of the HUGH  MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel but a lot of other stuff that had to be dealt with kept getting in the way. 😕

But for those interested, there is absolutely NO AI in any of my stuff!

It is all 100% ME!

And that does take time.⌛

Hey, if DC Comics can announce they are and will remain AI free, figured I could and should make the same statement.

Yet if any AI would like to help me with all my housework, errands and other personal matters that need attending to so I have more time to write...

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

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

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

Lee Houston, Junior

12 October, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 4, 2025

 It has been a very LOOONNNNGGGG day on the personal front, as evident by the fact that I am just now posting my weekly Progress Report and still have to post The Sunday Funnies on The Free Choice E-zine.

In any event, I am now on Chapter 4 to the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL but for some reason the future BOOK 2: EARLY DAYS has been talking to me more.

I know which of the short stories from the original Pro Se Press collection will at least open that novel and I even have the new framing sequence for the book planned out.

On paper at least.

But all of that is in the (far flung) future.

Right now I've got to get my work on The Free Choice E-zine done, then I'm going to bed and will pick up writing fresh after breakfast Monday morning.

So until next time, take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

5 October, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 27, 2025

 GETTING ALL MY DUCKS IN A ROW.😉

It's been a busy week so let's make sure everything that needed to be done so far has been.

ENTERED SHORT STORY CONTEST?

✅

The publisher's computer system said mine was Entry 37. Contest ends September 30 and winners will be announced sometime in October.

CONTRIBUTED TO A BENEFIT ANTHOLOGY?

✅

This just popped up the other day but all I really had to do was make sure some previously written material was in the proper format for submission to Airship 27.

More details as this project develops.

WORKED ON THE HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL?

✅

With needing to take care of the items before this one first, I didn't get as much done this past week as I would have liked to, but at least I did do some writing.

HAVE A SUBTITLE FOR THE NEW PREQUEL NOVEL?

🗆

Unfortunately not yet.

This book will relaunch the series anew, probably as a self publishing effort.

I have considered LAUNCH, since Book 2 will definitely be EARLY DAYS, but there is still plenty of time left before I need to make a (final) decision because I'm only on Chapter 3 of the manuscript at the moment.

ALL THE HOUSEWORK AND OTHER ASSORTED DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES OF PERSONAL LIFE?

✅

My entire "staff" consists of me, myself and I. Somehow we get the job done when needed. 😎

WRITING TODAY?

🗆

Going back to that now, so take care.

STAY SAFE.

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

28 September, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

 I have briefly paused work on the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL because there is a
short story contest I want to enter and time is running against me on it.

Just found out about the contest last week and the deadline is September 30, although the contest has been going on since August 1. 😕

Thankfully I only need between 1,000 and 5,000 words so it's not like this will be a long project, but still...

For better or worse I still haven't heard anything regarding that comic book horror story contest I previously entered, but I'll give them until the end of this month before I make an official inquiry because the deadline for entry was the end of August and who knows how many submissions they got.

Besides, there was no formal statement as to when the winners would be announced so for all I know, they could still be on schedule judging and trying to make decisions.

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

21 September, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 13, 2025

 SHERLOCK HOLMES and "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly" is at Airship 27 waiting for publication and I am hard at work writing that HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE PREQUEL NOVEL. No subtitle yet, but it's still early in the first draft of the manuscript.

The first chapter is completed and I am currently working on the second that sets up the case that will take up the majority of the book as HUGH apprentices with an already established Private Detective so he can earn his own license and go into business for himself.

Of course, everyone who read the last post on my writer's blog knows why I am doing this.

Obviously there is still a long way to go before I have to make a final decision on whether or not to self publish, but considering there have been no (serious) offers from any existing publisher...

I'm certainly not opposed to taking matters into my own hands because it would be nice to be my own boss for a change, but a final decision on that isn't necessary until around sometime next spring at the earliest.

Now before I conclude this post, a quick shout out and apology to JEFF DEISCHER and everyone else who tried to leave a comment about something on this blog and couldn't.

I have no idea when Google did so, but they've changed the system so now you need some variety of a Google account to leave a message here.

Explains why I haven't gotten many responses to things I've posted recently. 😉

Yet if you don't have a Google account, I'm still accessible on Blue Sky and Facebook.

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

14 September, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING AUGUST 30, 2025

 I HAVE FINISHED WRITING

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE SHAKESPEAREAN FOLLY!😁

I still have to finish proofreading the manuscript before adding my behind the scenes essay and Author's Bio so I can send it off to Airship 27, but obviously once all that is done the big question before me is: WHAT NEXT?

There has still been no official, public announcement on that MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PENDING, although a lot of you have already accurately guessed what is going on, if not all of the reason(s) why.

I can tell you that I have not been sitting idly by twiddling my thumbs when not working on Holmes.

I have been researching and studying my options.

What comes next will be a big step for yours truly, but while not fully prepared yet, it is one I am willing to take and hope for the best on.

But what I have in mind will also require a LOT of writing, so I better get back to it now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

31 August, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING AUGUST 23, 2025

 ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE.

Been working hard on trying to conclude the first draft of SHERLOCK HOLMES and "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly", but life has had other ideas most of last week.😒

Hopefully I can complete the manuscript this coming week, but we'll have to see how it goes.

And no new news on that MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PENDING at this time either.

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

24 August, 2025

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING AUGUST 16, 2025

 While it is not totally finished yet, the conclusion of SHERLOCK HOLMES and "The Adventure of the Shakespearean Folly" IS in sight!😀

But then what?

Once the HOLMES story is completed, I will be taking a couple of days off to relax from Victorian England before returning to give the tale a final proofreading as well as adding my Creation Of Essay and my usual Author Bio before sending it off to Airship 27.

But what do I do in-between and past HOLMES?

It has to do with that MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PENDING.

I've had a few friends and fans ask about it.

One was actually correct in their assumption of what was going on, although not the reason(s) why.

Unfortunately I still cannot officially discuss it publicly yet.

All this teasing is as close as I can come to saying anything at the moment, and even this is questionable at best but I should be safe since I haven't given any actual details nor neither confirmed or denied any speculations.

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

17 August, 2025