Boys and their Toys
Is the choice of a hero’s vehicle important? In the case of the Barron brothers, the heroes of the Serendipity series, you betcha! After all, their vehicles are even on the book covers! The car a character drive can define them.
Take Ethan Barron in Serendipity – what else would the resident bad boy drive but a motorcycle? Even ten years later and millions of dollars later, Ethan still has a motorcycle except this one is brand new. What else does military software developer, Ethan drive? Now that he’s wealthy and he’s returned to town, bought the mansion on the hill and wants to make an impression, he went for a status symbol, of course, a black Jaguar with red interior. What Ethan comes to realize, however, is that money, a big empty house and expensive cars can’t guarantee happiness. Only love – of family and one very special woman can do that!
Next up, is the uptight town lawyer, Nash Barron, in Destiny. A man who sees things in black and white and no shades of gray. He’s also a man uncomfortable with the fact that he went to live with a wealthy family who ultimately adopted him while his brother, Dare, went to a family who had much less. As a result, material things aren’t as important to Nash and his sports car is more of a necessity than a choice of automobile that defines him.
And then there is Dare Barron, who you will meet in more depth in Karma (MAY 2012). Dare is a police officer in his small town. He volunteers at the youth center, he runs a kids’ softball team and he needs a vehicle that is as rugged and easy going as he is. Dare drives a black metallic Ford Edge. Dare is also a guy with secrets of his own and so it’s no shock to me that Dare drives a car with … well an edge. Pun intended!
Do you think the car defines the man? Or should?
N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 30 romance novels with contemporary characters that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom to two daughters (15 and almost 20!) and two crazy dogs (a 1 year old Havanese named Brady and a 4 year old wheaten terrier named Bailey). In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers.
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I do think the car should reflect the person who drives it. Man or woman actually (tho I know we were talking about Ethan, Nash, and Dare).
I don’t think a car should define a man or that you should judge a person by the car he/she drives but I think inadvertently we all do judge people by that.
I love Carly Phillips!! The kind of car a man drives has never been a big deal to me. They have to own one though…that’s waaaay more important to me!!
Claudia, I don’t mean it in a way of – rich/poor or good/bad – but when writing a story, there are few ways of defining the character without going into long explanation – a big truck for a guy says a lot. By the same token, if a woman drives a pickup – that also makes a statement, even if it’s b/c of necessity or b/c she loves it! Sometimes it’s more a fictional construct than reality …
Thanks Redzsm – it’s not a big deal to me what someone drives either in real life! In a book, it helps definte a character. Sometimes ;)
Thanks for posting, Marcie!
In books, the vehicle helps with the personality of the character. In real life no.
Carly does an amazing job using objects that reinforce a certain image of her characters… whether it be the car/vehicle they drive, the clothing they wear, the job they do… so, yes, in fiction, absolutely… the car says alot about the man :) LOVED Serendipity and am 3/4 thru Destiny… LOVE Carly!!
I don’t really look at what the guy is driving, I use to when I was a teenager or alittle older but now most of the guys I know and like alot drive beat-up trucks or a SUV. I live in the country and alot of muddy and dirt roads. In books its different for it describes the character alot better but sometimes the guy is just a nice and sexy fella, and to me thats what counts is how he treats a lady and values in life-in a book and in real life.
No, I don’t think a car defines the man (at least, here in Holland). I love to admire expensive cars, but the men inside, brr, would not want to date most of them. I fell for a very sweet and loving man, without a car at all ;)