NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

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NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wheels


Recently I had to go car shopping. The car I wanted (this baby blue masterpiece you see to your right) did not fall into my budget.

Safety features were high on my list of prerequisites. The Smart Car (the ridiculously minuscule vehicle you see below with the aid of your magnifying glass) comes with something like 12 airbags. I envision it turning into a hot air balloon and simply floating safely away from the accident.

I confess. I like cars. When I was a kid, we had a family outing to Busch Gardens, and the last portion of the monorail ride traveled out over the parking lot.  My mother was so mad because my brother and I enjoyed looking at the cars in the parking lot more than we did the giraffes and zebras inside the park. LOL

Do you put any consideration into what vehicle your characters drive? I have yet to go all James Bond on my heroes and have them tooling around in Lamborghinis.  But I wouldn't mind throwing in the Ferrari for my heroine. You can picture the scene, can't you? The heroine is trapped on the third floor balcony of the Monte Carlo Casino. A hired assassin is crossing the suite from inside and is just about to reach her when she leaps down onto the assorted fruit kiosk on the street below. The pliable awning catapults her into a triple somersault as she executes a perfect three-point landing in high heels directly beside the unlocked door of an exquisite blue Ferrari.  A quick glimpse through the tinted glass confirms that the keys are in the ignition. On the balcony above, the man in black is aiming an automatic weapon at her.  

What is a woman to do?

One thing my beautiful heroine will not do is to stop and consider the price of insurance on that Ferrari!  That is why I love the wonderful world of fiction. :)

ENDLESS NIGHT - Romantic Suspense
BEYOND - Something different

14 comments:

Rita said...

Vehicles are a major consideration for me. And I love doing the research for them.:-) First book heroine drove a Ducati. The big one, Superbike. Her car was a beat up 30 year-old jeep. But, she and the hero escape in her brothers car, a black corvette with a modified larger engine. At her day job, she flies a souped up helicopter and chases down bad guys. The setting leaves out too much attention to vehicles. The heroine, an admiral, drives a BMW roadster. The hero, a doctor, drives a Lexus. Third book the heroine is an intelligence officer and her choice of vehicle is deliberate. She uses a car to project an image and has gone to rent a wreck to help in this endeavor. In her garage she has a BMW roadster and a Mercedes SUV that has had a bit bulletproofing work done. The hero drives a Bubba truck and the bad guy has a monster tricked out humvee.

Wendy Soliman said...

Er, I once reversed an old Jeep into my husband's beloved vintage Porsche. I always said if he had to choose between us, I knew where the suitcases were. Astonishingly, he hasn't turfed me out yet.

Great post!

Toni Anderson said...

So what did you get????
I am soooo not a car person. As long as it goes is my general rule of thumb. My first car was a 2CV. White wall tire convertible. It looked like a noddy car, sounded like a hair dryer :)

I can appreciate a beautiful sports car but know next to nothing about them. At least I can drive a stick :)

Maureen A. Miller said...

Oh, Rita, a Ducati! You definitely do your vehicle research and incorporate it well into your books! Excellent job!

Wendy...oops. :) I publicly admit that I cannot drive a stick shift. There, I said it.

Maureen A. Miller said...

Hi Toni. I got something boring. :(
That is why I am intent on letting my characters splurge.

At least you can drive a stick...

JB Lynn said...

Sorry you had to get a new car. :-(
I don't care about cars in real life and don't give it much thought in my fiction.

Anne Marie Becker said...

I try to give some details about the cars my characters drive, but, sadly, they aren't in Monte Carlo (yet), so it's often some version of an SUV or sedan. ;)

However, in my latest, there's a boat. I'm going to have to do some yacht research. I may have to sip champagne as I Google. ;)

Maureen A. Miller said...

Thanks, JB. You'll probably be the one who winds up with a Viper one day and shock us all! :)

Anne Marie, I can get you a sailing cap! I can picture you in front of the computer with your cap and champagne, shouting, "Ahoy, matey. Dinner is ready." :)

Amy said...

I recently read a book by Adrienne Giordano where nice cars were being stolen off a parking lot. Reminded me of the movie Gone in 60 Seconds. I love looking at fancy cars (Ferrari's, etc). I drive a minvan that is almost 10 years old. I would like a Ferrari. Fiction is fun. Perhaps I just need to write myself a story in which I do get a Ferrari. :)

Marcelle Dubé said...

I am so NOT a car person. My criteria? It has to be dependable and paid off. However, I just had to buy a new car, too, Maureen, having let Rotten Daughter #2 drive off to college in the 2003 (still in great shape, I might add).

In spite of my personal disinterest, I *do* pay attention to what my characters drive because it's part of what makes them who they are. Hmm. I wonder what that says about me...?

Maureen A. Miller said...

@Amy - I liked GONE in 60 seconds. But I don't like movies like The Fast And The Furious. Go figure...

@Marcelle - It says you secretly want to be a Formula 1 race car driver. At least that's what I take away from it. LOL

Julie Moffett said...

Sorry you had to get a new car, but look on the bright side, you have a new car! Ha! I love the cars in the James Bond movies. The ones that can turn into airplanes or subs. So wish I had one of those!! :)

Carry Bacot said...

You definitely have a knack for written words! Well, using your imagination on selecting your car is a good idea. It is fun to create a scene in your mind where you can take full advantage of your dream car. But maybe your dream can become a reality. Nowadays, there are dealerships that offer secondhand vehicles at a reasonable value. You never know, your Ferrari might be waiting for you in one of these dealerships! Good luck with car shopping!

Kyle Schmidt said...

“That is why I love the wonderful world of fiction. :)”--- Yeah, you can create your own rules and manage your own life. Haha! Well, when it comes to car insurance, if you have a luxurious vehicle like a Ferrari or a Rambo Lambo, you should really need to have very comprehensive insurance policy to cover it. Of course, you want the best for your car, right? ;)

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