I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
For those of you who haven’t read Sushi for One, don’t worry, this won’t ruin the book for you. For those of you who have read it, you’ll hopefully get a chuckle over some of the snarkiness that got cut from the original book.
I’m also giving away the last of my author copies of Sushi for One over at Goodreads! Click here to enter (you must belong to Goodreads to enter). Ends September 20th.
They got her into the apartment, and Venus went to collect the Igloo ice machine and the CPM machine. She set the CPM on the bed.
“The bed’s too short.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you lie down, I have to move the machine here to fit under your leg.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, the edge of the machine is hanging over the end of the bed.”
Lex peered down. “That’s just great.”
“I’ll have to move it onto the bed.”
“But I’ll bang my head against the wall.”
“Would you rather have the machine drop to the floor? With your leg attached?”
“Good point.”
Venus started lugging boxes to the foot of Lex’s bed. “Alan said the CPM machine needs a footboard or something to hit against, because the passive motion will move it backwards.” She had to squeeze past the box once it was in place.
“How am I going to get to the bathroom?”
Venus shrugged.
“I hope I don’t have to go badly. It’ll take so long to get past the boxes—”
“Your fault for getting such a cramped studio.” Venus glared at her.
Lex glared back. “Helloooo? I’m in pain, here?”
“I’ll set up your ice machine.” Venus peered into the Igloo. “Needs more ice.”
She headed to Lex’s freezer. “No way.”
“What?”
“You don’t have an ice maker?”
“Oh. Uh . . . no.”
Venus looked around, saw Lex’s ice chest. “I’ll go get ice from Safeway. We’ll store it in that.” She picked up her purse and left.
Lex stared at the stains on the ceiling. This day was getting worse and worse.
Venus’s rattling of the door knob woke her from her doze.
“Got the ice.”
“Thanks.”
Venus stopped. “Are you actually being polite today? What a shocker.”
Lex frowned.
Venus chortled and dumped the ice into the ice machine. She hooked Lex up, and a spurt of cold crept over the surface of her knee. It numbed the throbbing pain.
“Where’s your extension cord?”
“What extension cord?”
“You don’t have one?”
“Do you see a lot of electrical appliances?”
Venus gusted out a frustrated sigh. She bent to pick up her purse. “I’ll be back.” Her snarl rumbled in the room after she slammed the door shut.
© 2014 Camy Tang
“The bed’s too short.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you lie down, I have to move the machine here to fit under your leg.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, the edge of the machine is hanging over the end of the bed.”
Lex peered down. “That’s just great.”
“I’ll have to move it onto the bed.”
“But I’ll bang my head against the wall.”
“Would you rather have the machine drop to the floor? With your leg attached?”
“Good point.”
Venus started lugging boxes to the foot of Lex’s bed. “Alan said the CPM machine needs a footboard or something to hit against, because the passive motion will move it backwards.” She had to squeeze past the box once it was in place.
“How am I going to get to the bathroom?”
Venus shrugged.
“I hope I don’t have to go badly. It’ll take so long to get past the boxes—”
“Your fault for getting such a cramped studio.” Venus glared at her.
Lex glared back. “Helloooo? I’m in pain, here?”
“I’ll set up your ice machine.” Venus peered into the Igloo. “Needs more ice.”
She headed to Lex’s freezer. “No way.”
“What?”
“You don’t have an ice maker?”
“Oh. Uh . . . no.”
Venus looked around, saw Lex’s ice chest. “I’ll go get ice from Safeway. We’ll store it in that.” She picked up her purse and left.
Lex stared at the stains on the ceiling. This day was getting worse and worse.
Venus’s rattling of the door knob woke her from her doze.
“Got the ice.”
“Thanks.”
Venus stopped. “Are you actually being polite today? What a shocker.”
Lex frowned.
Venus chortled and dumped the ice into the ice machine. She hooked Lex up, and a spurt of cold crept over the surface of her knee. It numbed the throbbing pain.
“Where’s your extension cord?”
“What extension cord?”
“You don’t have one?”
“Do you see a lot of electrical appliances?”
Venus gusted out a frustrated sigh. She bent to pick up her purse. “I’ll be back.” Her snarl rumbled in the room after she slammed the door shut.
© 2014 Camy Tang
Comments