PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 2, 2016

HELLO, and welcome to the start of a brand new year!
I sincerely hope the third day of 2016 finds everyone safe and sound.

Now then, exciting news! I have FINISHED Chapter 20 of PROJECT ALPHA: BOOK 2, WAYWARD SON!
Of course, it is now in the capable hands of my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader, and once it's settled, I still have to go over the entire manuscript to make sure it reads well as a coherent whole; but I should finally be submitting the novel to Pro Se Press by the first of February!

Project Alpha 2 IS coming!

Despite the false starts, mistakes, and life interruptions I've faced over this past year; a LOT of hard work has gone into the creation of this novel, and I'm happy to be so near completion now.

So, what ELSE did I accomplish in 2015?



Last year saw the following short stories published...

*IT ALL STARTED INNOCENTLY ENOUGH in the Judson & Gardner anthology as part of the Charles Boeckman Presents project for Pro Se Press

*THE SOUND OF OBEDIENCE published in Ghost Boy, Volume 2 from Airship 27; my first contribution to Captain Ron Fortier and Loyal Airman Rob Davis, but far from my last

*THE SUBSTANDARD QUINTENT: COME TOGETHER, and I co-edited Jim Beard's Super Swingin' Hero 1968 Special from Mechanoid Press; which was truly a great honor in and of itself and I look forward to working with Jim again...

AND
*THE UNFAIR FARE in Legends of New Pulp Fiction, the Tommy Hancock benefit anthology, Airship 27; which was truly a labor of love for all involved to help out one of our own.

You already know my immediate plans for the beginning of 2016. After PROJECT ALPHA 2, I still owe Ron and Rob a SHERLOCK HOLMES story, and then I'll start work on whatever will become HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, BOOK 3.

Beyond that? Let's see what the new year brings.                Lee Houston, Junior

3 January, 2016

Note: All book links are active, although for some reason Amazon doesn't always list both print and Kindle editions in the same screen.

BACK STORY: "THE UNFAIR FARE" FROM LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION

Originally "rally cry" poster

When I first heard the news, I honestly didn't know what to think.

Tommy Hancock of Pro Se Productions was seriously ill (which I would later learn involved his heart), so Jamie Ramos had presented an idea to Ron Fortier and Rob Davis of Airship 27 (yes, the friendly competition!) to do a benefit anthology on Tommy's behalf, with Hancock getting all the proceeds to help his family out with medical expenses and other bills.

Of course, I volunteered to contribute a story immediately.

For those of you who don't know Tommy Hancock, you would be hard pressed to find a nicer or more knowledgeable man in this crazy creative field that we call "New Pulp". There would be less talent out there now if Tommy hadn't given them (and me) their first big break, so it's only natural that when the need arose, we'd rally to return the favor somehow.

Now, this is far from the first time that a group of people in one specific field united in a common cause and "paid it forward", so it didn't surprise me at all that our small little creative community of writers and artists got together to help out one of our own. The fact that we were able to do so in such a spectacular manner is what flabbergasted me!

Cover painting by Doug Klauba

Back cover creator list

The end result of everyone's hard work is LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION!
At first, the projected totals were (as expressed by the black and white "in-house" poster that was circulated) that the anthology would obtain a tad over fifty contributions, but the project wound up with 64 writers (including Tommy) and 37 artists helping to provide an illustration to each tale under a gorgeous cover by Doug Klauba!

At 776 pages, this is the biggest volume Airship 27 has ever published (to date) and Ron and Rob, along with Jamie and associate editor Todd Jones, deserve a hearty round of applause and time off to rest and recuperate from all their hard work.

As you can see by the back cover list, there is a plethora of creators representing a wide variety of pulp genres within this anthology.

As for my humble contribution...
Everyone had a small word count (4,000 minimum/8,000 maximum) and a short deadline. At first, I seriously considered writing a short story featuring one of my "signature" creations, but there was no way I could do an ALPHA the superhero story without tipping my hand in regards to plot points that will be revealed within his forthcoming second novel, and I honestly didn't know the legalities that might be involved if I did a short HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE mystery.
But that left me with the quandary of what to write?

One thing you must know about New Pulp is its definition. We are telling brand new stories in the classic pulp style of the past with modern sensibilities. Being pressed for time, I intentionally set my tale in the present day to avoid any potential research snares that might arise from doing a period piece, and therefore, a couple of days later, the result was "The Unfair Fare", which came in at a modest 4,677 words.

The story, complete with such modern references as GPS and flash drives, was then sent to Airship 27 for consideration.
Now, no writer expects to hit a home run every time they submit a manuscript; but I was truly happy when I got Fortier's e-mail response to my tale about a cab driver who winds up in an even bigger mess when a passenger tries to skip out on paying the fare...

Damn, Lee, that was a fun little gem.  I really liked that a lot. Great story...authentic pulp feel throughout.
Thanks so much,
Ron

THAT certainly made my day!
The stories are presented in order, alphabetically based upon author's last names, so I am in-between "Señor Tijras" by Joe Hillard and "The Gentleman Thief and the Artist" by Emily Janhke, with an illustration by Joe Arnold.

The one thing I could never decide upon was WHO the cab driver should be, so I'll leave it up to your opinion dear reader as to who the driver is.

Otherwise, on behalf of myself and everyone else involved with this anthology, we really hope you like LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION.
It's a great read for a worthy cause and is now available in both print AND Kindle e-book editions at Amazon.com

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 26, 2015

Well folks, as I originally thought would happen going into last week, unfortunately I didn't get much actual writing done beyond Internet posts.
There were a couple of paragraphs here and there on the final chapter to PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON; but besides finally getting over that dang cold, it was more important to get ready for the holiday and spend precious time with my family and friends.

I hope your holiday weekend went well too.

But that doesn't mean I'm without news!

Last week saw the release of not one,

but TWO projects I have been involved with!

Cover art by Doug Klauba

Cover by Scott McCullar

THE SUPER SWINGIN' HERO 1968 SPECIAL that I co-edited with Jim Beard for Mechanoid Press and THE LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION anthology from Airship 27, aka the Tommy Hancock benefit book that I am just one of many contributors to.

Both were marvelous projects that I'm proud to be associated with, and I cannot say enough about them, especially considering that 1968 and LEGENDS got their own special announcements on this blog when first released last week!

In time, either here or in my capacity as Editor-in-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine, I will be going into further detail on both; but for now, take care of yourselves, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
27 December, 2015

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TOO: LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION NOW AVAILABLE!

Cover by Doug Klauba

Well folks, with the holidays approaching, unless Internet posts count, I've been unable to get any writing done, but just look at this news!

Airship 27 just released LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION in hard copy, with the e-format to follow.
Over 100 people pooled their creative talents together, spearheaded by Jamie Ramos, Air Captain Ron Fortier, and his co-pilot Rob Davis; on a benefit anthology for Tommy Hancock to help him meet his medical and other expenses.
Check out the all star line up listed in the back cover image below, and it's all within a beautiful cover by Doug Klauba!
There's a lot of pulse pounding excitement running a whole gamut of pulp genres within these pages, so there's something for everyone.
You can acquire your hard copy at Amazon now, with the e-book to follow.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 21, 2015

Chapter 19, TAKE TWO of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON is back with my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader, with over two pages of NEW material!
Because of the impending holiday, not sure when Nancy Hansen will be able to review and send it back to me.

I know everyone is looking forward to reading this novel, but question why it's taking so long.
I do understand everyone's anxiousness to read ALPHA 2, but would you prefer to read a high quality work or a hack job?

The latest word from Captain Ron Fortier of Airship 27 concerning the LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION project (also known as the Tommy Hancock Benefit Anthology) is that all 62 stories are done, the volume will be roughly 400 pages, and they are still hoping for a between Thanksgiving and Christmas launch date, as seen by the image on the right.

Over 100 talented writers and artists, including yours truly, have donated their time and talents toward this endeavor. You will be hard pressed to find such an exotic collection of today's creative personnel in one place, and we all hope you appreciate our efforts towards this worthy cause when its available to the public.

There are roughly six weeks left in 2015, and 2016 is on the horizon, so let's see what awaits us.

See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
22 November, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 31, 2015

FIRST OFF...
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween.
I also hope that those who needed to remembered to set the clocks back one hour, since Daylight Savings Time ended overnight.
If you didn't, at least you'll really be on time wherever you have to go today.

NOW THEN...
I finished formatting and proofreading that anthology for my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader Nancy Hansen; so I'm back working on ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.

Writer's cap

At this point, still not sure if Chapter 19 (the one in progress) or Chapter 20 will be the last one.
Unfortunately, I lost Thursday to a cardiologist's appointment, but I have my writer's hat back on now and intend to have this manuscript finished by Thanksgiving.
Of course, I'll still have to give it its final "once over" to make sure the entire story reads as one coherent novel instead of a disjointed start/stop/restart project. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I have been told that everyone involved at Mechanoid Press is hard at work preparing THE SUPER SWINGIN' HERO 1968 SPECIAL that I helped visionary Jim Beard with for release, and that the Tommy Hancock Benefit anthology: LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION is doing well at Airship 27.
Only the latter is scheduled for actual release before the end of 2015 at the moment, but I'm looking forward to both projects being available to the public when ready.
I had a great time participating in both anthologies, and Jim Beard has already shared some thoughts on a potential sequel to 1968 with me, so I'm truly looking forward to working with him again.

Meantime, I better get back to writing.
Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
1 November, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 17, 2015

AH, THERE'S GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK!

Okay, I know some of you folks out there might be tired of hearing about Chapter 18 over and over for the last few weeks.
You know what?
So am I, but there comes a point in every writer's creative endeavors (or at least, there should be a point) where they always want to make sure that what they've written is the best they humanly can produce.
With that in mind, Chapter 18 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON IS done!

However, while revising and tweaking the chapter, I came up with a much better cliffhanger than originally planned.
So now, even though I am working on Chapter 19, I'm back to honestly not knowing whether or not there will be a Chapter 20.

This book has undergone so many rewrites and revisions that just goes to prove writing IS hard work!
Part of it is my responsibility. I'm striving for the best novel I can create since I personally consider Book 2 the lynch pin of the entire ALPHA series.

Project Alpha (Book 1) told our hero's origin and first adventure.
Book 2 picks up where Book 1 ended as our hero takes and...
Sorry. You'll have to wait and read the novel for yourself in 2016.

I have, or thought I had, Alpha's story plotted out at least through the end of Book 5.
However, I discovered that I had too much material that I wanted to include in Book 2 that has since been reluctantly set aside, so Book 3 will now be the second half of Book 2's adventure, pushing all the other plots back by at least one book.
But I will promise each and every one of you out there one thing right now.

BOOK 2 WILL NOT END WITH THOSE DREADED WORDS:

TO BE CONTINUED!

The latest word on THE LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION: THE TOMMY HANCOCK BENEFIT ANTHOLOGY from Airship 27, according to Captain Ron Fortier himself, is that the project is roughly three images and some final production away from a (hopeful) Thanksgiving-ish release just in time for the holidays.

There are so many people rallying around and creatively contributing to this cause, that the projected page count for the print volume stands at an estimated 1000 pages!
Unless Ron was joking about that.
Then again, 63 writers, 4000-5000 words per story, each tale with one illustration...

Of course, that won't matter to those of you with e-book readers. But any way you look at it, that is A LOT of good short story reading ahead!

More on this as we get closer to an actual release date.
For now, I better get back to writing.

See you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

18 October, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

FIRST AND FOREMOST...

Ghost Boy, Volume 2 has just been released by Airship 27!

Featuring the creative talents of Terry Alexander, J.Walt Layne, Erik Franklin, interior artist Gary Kato, cover artist Zachary Brunner, and yours truly!

This is the project that I was INVITED to participate in by Captain Ron Fortier and Loyal Airman Rob Davis. It was a pleasure to work with them, and I have already been invited back to contribute future Ghost Boy adventures!

For those who came in late concerning the character, here's a brief recap from the press release concerning the book...

It is the mid-60s and the U.S. is in thick of the Cold War with the Soviet Union and Red China. The country’s greatest asset is Ghost Boy, a young genius with amazing supernatural powers, and his eight foot tall steel and chrome robot, Pops. Ripped from the pages of Jigsaw Comics, Ghost Boy returns in this collection of four brand new adventures.

In a couple of weeks, I will be doing a BACK STORY post with the background details concerning my tale, "The Sound of Obedience".

The book is already available in print from Amazon, and the Kindle edition is coming soon!

MEANWHILE...
Chapter 18 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON is now in the hands of my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader for review. Barring anything unseen, I am working on Chapter 19 right now, which should conclude the novel.
Please remember that the overall manuscript will still have to be reviewed in its entirety to make sure it flows like a seamless whole before submitting it to the publisher, so we're still looking at a 2016 release date on the book.

AND FINALLY...

Airship 27 is still foreseeing an October release on LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION: THE TOMMY HANCOCK BENEFIT ANTHOLOGY.
63 writers and 30 artists have joined their creative talents to help an ailing friend and his family pay his medical expenses and other bills.

Each tale will have 1 illustration accompanying it, and the latest word is that the last of the art is all that's left on the production end of things.
More details soon.

Meanwhile, I better get back to writing.
See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
20 September, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12, 2015

So, how are things on the writing front this week?

First and foremost, I have to go over the galley PDF/proof for that Ghost Boy story I was invited to write earlier this year for Airship 27!

Alpha

Secondly,Chapter 17 to (PROJECT) ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON is done as far as both my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader and myself are concerned.
I am working on Chapter 18 now, and doubt the manuscript will go past Chapter 19, but that remains to be seen.
It will definitely be a 2016 release, for after I complete the first (fifth?, based upon the progress report history on this blog) draft of the manuscript, I definitely want to give it a final pass in its entirety before submitting the novel to make sure all the individual chapters that I have poured over and poured over read as a coherent whole.


Third(ly?), Airship 27 now has an October estimate for a release date on the Tommy Hancock benefit anthology LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION and has asked all the contributors to post the flyer below wherever possible, so consider it done Captain Ron Fortier!
64 writers and 38 artists are involved in this work, and will be well worth your purchase and reading time when it comes out, with all proceeds going to Tommy and his family to help cover his medical expenses.

Fourth, I've been thinking about my agenda after ALPHA 2 is completely finished. Despite having already written a couple so far this year, I still have the two short stories I originally promised to write this year. Think I finally have a plot for a Sherlock Holmes story worthy of the great detective to submit to Airship 27 once it's written, and I still have that other tale that unfortunately I still cannot discuss in public.
Yet.
Hate to be a tease, but a promise is a promise.

Thankfully, neither project has an actual deadline attached to them, so I'm not late by any stretch of the imagination. One thing I have done in my writing career that I am extremely proud of is that I have never missed a deadline (to date) and I'm not about to start now if I can help it.

Have also started mulling over ideas for whatever will become HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: BOOK 3; but that project will probably be a 2016 start, after ALPHA 2 and the two short stories.

Better get back to writing now.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
13 September, 2015