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 06.21.2006
Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is A SOUNDING BRASS by Shelley Bates.
My Monday book giveaway is WAKING LAZARUS by TL Hines.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for A SOUNDING BRASS and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
I'd love to go to Italy: I've been watching a few movies now that I turned in my manuscript to my editor. I finally got to see Under the Tuscan Sun. Beautiful scenes, and very quirky characters.
It was as funny as I thought it would be—a nice, light movie. Not a romance, more of a travel chick-lit. Certainly not slow-paced, yet interspersed with dramatic shots of Italy’s landscape.
I loved the ending the best--when she looks around at the house and realizes what she's gotten for herself. It was a very poignant moment.
And man, I want to look like Diane Lane when I’m inching toward 40.
TMI:
Diet: I’ve been so good about doing my Denise Austin exercise programs that I injured my quad muscle. Yeah, I’m brilliant. Please pray it heals quickly.
And speaking of prayers and healing, my good knee (not the surgery knee) is clicking. It’s not painful, and I have friends whose knees click and they still play volleyball, but I just don’t like it. And it does hurt sometimes when I do certain bending movements. Please pray it heals. I’m doing more leg exercises to help strengthen the muscles around the knee.
My eating has been okay, but I can’t seem to get my calorie count below 1600-1700 a day. Much of those calories are vegetables, so I guess that’s good, but my calorie count for my height and weight and bone structure is supposed to be 1300-1400 a day. Man, I need more discipline.
Oh, and I’ve been eating less salt. I don’t have high blood pressure, but I’m doing it out of vanity. When I eat more salt, my body bloats and I feel fat, but if I eat less salt, my body doesn’t bloat. Isn’t that just the most pathetic reason you’ve ever heard?
Blogging: I decided to not post on Saturdays. I think I post too often. I mean, people have enough to read without hearing from me seven days a week. Fridays will be my Blog Bible Study posts.
Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is A SOUNDING BRASS by Shelley Bates.
My Monday book giveaway is WAKING LAZARUS by TL Hines.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for A SOUNDING BRASS and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
I'd love to go to Italy: I've been watching a few movies now that I turned in my manuscript to my editor. I finally got to see Under the Tuscan Sun. Beautiful scenes, and very quirky characters.
It was as funny as I thought it would be—a nice, light movie. Not a romance, more of a travel chick-lit. Certainly not slow-paced, yet interspersed with dramatic shots of Italy’s landscape.
I loved the ending the best--when she looks around at the house and realizes what she's gotten for herself. It was a very poignant moment.
And man, I want to look like Diane Lane when I’m inching toward 40.
TMI:
Diet: I’ve been so good about doing my Denise Austin exercise programs that I injured my quad muscle. Yeah, I’m brilliant. Please pray it heals quickly.
And speaking of prayers and healing, my good knee (not the surgery knee) is clicking. It’s not painful, and I have friends whose knees click and they still play volleyball, but I just don’t like it. And it does hurt sometimes when I do certain bending movements. Please pray it heals. I’m doing more leg exercises to help strengthen the muscles around the knee.
My eating has been okay, but I can’t seem to get my calorie count below 1600-1700 a day. Much of those calories are vegetables, so I guess that’s good, but my calorie count for my height and weight and bone structure is supposed to be 1300-1400 a day. Man, I need more discipline.
Oh, and I’ve been eating less salt. I don’t have high blood pressure, but I’m doing it out of vanity. When I eat more salt, my body bloats and I feel fat, but if I eat less salt, my body doesn’t bloat. Isn’t that just the most pathetic reason you’ve ever heard?
Blogging: I decided to not post on Saturdays. I think I post too often. I mean, people have enough to read without hearing from me seven days a week. Fridays will be my Blog Bible Study posts.
Comments
PS. Now what am I going to read on Saturdays?
You need to come visit. We live ONE HOUR away from Italy, not much farther to Tuscany. And this part of France used to be Italy, so where we live looks like it too.
I don't have a BP problem, but I'm supposed to watch my salt intake because my feet and ankles swell with too much salt or caffeine. (Notice I say supposed to, lol.)
That'll be my prayer for both of us. Also for both your knees but especially the one that starting to give you problems.
Maybe I was influenced by my early years of having little to eat but I usually eat to exist. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to do so. There have been a few times when I'd wolf down anything, including sweet stuff. At other times, like right now, just thinking of something sweet makes me shudder.