キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 03.03.2006
Book giveaway:
My Monday book giveaway (WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE) is here.
My Thursday book giveaway (WINDIGO TWILIGHT) is here.
You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts.
On Monday, I'll draw the winner for WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
Christian Women Online: Yesterday I said that Cathy West's novel excerpt is in this month's CWO, but actually her entire novel will be posted, a chapter every two weeks! Isn't that great? Go on over to check it out.
The Daphne: You'd think I wouldn't even want to think about another contest with the Genesis causing havoc in my life, but I never said I was normal.
All Points Bulletin: On March 15, 2006, the crime scene tape goes up along with the deadline for the Kiss of Death Chapter's Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense.
With a contest open to published and unpublished authors, and touted by both editors and agents, the Daphne remains one of the most respected and economical avenues for your contest dollar.
With four judges per entry for unpublished, and three judges per entry for published along with a fee that won't make you rob a bank, that's a lot of feedback for your contest loot.
Whether you write straight mystery/suspense or love a story intertwined with romance, the Daphne has something for everyone.
Categories include for Published & Unpublished:
Mainstream Mystery Suspense (romance optional)
Category (Series) Romantic Suspense
Single Title Romantic Suspense
Inspirational Romantic Suspense (THIS CATEGORY NEEDS MORE ENTRIES!)
Historical Romantic Suspense
Paranormal (Fantasy/Time Travel/Futuristic Romantic Suspense
Will you hold in your hand the next Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense? Don't be left clueless. Check out www.rwamysterysuspense.org for contest rules and information.
~ Donnell Ann Bell 2006 Daphne Coordinator
Camy here: This is a good contest--well-run and competitive. And if you need help condensing your synopsis into one page, I can do that through my Story Sensei critique service. Email me for a price quote or endorsements from writers whose synopses have been hacked and slashed by the Asian Adverb Annihilator.
Bible in 90 Days: Day 51. I think my counting is right...I haven't posted, but I have been keeping up. I'm nearing the end of Jeremiah. I like how my Life Application Bible describes Jeremiah's prophecies--like mountain peaks viewed from a certain angle, they look like they're right next to each other, but in actuality they're far apart. Jeremiah prophecied the restoration of the exiles to Jerusalem, but he also spoke about the New Jerusalem, when Christ will reign forever. Parallel, but far apart in time.
Writing: Yesterday, the Genesis ate me whole. Today, things are better. I have a crit or two to do, and then I'll write more tonight. I got some good brainstorming done today.
Diet: I did okay yesterday--went walking and ended at about 1400 calories. Today, I had a good PT workout and had soup for lunch (500).
I tried to go walking with the dog, but the way God's timing is, as soon as I was about two blocks away from home, it started to rain. So I took shelter under a tree. Then suddenly it started to hail. Little teeny ice drops. Didn't hurt. It felt kind of surreal, standing next to the black tree trunk, tiny drops of hail bopping me in the head like white Nerds candies falling from the sky, showering down outside the protection of the branches. No one else around. Dog getting antsy at the weird stuff sticking to her coat and feeling icy under her paws.
I was only two blocks from home, so we headed back when the hail started to lessen. And wouldn't you know, as soon as I got home, the sun broke out and now it's rain-free. I swear Mother Nature is giving me a cheeky grin, saying, "Bite me."
Book giveaway:
My Monday book giveaway (WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE) is here.
My Thursday book giveaway (WINDIGO TWILIGHT) is here.
You can still enter both of them. Just post a comment on those blog posts.
On Monday, I'll draw the winner for WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
Christian Women Online: Yesterday I said that Cathy West's novel excerpt is in this month's CWO, but actually her entire novel will be posted, a chapter every two weeks! Isn't that great? Go on over to check it out.
The Daphne: You'd think I wouldn't even want to think about another contest with the Genesis causing havoc in my life, but I never said I was normal.
All Points Bulletin: On March 15, 2006, the crime scene tape goes up along with the deadline for the Kiss of Death Chapter's Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense.
With a contest open to published and unpublished authors, and touted by both editors and agents, the Daphne remains one of the most respected and economical avenues for your contest dollar.
With four judges per entry for unpublished, and three judges per entry for published along with a fee that won't make you rob a bank, that's a lot of feedback for your contest loot.
Whether you write straight mystery/suspense or love a story intertwined with romance, the Daphne has something for everyone.
Categories include for Published & Unpublished:
Mainstream Mystery Suspense (romance optional)
Category (Series) Romantic Suspense
Single Title Romantic Suspense
Inspirational Romantic Suspense (THIS CATEGORY NEEDS MORE ENTRIES!)
Historical Romantic Suspense
Paranormal (Fantasy/Time Travel/Futuristic Romantic Suspense
Will you hold in your hand the next Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense? Don't be left clueless. Check out www.rwamysterysuspense.org for contest rules and information.
~ Donnell Ann Bell 2006 Daphne Coordinator
Camy here: This is a good contest--well-run and competitive. And if you need help condensing your synopsis into one page, I can do that through my Story Sensei critique service. Email me for a price quote or endorsements from writers whose synopses have been hacked and slashed by the Asian Adverb Annihilator.
Bible in 90 Days: Day 51. I think my counting is right...I haven't posted, but I have been keeping up. I'm nearing the end of Jeremiah. I like how my Life Application Bible describes Jeremiah's prophecies--like mountain peaks viewed from a certain angle, they look like they're right next to each other, but in actuality they're far apart. Jeremiah prophecied the restoration of the exiles to Jerusalem, but he also spoke about the New Jerusalem, when Christ will reign forever. Parallel, but far apart in time.
Writing: Yesterday, the Genesis ate me whole. Today, things are better. I have a crit or two to do, and then I'll write more tonight. I got some good brainstorming done today.
Diet: I did okay yesterday--went walking and ended at about 1400 calories. Today, I had a good PT workout and had soup for lunch (500).
I tried to go walking with the dog, but the way God's timing is, as soon as I was about two blocks away from home, it started to rain. So I took shelter under a tree. Then suddenly it started to hail. Little teeny ice drops. Didn't hurt. It felt kind of surreal, standing next to the black tree trunk, tiny drops of hail bopping me in the head like white Nerds candies falling from the sky, showering down outside the protection of the branches. No one else around. Dog getting antsy at the weird stuff sticking to her coat and feeling icy under her paws.
I was only two blocks from home, so we headed back when the hail started to lessen. And wouldn't you know, as soon as I got home, the sun broke out and now it's rain-free. I swear Mother Nature is giving me a cheeky grin, saying, "Bite me."
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