PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, 2026

 I'm on Chapter 10 of the HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE prequel novel PRIVATE BATTLES and about to break the 18,000+ word mark.

For those who follow my PROGRESS REPORTS from one week to the next, I know that may not seem like a lot since last week's report, but from my perspective it is considering I also have to cook and clean as well as run errands and do a lot of other stuff in the course of an average day since my entire household "staff" consists of me, myself and I.

Speaking of which, I've got grocery shopping, laundry and an appointment with my cardiologist in the coming week around whatever writing I can get done.

See my point?

AND FOR THOSE WHO CAME IN LATE...

Besides SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, the original SOLITAIRE novel is also available from Airship 27 on Amazon in both print and e-book formats.

Ted Hammond covers and Chuck Bordell interior illustrations surround the opening adventures of the Secret Samaritan written and created by yours truly.

No matter what the quality of their prose, in the end the only true measure of a writer is the response of their readership, so I hope everyone enjoys my humble attempts to entertain you.

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

18 January, 2026

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, 2015

Got a LOT accomplished this past week, so let's review.

Read the next two stories for Jim Beard's upcoming superhero anthology. Sam Gafford and Bonnie Sterling both submitted wonderful tales.

The Free Choice E-zine, of which I am its humble Editor-In-Chief, celebrated its 1400th Blogger post today, as Waxy Dragon talked about her vacation down on the farm for the Sunday Funnies.







And then there's ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.
On one hand, I not only finished writing Chapter 14, but also got a good start on Chapter 15 too.
However, Chapter 13 came back from my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader with a note saying it still needed work.

I just don't know what it is about that chapter!

There IS a lot of important information within that chapter that I need to share with the readers. However, I'm being told it needs more action. Otherwise, it's just a lot of "blah, blah, blah". You know, like that sound effect in all the Peanuts specials when an adult is allegedly talking off screen.

The problem isn't that I'm not capable of spicing it up with more action to make the chapter more interesting.

The situation is trying to come up with the appropriate action.

I do not want to contradict anything that happened within the first 12 chapters, nor do I want to tip my hand in regards to what happens in the remaining chapters.

So I definitely have an interesting challenge before me.

Well, I'll figure out how to accomplish this balancing act in time.

Better get back to work now.

See you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

18 January, 2015