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 07.25.2006
I'm gone to RWA National conference: This might be my last post for the rest of the week, depending on if I can get internet access at my hotel.
Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins.
My Monday book giveaway is BE MY NEAT-HEART by Judy Baer.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. I won’t be drawing a winner this Thursday, but on Monday, July 31st, I'll draw the winner for BE MY NEAT-HEART and post the title for another book I'm giving away.
Blame Mary: My beautiful friend Mary DeMuth is hosting a “Carnival of Beauty” on Wednesday. I’m not really sure what that means, but she asked me to join so I said “Cool!”
The theme is “The Beauty of Blogging.” Now blogging I could talk about all day! Blogging is beautiful for people like me who can’t shut up.
Maybe it’s ego-centric. I mean, blogging is uncensored, unedited writing/ranting/complaining/crowing/cheering/jeering/crying. It is self-publishing in all its glory and/or shame.
But I also firmly believe that a good blog has a theme. And while there are many themes which overlap, each blogger is unique in how he/she treats that theme.
For example, say my blog theme is chocolate. I will expound on calorie count, complain about the texture of chocolate chip ice cream, and support the truly dark stuff because it’s somewhat healthy for you (seriously!). Diann Hunt will say it’s the new food group.
Isn’t that our individual beauty as bloggers? We take our blogs and write our different outlooks on life and our faith. We are all members of Christ’s body.
I am quite happy being, say, a mole on Jesus’ chin. Or maybe His fourth toe (No one ever talks about the toes in-between the big one and the little one).
Yes, if you haven’t guessed by now, I am loud, Asian, and not very reverent. But there is beauty in me and in my blog posts somewhere. (Sort of. Maybe.)
(Can you tell I have an obsession with parentheses?)
Some bloggers (many of them my friends—go figure!) have truly beautiful blog posts. Rich and spiritual, raw and transparent.
I am rather prickly, sometimes stupid, and usually ready to laugh at myself when I’m not wondering what the heck happened.
Is it too arrogant to think that there is the beauty of Christ in my blog posts? He gave me my rather tactless personality, and He often gives me the words to write (so I can blame Him, right? Right?). He also often gives me the words to pray (which I do every Sunday here on my blog, if you’d like prayer).
So, I guess I have to have a point for this blog post.
You are beautiful because you’re you. I am beautiful because I’m me. Our blogs are beautiful because we are Christ’s children.
And if your blogs are thought-provoking and point others to Christ, while mine usually elicit a “Huh?” or a snort/guffaw, well . . .
Jesus laughs, right?
I'm gone to RWA National conference: This might be my last post for the rest of the week, depending on if I can get internet access at my hotel.
Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is WEB OF LIES by Brandilyn Collins.
My Monday book giveaway is BE MY NEAT-HEART by Judy Baer.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. I won’t be drawing a winner this Thursday, but on Monday, July 31st, I'll draw the winner for BE MY NEAT-HEART and post the title for another book I'm giving away.
Blame Mary: My beautiful friend Mary DeMuth is hosting a “Carnival of Beauty” on Wednesday. I’m not really sure what that means, but she asked me to join so I said “Cool!”
The theme is “The Beauty of Blogging.” Now blogging I could talk about all day! Blogging is beautiful for people like me who can’t shut up.
Maybe it’s ego-centric. I mean, blogging is uncensored, unedited writing/ranting/complaining/crowing/cheering/jeering/crying. It is self-publishing in all its glory and/or shame.
But I also firmly believe that a good blog has a theme. And while there are many themes which overlap, each blogger is unique in how he/she treats that theme.
For example, say my blog theme is chocolate. I will expound on calorie count, complain about the texture of chocolate chip ice cream, and support the truly dark stuff because it’s somewhat healthy for you (seriously!). Diann Hunt will say it’s the new food group.
Isn’t that our individual beauty as bloggers? We take our blogs and write our different outlooks on life and our faith. We are all members of Christ’s body.
I am quite happy being, say, a mole on Jesus’ chin. Or maybe His fourth toe (No one ever talks about the toes in-between the big one and the little one).
Yes, if you haven’t guessed by now, I am loud, Asian, and not very reverent. But there is beauty in me and in my blog posts somewhere. (Sort of. Maybe.)
(Can you tell I have an obsession with parentheses?)
Some bloggers (many of them my friends—go figure!) have truly beautiful blog posts. Rich and spiritual, raw and transparent.
I am rather prickly, sometimes stupid, and usually ready to laugh at myself when I’m not wondering what the heck happened.
Is it too arrogant to think that there is the beauty of Christ in my blog posts? He gave me my rather tactless personality, and He often gives me the words to write (so I can blame Him, right? Right?). He also often gives me the words to pray (which I do every Sunday here on my blog, if you’d like prayer).
So, I guess I have to have a point for this blog post.
You are beautiful because you’re you. I am beautiful because I’m me. Our blogs are beautiful because we are Christ’s children.
And if your blogs are thought-provoking and point others to Christ, while mine usually elicit a “Huh?” or a snort/guffaw, well . . .
Jesus laughs, right?
Comments
Love you, girlie! Have fun at RWA!
You're so fun. Love your blog.
- I DEFINITELY snorted and guffawed.
- So nice to meet you through our mutual Mary-friend.
- I am addicted to hyphens.
Isn't blogging great for us loud chicks. It truly keeps us in check and out of lots of trouble. Check out my Beauty of blogging Carnival post! It might make you smile!
I'm glad I joined in the Carnival of Beauty. This is my first and yours is the first entry I've read. Love it! :)
(I love them, too) (parentheses, silly!)
Hope you have fun at your conference!
BTW, I got the book and I can't wait to start reading it! Thanks!
We miss you!
Oh, and this time...I hope you took your video camera!