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 23, 2024

 Since I don't post PROGRESS REPORTS on Saturdays, I hope those who celebrated had a good Doctor Who Day November 23.

Now then, as mentioned last week, ♫I'm back in the saddle again♫ to quote one of my dad's heroes: Gene Autry, trying to catch up on my writing.

At the moment I'm still transcribing all my hand written notes.

After I finished those to complete SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, I started a new novel called ZEPHYR LILY.

The title lady was originally to be my contribution to Jim Beard's 1970s set sequel to the SUPER SWINGIN' HEROES 1968 SPECIAL Anthology from Mechanoid Press.

That project unfortunately got canceled, but Jim was nice enough to let everyone keep the material(s) they were working on, hence I still have LILY.

I had no luck finding a home for the original short story, so I'm rewriting and fleshing out the entire plot and concept into a full length novel.

In the coming weeks I'll share more details about who ZEPHYR LILY is but, since I'm in a musical mood today, ♫“Where it all ends I can't fathom, my friends,♫ to quote Jimmy Buffett.

However, there is no way I will let good material wither in my files.

I still have Chapter 2 to finish transcribing, which will give me about the first 5000 words to the overall manuscript.

Once that's done, I will take a short break to go back over and proofread SOLITAIRE 2 before sending it off to Airship 27 for publication.

Then I will be devoting at least the rest of 2024 to ZEPHYR LILY, when I'm not dealing with The Free Choice E-zine and the rest of my life's responsibilities.

The latter includes the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, which will be spent with friends and family.

Sadly, as the years pass and times change, there are two personal Thanksgiving traditions that I have been unable to observe since the start of the current millennium.

Enjoying the annual Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Turkey Day marathon and one particular episode of WKRP In Cincinnati.

In any event, I hope those celebrating remember to be thankful for the good things you have in life, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Take care.

Lee Houston, Junior

24 November, 2024