CYBER MONDAY 2011

The following is a public service announcement of The Free Choice E-zine.

Within the last few days we have already experienced Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, a new movement that is only on its second year of trying to become established, whereupon consumers are encouraged to shop only small businesses that day.
And now comes Cyber Monday, with its main focus upon e-commerce and online shopping.
So if your Internet connection is a little slow at times today, there might be an external explanation.

The Free Choice E-zine hopes that everyone takes the necessary precautions when online.
01. Only visit established/trusted websites.
02. When giving out personal information like credit card numbers, make sure the web address either starts with HTTPS, the Internet designation that you ARE on a secured portion of the web, or that there is an icon of a lock somewhere in the address bar.
DO NOT TAKE THE WEBSITE'S WORD ALONE THAT THE SITE IS SECURE!

Otherwise, happy shopping everyone!

The above was a public service message of The Free Choice E-zine.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: OF MICE AND MEN

Hello Everybody. Your esteemed Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here.
Both Autumn the Puppy and Waxy Dragon have the Thanksgiving holiday weekend off, so I will attempt to entertain you for a bit.
Ready?

Sometimes I wonder if life would be more interesting if it had background music like it does in the movies and on television.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it uses a lot more memory in my PC.

For those who have it at breakfast, have you ever wondered about ham and eggs? It's only a day's work for the chicken, but the pig is making a lifetime commitment to you. Are you worthy of that?

Being "over" the hill is MUCH better than being under it, but wrinkled is NOT one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.

The other day I had to go shopping because there were mice in the cellar. Now granted, having them in the cellar beats having them in the house proper. If mice ever do move in to your house, they'll never pay rent or their share of the utilities.
I can't blame the poor things for wanting to escape the winter cold, but I'm sure there are other places they can go to escape winter.
Maybe someplace warm, like heck?
Anyway, I was at the store trying to decide what variety of mouse trap to buy and surprised to see all the different options.
There's the basic, traditional spring trap that will kill the mouse instantly, provided they're not fast enough to avoid that big (to them) piece of metal coming at them when they try to take the bait and set off the trap in the process. But then again, every time you catch a mouse, you have to empty and reset the trap afterwards.
I mean, geez, I don't even want them in the cellar. Who said I wanted any contact with them at all?
So I'm standing there now in the middle of the aisle contemplating the variety of glue traps the store had. I figured no muss, no fuss, right? The mouse gets stuck on it, and you just toss trap and all.
But just as I reach for them, this woman who was standing nearby suddenly said, "Don't buy those. They're totally inhumane!"
"How?" I asked.
"The mice get stuck on those traps and slowly starve to death," she replied.
"Look lady, I don't care what happens to them afterwards, I just want them out of my cellar," I said in return.
Does it really matter HOW the mouse dies? After all, it's not like I had any plans to attend the funeral(s). I just wanted them gone.
So as the lady left, I started looking at the poison options. Boric acid was the safest for all concerned, except the mice. But if I didn't want them in the house to begin with, the last thing I wanted was for them to have a chance to crawl in between the walls and floor boards to die.
Imagine two to three weeks from now smelling some strange odors, being worried about the possibility of carbon monoxide in your residence, and it turns out to be dead mice.
Revenge of the Rodents! YUCK!
Then I thought about getting a cat, but then I would have to worry about buying cat food, keeping up with its litter box, and the vet bills to keep it healthy because after all, the darn thing would (hopefully) be eating mice on a regular basis.
So in the end, I did the only sensible thing I could.
I moved and left no forwarding address so the mice can't follow me.

Well, that's it for this installment folks. Have a great week and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-lh,jr.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 20-26, 2011

Amongst the events that have happened around the world this past week include:

*While no sales figures have been tallied or revealed yet, there unfortunately once again have been reports of scattered violence at various retail outlets around the United States in the wee hours of Black Friday.
*Egyptian citizens hoping for a new democracy, have forced the interim government to resign.
*Civil unrest continues in Syria.
*A bi-partisan committee of the United States Congress failed to reach an agreement on budget cut recommendations, forcing previously agreed upon cuts from the last budget discussion to automatically be enacted.
*The Berkeley California (USA) Campus Police Officers who pepper sprayed demonstrators supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement AFTER they had been arrested have been put on "administrative leave" pending further investigation of the incident.
*Scientists have announced the discovery of an orchid that blooms AT NIGHT! "Bulbophyllum Noctumum" grows off the coast of Papua New Guinea.
*NASA has launched a new automated rover vehicle to explore the surface of Mars. But expected arrival of the delivery rocket to the red planet is not until August 2012.

IN SPORTS:
*If a tentative agreement becomes official, professional basketball players could take the court once more by Christmas Day 2011.
*Race car driver Tony Stewart won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: NOVEMBER 26, 2011

For those interested, unlike other places, we will begin our annual Christmas celebration in The Puzzle Corner next weekend, when it is actually December.
Meanwhile, some seasonal enigmas for the Thanksgiving weekend.

TRIVIA TIME
According to the song, where would you be if you followed these directions:

Walk right in, it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Our annual holiday tradition, how many words can you make out of the letters in THANKSGIVING?
And the individual words THANKS and GIVING do count towards your total.

We'll reveal all next weekend. But meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX, for the results of November 19's Puzzle Corner.

BEFORE AND AFTER
Tarzan at the playground might be King of the Jungle Gym.

THE FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE
Despite how realistic they have been drawn, "Aunt Jemima", "Betty Crocker", and "Uncle Ben" are all fictitious.

BLACK FRIDAY 2011

Dear Free Choice E-zine Reader:

This item is being posted before 10pm Eastern Standard Time.
Some stores will be open at Midnight for Black Friday sales, provided they ever closed to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday to begin with.
The Black Friday sales promotion to kick off the shopping portion of the holiday season is so named because retail outlets will be open long before the sun rises for the day in hopes to make sales and turn profits.
Whether or not this is actually successful, after you figure in such costs as employee salaries, security, advertising expenses, etc; remains to be seen.
All I can say is that there are many things that could be done overnight, and if shopping is your thing, have fun.
Personally, I shall be in bed asleep.

Sincerely,
Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2011

Today is Thanksgiving.
While the basic idea originated within the United States, there is much the World has to be thankful for.
A few countries have fought for and won democracy this year and will soon be enjoying the right to vote if they have not already held their first free elections.
But this is mainly a time for family and friends, regardless of what the retail industry may advertise and what the various media plan to present today.
As Human beings, we do not take as much time as we should to celebrate life itself and all the good things within it.
Feel free to do so now.
You'll be glad you did.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: SCHOOL DAZE

Autumn, Puppy, School of Thought

Hello Everyone. Autumn the Puppy here.
It has come to my attention that with the holidays approaching, children and students will have a lot of time off between now and the end of the calendar year. They will have Thanksgiving and the day after this week, and at least the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, if not a little extra on each side of the individual holidays that week.
With that in mind, let's see how smart you are with some jokes that require you to actually do a little thinking to get the punch line.
Class is now in session.
Ready?

When does the cart actually come before the horse?
In the dictionary.

What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it?
Post Office.

What weighs more: a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks?
Neither. They both weigh a ton, although you need a lot less bricks than feathers to equal one ton.

Can you spell ROTTEN with only two letters?
Sure. DK (decay)

How many books can you put in an empty backpack?
Only one. After that it isn't empty any more.

What kind of cheese is made backwards?
Edam (made backwards)

How many months have 28 days?
All of them!

What gets bigger as you take more away from it?
A hole.

What goes up but never comes down?
Your age.

The turtle took two chocolates to Texas to help teach Thomas to tie his boots. How many T's in that?
There are only two T's in ThaT.


What has a head, a tail, but no legs?
Any coin.


What is the center of gravity?
The Letter V.


What stays in a corner but can travel around the world?
The original answer to this was "A Stamp", but nowadays "A Computer on the Internet" is acceptable too.


Well, that's all the space I have for now. Have a good week everybody. Enjoy the holiday safely, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.-AtP.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 13-19, 2011

November 24 is Thanksgiving Day, whereupon hopefully family and friends will get together to celebrate friendship and what they are grateful for.

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week:
*Moammar Gadhafi's son has been captured in Libya.
*While civil unrest continues in Syria, Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has stated he will leave office within 90 days to make way for a new general election, thus ending his 33 year term in office.
*Former Phillipines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been arrested on charges of electoral fraud.

THE OCCUPATION
*New York City is now no longer allowing members of the original "Occupy Wall Street" movement to camp out over night in parks and other public venues. Meanwhile, some fear the grass roots movement is being taking over by labor unions and other organizations while no one will speculate as to what, if anything, might happened around the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC this coming Thursday.
*Authorities in Portland, Oregon (USA) shut down the occupation there, making 50 arrests in the process.
*The Occupy Oakland movement has also been closed by authorities in California.
*Some members of the Occupy London movement claim to have been harassed during events at Remembrance Sunday at St. Paul's Cathedral.

IN SPORTS:
*With his professional life over as he faces criminal charges for sexual misconduct with boys, former Penn State college football coach Joe Paterno is now facing a battle with cancer too.
*Professional Basketball Commissioner David Stern has admitted the possibility that what remains of the unplayed 2011-12 basketball season may be cancelled outright. There is no sign at present of a new agreement between team owners and players on the horizon and reaching one now would not make a game possible before late January/early February at the earliest.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*Authorities have reopened the investigation into the death of actress Natalie Wood after it has been closed for almost 30 years, although they do state that her husband at the time, actor Robert Wagner, is not a suspect/person of interest.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: NOVEMBER 19, 2011

Another weekend is upon us, and considering that there are a lot of people staying indoors because of the cold weather, why not do so with a couple of puzzles to keep the mind warm.
Ready?

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate things share at least one word, allowing them to combine to create a new item.
Can you figure out what it is, based upon the clue below?

Tarzan at the playground?

THE FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE
Just like a regular Trivia Time question, except there are only two possible answers, thus giving you a fair chance at answering the question correctly. Ready?

With the holiday baking season approaching, can you say whether or not the following corporate brands are actually based upon real people?
01. "Aunt Jemima"
02. "Betty Crocker"
03. "Uncle Ben" of rice fame.

We'll reveal all next weekend. Now, let's look inside THE ANSWERS BOX for the results of November 12's Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
01. {Sergeant Ben Romero, Detective Sergeant Ed Jacobs}
02. {Frank Smith, William Gannon}
All were partners of Police Sergeant Joe Friday on Dragnet.


TRIVIA TIME
Badge 714 of the Los Angeles (California, USA) Police Department was honorably retired in 1983 after the passing of actor Jack Webb, who portrayed Sgt. Friday on the Dragnet radio and television programs throughout his career.
While never confirmed beyond the fact that the number was not assigned to an actual officer at the time Dragnet first started on radio in 1949, urban legends persist that the actor/producer/show creator chose it either because it represented his mother's birth date  of July 14 (7-14) or that was the original career home run record in Major League Baseball, set by the legendary Babe Ruth.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: IF YOU CAN'T PLAY BASKETBALL...

Waxy Dragon: NOT a future NBA Star

Hello Everybody.
Ms. Waxy Dragon here.
Now I know that a lot of sports fans are disappointed right now that there are no professional basketball games being played.
In fact, it might be 2012 before the NBA officially bounces its first basketball of a seriously shortened season.
But take heart!
There is still not only plenty of college hoops in your future, but I'm here to cheer you up with some basketball themed jokes.
Ready?

What do you call a pig who plays basketball?
A ball hog.

Why do basketball players love donuts?
Because they can dunk them.

Why do basketball players risk going to jail when they are ON the court?
Because they are always shooting the ball.

When is a baby good at playing basketball?
When it's dribbling.

What is a basketball cheerleader's favorite food?
Cheerios!

Except for Larry, why are birds not allowed to play basketball?
Because they're all fowls.

Why can't Cinderella play the game?
Because she's always running away from the ball.
Besides, her coach is a pumpkin!

Well folks, that's the way the basketball bounces. Hope you liked the jokes and please come back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.
Have a good week everyone!-wd.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 6-12, 2011

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week...

*Civil unrest continues in Syria, Israel, and Yemen.
*Doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty in the death of entertainer Michael Jackson.
*Asteroid YU55 safely passed by the Earth on Tuesday, the closest an object has done so since 1976.
*The Occupy Wall Street grassroots movement and its variants across the United States and the world continues.
*The Democratic Party is claiming victory in several local United States elections held Tuesday, including the defeat of a referendum sponsored by Ohio's Republican Governor to repeal collective bargaining.
*University students in London marched in peaceful protest this week over another rise in tuition costs.
*The investigation into the British tabloid The News hacking into otherwise secured phone databanks continues.
*Sadly, the Western Black Rhinoceros has been declared extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

IN SPORTS:
*Pennsylvania State University has fired head football coach Joe Paterno over allegations of having sex with underage boys. University President Graham Spanier has also lost his job over allegations of at least ignoring the claims over the years, if not covering them up outright. Security is beings strengthened for Penn State's last at home game today as many protesters are expected.
*Boxer Joe Frazier has passed away from liver cancer at age 67.
*The Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball have changed their name to the MIAMI Marlins.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: NOVEMBER 12, 2011

The following Puzzle Corner has a special theme to it. Do you know what it is?

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset have something in common. What is it?
01. {Sergeant Ben Romero, Detective Sergeant Ed Jacobs}
02. {Frank Smith, William Gannon}

TRIVIA TIME
The Los Angeles (California, USA) Police Department honorably retired Badge 714 in 1983, despite the fact it was never worn by an actual police officer. Why?

We'll reveal all next weekend. Meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of November 5's Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
The United States Congress finally adopted the measure of Daylight Saving Time in March 1918, despite founding father Benjamin Franklin being the earliest (known) person to suggest it back in the 1700s.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Out of the letters in the word DAYLIGHT, you can form the following words: a, ad, ah, ail, at, daily, day, dial, gait, gay, ha, had, hag, hai (Japanese for yes), hail, hat, hay, hi, hid, hilt, hit, I, id, it, la (musical note), lad, lag, laid, lay, lid, light, tad, tag, tail, AND ti (another musical note).
Other words besides the 35 listed above might be possible.

VETERANS DAY 2011

The following is an editorial.

Today is Veterans Day here within the United States of America, and the first year of a new decade whereupon by the beginning of next year, there might actually be some peace within the world.
Some like to portray Americans as war mongers.
That is not the case.
Those same people think our soldiers are nothing but cannon fodder, either to carry out this country's objectives or as an obstacle to achieving their own.
Neither position is the truth.
The public and world perceptions of the various branches of the United States' military over the last decade or so have not always been within the best possible light.
The soldiers, carrying out the orders of those above them, have taken flak from the media, those they have tried to help and at times, even from their fellow Americans.
Troops have gone onto foreign soil for different reasons over the course of history, but those actions come down to three main things.
To defend the innocent.
To assist our allies.
To defeat the bad guys.
But the definition of that last term has seriously changed over the course of history too.
Today, the enemy appears out of nowhere, striking without concern to either military NOR civilian causalities, using methods that disgust everyone else.
There are others who think the enemy are those in private business, making a profit off the suffering of others.
But regardless of the opponent, there is no question that war is hell, yet at times such actions must be taken in order for there to be peace.
Hopefully, that objective has been obtained in the desert, for those deployed will be out of that region by the end of this calendar year.
You can question the decisions of those who have commanded the troops since 2000.
Yet there is no denying the past achievements of America's military, nor the bravery and courage of those men and women who have proudly served this country.
Today is their day.
Remember them.

The above was an editorial.

ELECTION DAY 2011

The following is an editorial.

Today is Election Day here within the United States of America and sadly, many of this countries citizens will not exercise their inalienable right because they do not consider this specific election important enough to do so because it is only for local officials in their area. No national Congressmen are running for office today, and the decision on who shall be President of this noble country will not be held until 2012.

THIS IS WRONG!


EVERY ELECTION IS IMPORTANT!

There are countries that fought and lost many people over what some are taking for granted!
Just because there are no "major" decisions being decided today does not mean you can ignore this election.

ANY opportunity to exercise your freedoms of choice and expression are important!
Especially nowadays.

Local officials and in some areas, even policies, are being decided upon today.
How things are run in your town/city will be decided by the people who actually go vote today.

Tomorrow, if you do not like the results, you have no right to complain if you didn't vote.

So exercise your constitutional rights and GO VOTE!

The above was an editorial of The Free Choice E-zine, which humbly reminds all its readership that whenever elections are held in your area, regardless of what is being decided, it is always important to let your voice be heard!

FALLING BACK 2011

Daylight Saving Time has ended in the United States for this year.
Did you remember to set your clocks back one hour?
Or were you actually on time for something this morning?

SUNDAY FUNNIES: HOW TO MEDICATE YOUR PETS

"Doctor" Autumn Puppy

Hello Everyone. Autumn the Puppy here.
This week, as a public service to all my loyal readers, I'm gonna explain the proper way to medicate your pets.
Being a pet myself, I know how much "fun" it is to take pills.
You Humans have it sooo much easier than us of the four feet and fur set.
After all, when you go see your doctor(s), think about where they stick your thermometer compared to where we get it!
But since there are basically two types of pets, I'll be polite and start with cats.


HOW TO GIVE YOUR PET A PILL.

FOR CATS:                                              
01. Pick up cat and cradle it in crook of one arm as if holding a baby.
02. Position forefinger and thumb of other hand on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to its cheeks while holding pill.
03. As cat opens its mouth, pop pill into it.
04. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow naturally.
05. Pick up soggy pill from floor. Throw contaminated medicine away and get a new pill before retrieving cat from its hiding place.
06. Cradle cat once more, this time holding its front paws in the process.
07. Force pill down cat's mouth, then hold it shut manually for a count of ten.
08. Trash old pill and get a new one before removing cat from its new hiding place.
09. Find an assistant, who holds pill. Meanwhile, you kneel on floor with cat firmly wedged between your knees while holding both its front and rear paws.
10. Assistant ignores low growls made by cat and repeats Step 7 with pill.
11. With a new pill in hand since you have not found the last one since the cat spit it out, have assistant wrap cat in towel, leaving only its head visible.
12. Take a straw big enough to accommodate pill and stick one end in cat's mouth.
13. Put pill in other end and exhale into straw, blowing pill towards cat.
14. If unable to cough up pill after cat blew it into you, check bottle to make sure cat medication is not harmful to Humans.
15. After locating cat's latest hiding place, fix cat a meal, putting medication within food.
16. Watch cat eat everything but the medication.
17. Surrender.
18. Cat comes back later and eats pill on its own because now it smells "interesting".

FOR DOGS:
01. Put pill in dog food.

02. Watch dog eat everything without a second thought.


Well, that's all the time and space I have for today. Enjoy your week and please be back here next time for more Sunday Funnies!-AtP.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2011

Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States tonight. Remember to set your clocks back one hour.

Amongst the events that have happened around the world this past week...

*The sixth G-20 summit has begun in Cannes, France to discuss the European and World Economic situations.

*Citing budget concerns, Ireland has closed its embassy to the Pope in Vatican City.

*Libya's interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has announced the forthcoming visit of weapons inspectors to help that country rid themselves of Gaddafi's chemical weapons.

*According to the United Nations, there are now over seven BILLION people occupying Planet Earth.

*United States President Barack Obama has declared Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia a national monument.

*The trial of Doctor Conrad Murray concerning his possible responsibility in the death of entertainer Michael Jackson has gone to the jury for a verdict.

*Russian scientists have concluded a mock simulation of a manned expedition to Mars.

FOREIGN ELECTION RESULTS:

*Kyrgyzstan has elected Almazbek Atambayev President.

*Rosen Plevneliev is now President-elect of Bulgaria.

*Paul Biya is now serving his sixth term as President of Cameroon.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

*Long time and recently retired 60 Minutes correspondent Andy Rooney has passed away at age 92.

*The simple, polite refusal of tasting an offered treat during a visit to Copenhagen has now sparked rumors that Kate Middleton might be pregnant with a royal heir.

*While facing bankruptcy court and possible legal charges stemming from how the Crystal Cathedral Mega-Church of Orange County, California was operated, Reverend Robert Schuller is looking for food donations for his sick wife while she battles pneumonia, and is willing to send a limo around to collect them! Ray Stevens was right. Would Jesus Wear A Rolex On His Television Show?

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: NOVEMBER 5, 2011

Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States tonight. So let us examine the situation a little more closely.


TRIVIA TIME
The extension of Daylight Saving Time into March and early November was an act of a more recent Congress. But when did that august body first adopt the practice of DST?


THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Since we will have less of it as winter takes its hold, just how many words can you make out of the letters in the word DAYLIGHT?


We'll reveal all next weekend, but hopefully not in the dark.
Meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX, and discover who was singing what during our Halloween Hijinks Quiz in October 29's Puzzle Corner.


01. "Cause everyday is Halloween for me (for me, for me)"
Perform This Way by "Weird" Al Yankovic.
02. "Without their souls or getting down"
Thriller by Michael Jackson and Vincent Price.
03. "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"
The Monster Mash by ? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians.
04. "It's just a jump to the left"
Let's Do The Time Warp Again, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
05. "And he taught me the way to win your heart."
Witch Doctor by David Seville (Ross Bagdasarian, Senior), Alvin and the Chipmunks (and long time Free Choice E-zine readers knew that one would be here somewhere).
06. "So I proposed, on Halloween"
Spooky by The Classics IV (4)
07. "Thirteen month old baby"
Superstition by Stevie Wonder
08. "I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen"
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
09. "While grown up sight covers him with fright"
From the Casper, The Friendly Ghost Theme Song.
10. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"
Ghostbusters! Theme song by Ray Parker, Junior

LOST CHILDREN ANTHOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE!

   Recently, our own Nancy Hansen and others contributed stories to raise money for childrens charities. The result was LOST CHILDREN: A CHARITY ANTHOLOGY with stories by 30 authors from all over the globe collected in an E-book anthology now on sale.

The book is only $2.99 (in US funds) and available from a wide variety of sources in multiple formats.


ALL STORIES WERE DONATED BY THE AUTHORS AND ALL PROCEEDS ARE GOING DIRECTLY TO THE CHARITY!

For more information, just click the link below.

http://the-lost-children.blogspot.com/2011/10/lost-children-charity-anthology-now.html

HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE DEBUTS

Hugh Monn, Private Detective

Someday, Humanity will finally reach the stars.

Upon that day, mankind will ironically discover that the rest of the universe has much of the same foibles and problems they do. Missing people, greed, theft, bigotry, and other failings are not limited to just Old Earth. Thankfully, there are beings like Hugh Monn, Private Detective to help resolve those issues.

The debut collection from author/creator Lee Houston, Junior is a New Pulp mash up of two classic genres: the hard boiled detective and science fiction! Join Hugh on eight thrilling cases as he walks the glittering, yet dark streets of Galveston 2 and finds as much mayhem and corruption in the future as there's ever been!

Painted cover by David Russell.

Available from Amazon and Create Space (item number 3714798)

ISBN/EAN13: 1466481900 / 9781466481909

184 pages, published by Pro Se Press, “Putting the monthly back in pulp.”


The Free Choice E-zine is proud to announce the premiere of our esteemed Editor-In-Chief's debut novel, and took the opportunity to chat with Lee Houston, Junior about his book.

The Free Choice E-zine: How did this come about?
Lee Houston, Junior: Hugh was an idea I already had floating in the back of my mind when Pro Se Press first expressed an interest in my creative endeavors. With the mystery genre having been in existence for well over a century at this point, there have been many detectives on numerous beats, but few set in the far flung future. This work combines the detective/mystery genre with science fiction before factoring in the New Pulp aspect of fast paced, action packed story telling and my own personal touch on the material.

TFC: And what does set Hugh apart from other detectives?
Lee: Besides the fact that he is operating on another planet in a different part of the universe? I made the decision early on that Hugh would be a man who relied as much on his brains and brawn to solve cases than anything that would be considered high tech by today's standards.

TFC: How does Hugh's world (universe?) differ from ours?
Lee: Superficially, by quite a lot. In Hugh's time, you can travel from one solar system to the next as easily as someone would go from New York to Los Angeles today. Yet within the shadows still lurks all the problems of any time, and some of those situations need to be dealt with a more personal touch than any Lawbot can deliver.

TFC: So it sounds like you took all the classic elements of detectives past and put your own spin on them in a totally different setting.
Lee: Basically. Hugh is a war veteran (in this case, of Universal War 1) who happens to be a fully licensed private detective and carries a gun (a Nuke 653 Rechargeable) with his own moral code of honor, right and wrong; who tries to do his best to help those in need for a hundred credits a day plus expenses.

TFC: Tell us, is Hugh Monn his real name?
Lee: Even he admits in the very first story that Hugh Monn (a play on the word Human) is "just a moniker that's good for business". In an universe where Humanity is only one of many races and species in existence, you have to do something to stand out in a crowd when trying to earn an honest living. Yet enough of Hugh's back story is revealed by the end of the first book to hold the reader's attention and have them interested in his future adventures.

TFC: So will there be a second Hugh Monn book?
Lee: I will be starting work on that after I finish the novel I'm writing at the moment. We can talk more about those in 2012.

Hugh Monn, Private Detective is available from Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Monn-Private-Detective-Houston/dp/1466481900/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320158240&sr=1-1
or via Create Space at https://www.createspace.com/3714798