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 01.12.2007
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Heart of the Amazon by Margaret Daley
My Thursday book giveaway is She’s All That by Kristin Billerbeck.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Heart of the Amazon 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!
God definitely has a sense of humor. I know now why He’s having me read Proverbs right at this particular time.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (TNIV)
I pride myself on giving good directions. But don’t take my word for it, here’s the real proof—my husband tells me I’m good at giving directions when we’re driving in the car.
So I got a little full of myself.
Brandilyn Collins wanted to join us for a meeting of Bay Area Christian writers, so I e-mailed her directions. I was so proud of myself, because I gave details like how she should stay in the right lane on the exit ramp, go through X number of lights, and take the X left, blah blah blah.
I gave the wrong freeway number.
Just a minor detail. Yeah.
So multi-published, best-selling author Brandilyn Collins took two hours of driving to find my house for our meeting tonight.
I’m such a doofus. And since Brandilyn has a sense of humor, she forgave me. But she’s going to milk me for all it’s worth, you can count on that.
I will live this down when I’m, oh, fifty.
A Pagan’s Nightmare by Ray Blackston
Isn’t that the most hilarious cover? I acquired an ARC of this book but haven’t read it yet (no time). However, the back cover blurb sounds hilarious:
A tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary culture through the eyes of a screenwriter who pens a hit about the last unbeliever on Earth navigating a thoroughly Christian world.
An unwary "pagan" discovers he's one of the last remaining unbelievers in a world populated by Christians. Or so imagines Larry Hutch, a screenwriter with hopes of writing a hit movie. While struggling in his faith and dealing with personal crises, he imagines a strange new world where song lyrics are altered to conform to "Christian" standards (the Beatles belt out "I Wanna Hold Your Tithe") and French fries, newly labeled "McScriptures," are tools for evangelism. Larry's screenplay is a big hit with his agent, Ned, but Ned's Southern Baptist wife is less than amused. Both men's futures will be on the line when the world witnesses A PAGAN'S NIGHTMARE.
The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is featuring this book this week, but I know I’ll be reading this soon . . . as soon as I have some time, anyway.
TMI:
Bible in 90 Days: day 42. Well, you know which book I’m in.
I’ve actually been convicted lately about my language—sometimes I use words that are acceptable in secular circles and some liberal Christian ones, but I’m starting to reevaluate if God really wants me saying some of them.
I’m also praying God will teach me to really love and cherish His word more. I think I don’t appreciate the Bible as much as I’d like to.
Writing: I posted another tip to cut a synopsis on my Story Sensei blog today. If you have any writing craft questions or things you’d like me to cover on my Story Sensei blog, just comment and let me know.
Diet: I wish embarrassment burned calories. I’d have lost a good five pounds last night.
I did not exercise, but I did keep my calorie count down by eating a very light breakfast and lunch, and not stuffing myself at the writer’s meeting last night. I also refused a second half of a cream puff my husband brought home from a special bakery in San Francisco (although that first half a cream puff was really good!).
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Heart of the Amazon by Margaret Daley
My Thursday book giveaway is She’s All That by Kristin Billerbeck.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Heart of the Amazon 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!
God definitely has a sense of humor. I know now why He’s having me read Proverbs right at this particular time.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (TNIV)
I pride myself on giving good directions. But don’t take my word for it, here’s the real proof—my husband tells me I’m good at giving directions when we’re driving in the car.
So I got a little full of myself.
Brandilyn Collins wanted to join us for a meeting of Bay Area Christian writers, so I e-mailed her directions. I was so proud of myself, because I gave details like how she should stay in the right lane on the exit ramp, go through X number of lights, and take the X left, blah blah blah.
I gave the wrong freeway number.
Just a minor detail. Yeah.
So multi-published, best-selling author Brandilyn Collins took two hours of driving to find my house for our meeting tonight.
I’m such a doofus. And since Brandilyn has a sense of humor, she forgave me. But she’s going to milk me for all it’s worth, you can count on that.
I will live this down when I’m, oh, fifty.
A Pagan’s Nightmare by Ray Blackston
Isn’t that the most hilarious cover? I acquired an ARC of this book but haven’t read it yet (no time). However, the back cover blurb sounds hilarious:
A tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary culture through the eyes of a screenwriter who pens a hit about the last unbeliever on Earth navigating a thoroughly Christian world.
An unwary "pagan" discovers he's one of the last remaining unbelievers in a world populated by Christians. Or so imagines Larry Hutch, a screenwriter with hopes of writing a hit movie. While struggling in his faith and dealing with personal crises, he imagines a strange new world where song lyrics are altered to conform to "Christian" standards (the Beatles belt out "I Wanna Hold Your Tithe") and French fries, newly labeled "McScriptures," are tools for evangelism. Larry's screenplay is a big hit with his agent, Ned, but Ned's Southern Baptist wife is less than amused. Both men's futures will be on the line when the world witnesses A PAGAN'S NIGHTMARE.
The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is featuring this book this week, but I know I’ll be reading this soon . . . as soon as I have some time, anyway.
TMI:
Bible in 90 Days: day 42. Well, you know which book I’m in.
I’ve actually been convicted lately about my language—sometimes I use words that are acceptable in secular circles and some liberal Christian ones, but I’m starting to reevaluate if God really wants me saying some of them.
I’m also praying God will teach me to really love and cherish His word more. I think I don’t appreciate the Bible as much as I’d like to.
Writing: I posted another tip to cut a synopsis on my Story Sensei blog today. If you have any writing craft questions or things you’d like me to cover on my Story Sensei blog, just comment and let me know.
Diet: I wish embarrassment burned calories. I’d have lost a good five pounds last night.
I did not exercise, but I did keep my calorie count down by eating a very light breakfast and lunch, and not stuffing myself at the writer’s meeting last night. I also refused a second half of a cream puff my husband brought home from a special bakery in San Francisco (although that first half a cream puff was really good!).
Comments
Love the cover on that book. I can hear the jaws theme now. LOL