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, Supplemental
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Reluctant Burglar by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.
My Thursday book giveaway is Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Reluctant Burglar and post the title for another book I'm giving away.
Win an iPod Nano! Exclusively for my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers, I have a huge contest running until January 31st! Get more info on my contest page!
Click to join Camys_Loft
Second-guessing: MiPa had a really insightful blog post the other day that I’d like to share:
I commented on her blog that I think this is really true. In areas of my life where I “live resentfully,” I think it’s because I’m second-guessing my choices and actions.
I think I’ve gotten better as I get older. I can look back on my life and really see how God deliberately and skillfully guided my life’s path in very specific directions.
For example, I thought I’d wasted my time in college when I chose my psychology major only to change it to pre-med. But now I’m grateful because I’m really using that major to help me craft my fiction characters.
I had wondered why God gave me the initial desire to go to medical school and then told me He wanted me to stay in the Bay Area instead. But now I see it was so that I’d be qualified for the biotech jobs that I held.
He wanted me to stay in the Bay Area because of the youth group work I’ve done for the past 11 years, and because I met my wonderful husband, Captain Caffeine.
In my life—short as it’s been—I’ve made so many bad choices. I’ve interfered with God’s plans, didn’t even ask Him what He wanted me to do in many cases, or forged ahead despite the fact I knew He didn’t want me going there.
God has taken me through things despite that. Led me here despite that.
I can’t continue to live resentfully when I see how it has all come together the way it has. God used all my choices—good and bad—to lead me where He wants me. How could I resent how God has led me?
I need to do some housecleaning. Sweep away the lingering resentment or self-doubt about my choices.
TMI:
Writing: I posted another article on blogging for writers at the CAN Marketing blog.
Finished my second round (yes, Robin, more revisions) yesterday and started on my NaNoWriMo ms today . . . but didn't get much done. Still trying to figure out my hero's GMC. Yeah, kinda important.
On a positive note, my editor is happy with my revisions and she's been told she'll work with me on book 2! I'm very happy. Rachelle made this, my first professional substantive edit, a very good experience.
This is also a good thing, because if I have a question about the direction of things with book 2, I can ask her before I commit to 100 or so pages of prose.
Diet: Getting a few minutes on the bike here and there. I really need to work on portion control. That's just depressing, when an adult can't serve herself healthy portions of food!
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Reluctant Burglar by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.
My Thursday book giveaway is Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Reluctant Burglar and post the title for another book I'm giving away.
Win an iPod Nano! Exclusively for my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers, I have a huge contest running until January 31st! Get more info on my contest page!
Click to join Camys_Loft
Second-guessing: MiPa had a really insightful blog post the other day that I’d like to share:
“A life lived resentfully is a life lived second-guessing the choices one has made.”
I commented on her blog that I think this is really true. In areas of my life where I “live resentfully,” I think it’s because I’m second-guessing my choices and actions.
I think I’ve gotten better as I get older. I can look back on my life and really see how God deliberately and skillfully guided my life’s path in very specific directions.
For example, I thought I’d wasted my time in college when I chose my psychology major only to change it to pre-med. But now I’m grateful because I’m really using that major to help me craft my fiction characters.
I had wondered why God gave me the initial desire to go to medical school and then told me He wanted me to stay in the Bay Area instead. But now I see it was so that I’d be qualified for the biotech jobs that I held.
He wanted me to stay in the Bay Area because of the youth group work I’ve done for the past 11 years, and because I met my wonderful husband, Captain Caffeine.
In my life—short as it’s been—I’ve made so many bad choices. I’ve interfered with God’s plans, didn’t even ask Him what He wanted me to do in many cases, or forged ahead despite the fact I knew He didn’t want me going there.
God has taken me through things despite that. Led me here despite that.
I can’t continue to live resentfully when I see how it has all come together the way it has. God used all my choices—good and bad—to lead me where He wants me. How could I resent how God has led me?
I need to do some housecleaning. Sweep away the lingering resentment or self-doubt about my choices.
TMI:
Writing: I posted another article on blogging for writers at the CAN Marketing blog.
Finished my second round (yes, Robin, more revisions) yesterday and started on my NaNoWriMo ms today . . . but didn't get much done. Still trying to figure out my hero's GMC. Yeah, kinda important.
On a positive note, my editor is happy with my revisions and she's been told she'll work with me on book 2! I'm very happy. Rachelle made this, my first professional substantive edit, a very good experience.
This is also a good thing, because if I have a question about the direction of things with book 2, I can ask her before I commit to 100 or so pages of prose.
Diet: Getting a few minutes on the bike here and there. I really need to work on portion control. That's just depressing, when an adult can't serve herself healthy portions of food!
Comments
From now on, I should look at the plate, carve out one reasonable portion, and ask for a to go box at the beginning of the meal.
Just my thoughts. Hope it helped.
And thanks for the 'living resentfully' quote. Amazingly on target. Wow.