Christopher H. Jansmann's Blog, page 18

Eleven Things: 11

Here we are, on the eve of the release for Pariah — or, at least, the release of the Kindle version. I hope you’ve enjoyed these little peeks into the background of my character — it’s been fun sharing some of the backstory that’s not necessarily in the books (yet).

And now, the finale:

11. Blue is Vasily’s favorite color.

Honestly, I didn’t actually notice this myself until I started the third book that features Vasily (Bygones, out in 2022). Re-reading some of the earlier books before beginning to write, I suddenly realized he favored that particular color when it came to his workout gear. Tracing it further, even Sean noticed the color selection in Outsider:

I hurriedly stripped out of my informal uniform and donned some running tights and a comfortable tank–top; needing a pocket for my phone, I added complementing microfiber shorts.  Snapping a lock on the door, I turned; Vasily had tied his hair back with a spandex–like head covering favored by pro football players and was just tugging on one of those compression tank–tops, something even with my own reasonably well–defined physique I was unwilling to wear.  “Ready?” he asked as he laced up his sneakers.

“Yes,” I said as I noted his footwear had the same tri–color combination as his running tights.  Color coordinated as always. 

Outsider (2021)

All right, so maybe I failed to note the exact color, but take it from me, one of the tri-colors was blue. Honest.

Eleven Things: 10

Wow! We are really getting close now. Here’s another tidbit about Vasily:

10. His long hair started as part of his rebellion as a teenager.

As you might have guessed, Vasily’s relationship with his parents grew more complicated the closer he got to his high school graduation; the greater the pressure on him to conform to their idealized version of a Southern California teenager, the more he sought out ways to express himself. His hair became a flashpoint, with his mother distraught that it would ruin his chances of becoming a model (which would be news to the likes of Fabio) and his father threatening to shave it off.

For once, Vasily’s amazingly congested scheduled worked against his parents, for other than the quick run in to get a small trim every month or so, there was simply not enough time for the teen to do anything else. One of the few arguments he managed to score with them dealt with whether his parents wanted him to spend the time in the pool, or in the salon; fame might come with the former, he pointed out, whereas the latter… not so much.

They didn’t bother him about again after that.

Eleven Things: 9

Another item from Vasily’s background…

9. Vasily can actually cook.

Despite the last nugget posted for Day 8, Vas is a very good chef and has a small wicker box full of recipes that he was given back in Windeport. While nothing on his list is a dish you’d find at a five-star restaurant, his personal take on sauerkraut and corned beef never lasted long at any potluck; that and he can make a pretty mean apple pie with a from-scratch butter crust.

Eleven Things: 8

More tidbits about Vasily:

8. Vasily has a weakness for Olive Garden and In-N-Out

Like most athletes, Vasily has a pretty strict regimen in terms of how he treats his body; not only does he work out (like, all the time), he generally focuses on a well-balanced diet that keeps him in tip-top shape.

Except… he grew up in Southern California and knows about In-N-Out Burger; it doesn’t help there’s one at the end of the running path he uses in Rancho Linda. Vas tries to offset the guilt of munching on a burger (animal style) by squeezing in a 10k during lunch (!!), but has zero self control when passing the local Olive Garden on his way home from the station.

Eleven Things: 7

Continuing tidbits on Vasily:

7. Vasily grew up in a wealthy family, but was disowned by his parents.

Some of this backstory appears in Blindsided, of course, but we get a more personal look at what it meant to grow up a child of privilege and then have that ripped away; by the time we see him in Pariah, he’s more or less made peace with what happened, but there’s still room for him to wonder from time to time what his life might have been like had he (impossibly) bowed to his parents wishes.

Eleven Things: 6

More tidbits on Vasily:

6. Yes, he did intentionally lease a condo with a view of Disneyland.

As he tells his new boss in the opening chapter of Pariah, Vas had looked for a place to live in Rancho Linda but found even with his amazing salary there wasn’t much he could afford. Honestly, though, he really wanted to be down in Anaheim instead; having grown up with Club Thirty-Three privileges, Vasily was at the park in what little free time he had (between school and swimming). Disneyland has a special place in his heart, so it was worth the longer commute in exchange for a good view of the nightly fireworks display.

Eleven Things: 5

Continuing with tidbits about Vasily…

5. He’s a huge fan of comic books – and a particular superhero show

Outsider gave me a chance to showcase Vasily’s love for comic books… and to confirm that he does, indeed, cosplay. When his poor best friend is forced to wear a full-body costume to a Halloween party in Blindsided, Vas not only knew who the character was Sean was supposed to be but every last detail of how to properly get into the role. He generally attends the massive comic book convention that takes place each year in California — and was overjoyed to find a like-minded individual in Suzanne, Sean’s girlfriend.

It’s entirely possible that his love of anime — and specifically the show Miraculous — might have come from the author. But I’ll never tell.

Eleven Things: 4

Continuing tidbits for Vasily:

4. Vasily drives a cherry red Camaro convertible.

We don’t see much of it in Blindsided or even Outsider, and frankly, it spends most of Pariah being shipped to California from Maine. That doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s the detective’s pride and joy, a present he bought himself a year before leaving Windeport. While not exactly a mid-life crisis purchase, the fact that he could give himself permission to get the car gets him considering what else he could do.

Ultimately that will lead him to his prized condo in Anaheim, with it’s one-of-a-kind angle on the nightly fireworks from Disneyland.

Eleven Things: Day 3

More tidbits from the upcoming Pariah!

3. Vasily gets a taste of old Hollywood.

When Vasily picks up his new case, he meets with the famous author Rosalia Frankenhoffer, who just happens to be living in a mansion that used to belong to a world-renowned movie producer. Built back during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the massive structure still holds some of the allure and charm from that period, even if Rosie has sold has sold off all of the furniture.

Of course, it still contains more than it’s fair share of secrets, too.

Eleven Things: Day 2

Continuing with tidbits on Vasily:

2. Vasily surfs

I suppose it’s not that surprising, given that Vas is from Southern California. As it happens, his parents had a deep-seated desire for Vasily to become a model or a leading man in Hollywood, so in addition to pushing him (hard) to excel at swimming, they carved out time for him to become a superior surfer, too. While he was working in Windeport, Maine, the opportunities for surfing were few and far between, but upon his return to California, he quickly took it back up again. Most Sunday mornings he can be found floating on the swells watching the sunrise.