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 03.18.2007
Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or e-mail me. If I forgot your prayer request, e-mail me. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't e-mail me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray ONE Sunday.
I’m trying something new with my Sunday Prayer. I’m really bad about doing it on Sunday, so I’ll be updating it during the week.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you that Squirl’s hard drive wasn’t too bad and Geek Squad could recover all her files, and thank you that they’re actually fixing the laptop, too.
Please help Missy’s friend have a positive attitude and outlook, and I pray the spots on his liver are benign. I also pray the surgery will go very well.
Be with Jennifer T. and her family. Help the house rebuilding go quickly and smoothly. Let everything go well with the insurance company. Give her and her family peace and comfort during this time.
Be with Jane O.’s family. Comfort them and surround them with your presence.
Help Ronie with the changes happening in her life. Help her to stay strong and supple in the storm. Give her your strength and resilience and love. Help her boys do well in school and help the teachers better respond to their needs.
Please be with Sharon S. and her family right now. Give them your comfort and strength.
I lift up Dana and her husband, and pray you’ll provide speaking opportunities for them to build up their team and support.
I lift up Ruth’s cat Salty and pray you’ll ease her suffering, whether by healing or taking her. Please give Ruth wisdom and please spare her the pain of having to put her down.
I lift up Wendy’s computer. Please help the computer techs be able to retrieve ALL her files without problems and with minimum cost.
Give Kristin’s fingers speed to finish her book in the next week. Help the moving in proceed smoothly and without stress or hassle. Help her book develop as you want it to.
Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or e-mail me. If I forgot your prayer request, e-mail me. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't e-mail me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray ONE Sunday.
I’m trying something new with my Sunday Prayer. I’m really bad about doing it on Sunday, so I’ll be updating it during the week.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you that Squirl’s hard drive wasn’t too bad and Geek Squad could recover all her files, and thank you that they’re actually fixing the laptop, too.
Please help Missy’s friend have a positive attitude and outlook, and I pray the spots on his liver are benign. I also pray the surgery will go very well.
Be with Jennifer T. and her family. Help the house rebuilding go quickly and smoothly. Let everything go well with the insurance company. Give her and her family peace and comfort during this time.
Be with Jane O.’s family. Comfort them and surround them with your presence.
Help Ronie with the changes happening in her life. Help her to stay strong and supple in the storm. Give her your strength and resilience and love. Help her boys do well in school and help the teachers better respond to their needs.
Please be with Sharon S. and her family right now. Give them your comfort and strength.
I lift up Dana and her husband, and pray you’ll provide speaking opportunities for them to build up their team and support.
I lift up Ruth’s cat Salty and pray you’ll ease her suffering, whether by healing or taking her. Please give Ruth wisdom and please spare her the pain of having to put her down.
I lift up Wendy’s computer. Please help the computer techs be able to retrieve ALL her files without problems and with minimum cost.
Give Kristin’s fingers speed to finish her book in the next week. Help the moving in proceed smoothly and without stress or hassle. Help her book develop as you want it to.
Comments
How sweet you are to pray for people you've never actually met. :)
My husband and I are missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We plan to leave for Tanzania, East Africa in late July. We are currently raising the financial support to go. My prayer request is for speaking opportunities where we can present our ministry and invite people to partner with us in this venture and for God to build our team of both prayer and financial partners.
Thanks so much!
BTW - the cover of your book - the Sushi one... It's so vibrant - it makes me want to get the book NOW. :)
Thanks for posting about your prayer list...boy did I need to read that this morning. I am really torn up inside...one of my precious cats, Salty, is off her food in a major way. She eats just little bits at a time, only when really coaxed. But she's drinking and still very alert. I am just heartbroken over seeing her look so frail. Please pray for wisdom, for me and an potential treatment, and also God's mercy. My heart-prayer is that if this is her time, He'll just take her in her sleep and I won't have to make the call to have her put down.
Thank you so much!
Ruth