Boys and Their Toys

By Annette McCleave

The men in my life have always had a thing for toys. Whether it was cars, boats, snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, or even computers and big screen TVs, you name it, they had it. And wildly enjoyed it.  Something about cranking up the gas, speeding through space, and filling the air with a fine, deep roar truly stirred them.

Not surprising, I guess, that my fictional men tend to be fond of toys, too. My latest hero, Jamie Murdoch, owns a candy apple red Mustang and a black Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle. Being a medieval Scot, serving a rare second 500-year term of indenture with the Goddess of Death, he’s very in tune with his primitive side—and he thrills to the revving of a powerful engine. Both vehicles play a part in the plot of the story, and one of my favourite scenes in the book involves the motorbike and the heroine, Kiyoko Ashida.

I’m not going to say more than that. 🙂

The fascination men have with toys is no doubt tied in part to the measurability such possessions have as status symbols. But we can’t deny there’s also a sense of fun and freedom attached to them as well.

I know several women who get as excited about their status cars as any man, who thrill to the purr of a car engine and the sleek lines of a cigarette boat. But I can think of few who salivate over a snowmobile, a lawn mower, or a band saw. As women continue to further themselves as business people and continue to smash through glass ceilings in the workplace, do you think their interest in toys will grow in tandem? Or do you think the love of toys is fundamentally a guy thing?

Comment for a chance to win a signed Advance Reader Copy of the third Soul Gather novel, SURRENDER TO DARKNESS, out in January of 2011.

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The back cover blurb for SURRENDER TO DARKNESS and Annette’s bio are in yesterday’s post. Visit Annette’s website to learn more about her and her books.

By Cindy

I'm irritated because my posts won't publish.

15 comments

  1. Good morning, Annette! I’m not entirely convinced toys are just a guy thing…more like girls have different toys (no, not those…get your mind out of the gutter!). 🙂 Things like a really good kitchen mixer, a fancy new stove, a kick-ass vacuum…pretty much anything that will make my life easier.

    Looking forward to Surrender, btw…congrats again!

    Linda

  3. Hey, I love my toys. Granted they tend to be new computers or dvd versions of my favorite television shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries), but they’re still toys to me.

    Oh, and motorcycle, Hemingway, is in my garage, but after the first time I rode it and got chased by two dogs, that’s where he will live forevermore…

  4. Computers, phones and other gadgets do seem to be equalizers. But you also own a motorcycle…cool!

    I actually think women might find the big power toys increasingly appealing as time goes on. Not all women, of course. But not all women drive semi trucks or captain fishing boats either. 🙂

  5. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Annette!

    Annette, I agree with you that most men loves toys more than women. Although my mother always had to have a sports car (she went through three) while my dad was stuck with his pickup. My dh has a motorcycle. I’m much more practical when it comes to vehicles. I have a lot of hair and convertibles annoy it, LOL. We know a lot of men with motorcycles, and a few years ago it almost became faddish for their wives to start riding, too. On their own bikes. I’d be the only one sitting on the back. It’s more comfortable driving yourself, but my only experience riding a motorcycle is my brother’s first mini-bike. I practically drove it up the side of our house – and it was an automatic. I’d hate to see what I’d do if I had to handle gears.

    Women’s “toys,” however, can extend to expensive jewelry and clothing. But every time I have to buy a new appliance, for example, and the saleman remarks how excited I must be, I evil-eye him. Appliances, to me, are a necessity, not a luxury. “Toys” are extras, and I don’t think of a fridge as a toy, LOL.

  6. Cindy–I’m a very practical person, too. I totally get the hair/convertible problem. [grin] I remember when I got my first job, my dream was to own a sports car…but when the dollars started coming in, I bought a little beater rather than make sports car payments.

  7. I’m another girl who loves her techie toys. My computer, my BlackBerry. Although, I also own a Miata and *love* to drive it! The Miata spells “freedom” for me, while the technology spells “contact/communication.” I don’t think of either of them as status symbols.

    Great post–and a great cover. Looking forward to this one, Annette!

  9. I don’t know, I think it’s more of a guy thing. I have a brother that has to have better Toys than anyone in the family. I like nice things, but I don’t have to have them.

  11. I agree with the different toys comment. However my dh and I both enjoy looking through the Hammacher Schlemmer and Signals catalogues to check out the interesting gizmos. Thanks for the entertaining post. 🙂

  13. Hammacher Schlemmer has some pretty cool stuff, Gail. I’ve never bought anything but it’s fun to ‘window-shop’. I’ve never seen the Signal catalog–I’ll have to go look it up.

  15. Thanks to everyone for dropping by, and congratuations to Donna S! Donna, you won the signed ARC of SURRENDER TO DARKNESS. Please look for an email from me in your inbox.

    My last guest blogger for the year is historical romance author, Diana Cosby, who’s visiting Tuesday, December 7th.

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