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
I considered cheating on my goals for this year, but decided I was being a wimp. So here they are:
Here are the goals required by my contract:
Book 3 in the series marketing info sheet due March 15th
Book 3 manuscript due June 1st
Book 1 substantive/line edits due sometime in Jan/Feb
Book 1 galleys due sometime after that
Book 2 macro edits due sometime in Spring?
Book 2 substantive/line edits due, I’m guessing in Summer.
Book 3 macro edits due sometime in October, I’m guessing
Dang, laid out like that, looks like I’ll be busy.
Here are my personal writing goals:
Long-term goals:
--Complete two manuscripts and a novella by December 31st, 2007 (I have to write the two manuscripts, but I’m trying to push myself and write a third project. I chose a novella since it’s easier than a full novel.)
Short-term goals:
--Write a short story this year (I keep putting it off because I’m such a perfectionist about it! I think I’ve got to get just the right plot, etc. before I start it. I’m such a geek. I need to just do it.)
--Keep up with my Story Sensei blog, posting short writing tips 3 times a week (I’m enjoying this a lot. Plus the posts are short—nice for me, but also nice for my readers who tend to like shorter reads on a blog)
--Update my website each month with something new (shouldn’t be a problem since I tend to have a monthly contest)
--Write in my blog at least once a week, but preferably everyday. Keep up with my weekly book giveaways. (I’m really enjoying promoting Christian fiction with my giveaways and blog guests)
Daily goals:
--Spend at four hours each day writing or researching for my ms, or 2000 words a day (This is going to be hard for me, but I need to be more disciplined!)
--Spend three hours each day in marketing, website, blogging, and learning craft. No more than an hour of blogging. (This is also going to be hard for me—blogging is so much fun. More fun than writing, sometimes.)
Project goals:
--Finish first manuscript by May 31st.
--Finish second manuscript by October 31st.
--Finish third manuscript by December 30th.
Learning goals:
--Read one book on writing each month.
--Read at least one article on writing each week.
(It helps to have a writing book and a writing magazine next to each toilet in the house. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d make time to keep learning more writing craft.)
Personal goals:
--Lose a jeans size (You knew this was coming, right?)
--Exercise 30 minutes at least 5 days a week (I really need the self-discipline to keep up with this. I mean, as a writer, I’m pretty sedentary.)
--Eat more vegetables, more fish, less fat (There has to be some more creative ways to do this without food tasting yucky, right? At least I figured out how to cook chicken breasts without overcooking them and having them turn out like cardboard.)
How about you guys? What are your goals for this year? Are you pushing yourself a little bit personally or professionally?
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Hell in a Briefcase by Phil Little with Brad Whittington
My Thursday book giveaway is A Girl’s Best Friend by Kristin Billerbeck.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Hell in a Briefcase 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!
I considered cheating on my goals for this year, but decided I was being a wimp. So here they are:
Here are the goals required by my contract:
Book 3 in the series marketing info sheet due March 15th
Book 3 manuscript due June 1st
Book 1 substantive/line edits due sometime in Jan/Feb
Book 1 galleys due sometime after that
Book 2 macro edits due sometime in Spring?
Book 2 substantive/line edits due, I’m guessing in Summer.
Book 3 macro edits due sometime in October, I’m guessing
Dang, laid out like that, looks like I’ll be busy.
Here are my personal writing goals:
Long-term goals:
--Complete two manuscripts and a novella by December 31st, 2007 (I have to write the two manuscripts, but I’m trying to push myself and write a third project. I chose a novella since it’s easier than a full novel.)
Short-term goals:
--Write a short story this year (I keep putting it off because I’m such a perfectionist about it! I think I’ve got to get just the right plot, etc. before I start it. I’m such a geek. I need to just do it.)
--Keep up with my Story Sensei blog, posting short writing tips 3 times a week (I’m enjoying this a lot. Plus the posts are short—nice for me, but also nice for my readers who tend to like shorter reads on a blog)
--Update my website each month with something new (shouldn’t be a problem since I tend to have a monthly contest)
--Write in my blog at least once a week, but preferably everyday. Keep up with my weekly book giveaways. (I’m really enjoying promoting Christian fiction with my giveaways and blog guests)
Daily goals:
--Spend at four hours each day writing or researching for my ms, or 2000 words a day (This is going to be hard for me, but I need to be more disciplined!)
--Spend three hours each day in marketing, website, blogging, and learning craft. No more than an hour of blogging. (This is also going to be hard for me—blogging is so much fun. More fun than writing, sometimes.)
Project goals:
--Finish first manuscript by May 31st.
--Finish second manuscript by October 31st.
--Finish third manuscript by December 30th.
Learning goals:
--Read one book on writing each month.
--Read at least one article on writing each week.
(It helps to have a writing book and a writing magazine next to each toilet in the house. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d make time to keep learning more writing craft.)
Personal goals:
--Lose a jeans size (You knew this was coming, right?)
--Exercise 30 minutes at least 5 days a week (I really need the self-discipline to keep up with this. I mean, as a writer, I’m pretty sedentary.)
--Eat more vegetables, more fish, less fat (There has to be some more creative ways to do this without food tasting yucky, right? At least I figured out how to cook chicken breasts without overcooking them and having them turn out like cardboard.)
How about you guys? What are your goals for this year? Are you pushing yourself a little bit personally or professionally?
Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Monday book giveaway is Hell in a Briefcase by Phil Little with Brad Whittington
My Thursday book giveaway is A Girl’s Best Friend by Kristin Billerbeck.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Hell in a Briefcase 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!
Comments
~sigh~ maybe later. lol
I have goals for this year... not sure I want to share them yet though.