Christopher H. Jansmann's Blog, page 20
February 23, 2021
Outsider: One Day/Day One
A final tidbit to whet your appetite for the latest entry in the Sean Colbeth Investigates series. I hope this has been a fun way to countdown to the release of Outsider!
1. Leaving your troubles behind isn’t always the best option.
It’s a truism that both of my main characters will ultimately realize as they work together to solve the case.
February 22, 2021
Outsider: Two Days
How about something really intriguing as we close in on the release date?
2. Charlie’s back. And she’s still upset.
Sean has to deal with the fallout from the events in Blindsided, including inflicting significant damage on his relationship with his cousin, Charlie O’Connor. Can he repair it enough to at least get invited back for Sunday Dinner?
February 21, 2021
Outsider: Three Days
A, B, C. 1, 2, 3; sounds like a hook for a catchy song! I wonder if anyone has ever recorded it…
3. Powder Blue Cameo.
I might be showing my age, but I can’t help sneaking classic writing technology into a story whenever I can. I didn’t realize it until after I was finished with Outsider that this particular item had been showcased in both books. I guess when you like something enough…
February 20, 2021
Outsider: Four Days
A lot can happen in four days; by my count, Sean Colbeth has managed to solve a few cases in about that amount of time. Can he do it again? I’m not telling.
4. In California, not everything is what it purports to be.
Probably not a surprise given it’s home to Hollywood, but it’s a point driven home to Sean as he unravels the relationships at the core of the story.
February 19, 2021
Outsider: Five Days
Now we’re getting down to the nitty gritty.
5. Teachers don’t get paid enough.
When following a lead brings Sean to the campus of a high school, he quickly realizes educational professionals are underpaid and, more to the point, under appreciated. And that they aren’t any more capable of making popcorn in the microwave that the rest of us.
February 18, 2021
Outsider: Six Days
I’m starting to feel like we’re going through the Twelve Days of Christmas, but there are no pear trees in this story. (Or are there?)
6. Blueberries are blueberries.
Some things are just better in Maine, as Sean finds out when he makes the mistake of ordering a purported blueberry muffin at a certain chain coffee shop. Who can blame him? When you’ve had the real thing, accept no substitutes.
February 17, 2021
Outsider: Seven Days
Another backstage tidbit for you!
7. It never rains in Southern California.
As the old song goes, the weather is always warm and inviting in SoCal, especially when the author is in control of the jet stream. It wouldn’t do to have our main character experience less than a Chamber of Commerce-like trip, right?
February 16, 2021
Outsider: Eight Days
Eight days to go! I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of excited.
8. Sean snarfs down his first In-N-Out cheeseburger
I’m reasonably certain Sean has likely been to McDonald’s a number of times, but those visits are essentially offscreen. But since he will be in California, I couldn’t resist having him experience what it’s like to taste a Southern California mainstay.
February 15, 2021
Outsider: Nine Days
Nine days to go! Here’s another tidbit for you.
9. Sean’s not in Windeport any more.
Well, technically that’s not entirely true – we do find our intrepid detective starting off in the small seaside village he calls home in the opening pages of Outsider. As it happens, Sean winds up being asked by a friend and former mentor to consult on a perplexing case in Southern California, allowing him to leave behind the cold Maine winter for a week or two.
February 14, 2021
Countdown: Ten Days Out
I’m a little bit in awe that it’s already mid-February. When I set the publication date for my second book, Outsider, it seemed like it was much further away than it truly was; as you might expect, I’ve had a flurry of last-minute activity doing final adjustments and otherwise ensuring everything is just so and ready to go.
In anticipation of the launch of Outsider, I thought I’d tease ten things you might see in the book — without giving away too much, of course, which will be a huge challenge for me. 
So, without further ado:
10. Sean experiences Disneyland
As my main character, Sean Colbeth, is pretty much clueless about anything remotely connected to pop culture, his girlfriend has taken it upon herself to broaden his horizons. In Blindsided, Suzanne Kellerman used her own love of anime to explain to him why his nieces were so enthusiastic about his Chat Noir Halloween costume; this time out, she’s put to the test trying to get Sean to see Disneyland as something other than a bunch of midway rides and overpriced water.
