by: Ross Victory
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Release Date: September 13, 2023
Publisher: VFTC Universe
At eighty-four years old, widower and award-winning geneticist Bernie Crenshaw has reached the end of his life. Bernie gifts his only grandson, eighteen-year-old Inglewood high school senior Nova, his multimillion-dollar property located in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills.
Years after Bernie's death, Nova hosts a wild twenty-first birthday party weekend filled with alcohol, music, and OnlyFans web cameras. After a handful of eerie encounters in the surrounding Los Angeles forest, Nova's friends allege that his grandpa's cabin is the burial ground for people who disappeared during their childhood.
The birthday weekend shifts from celebration to terror as the friends piece together that the man Nova knew as "Popsi" matches the profile of one of the most notorious wanted criminals in Los Angeles-"L.A. Love Hunter."
Will Nova preserve the Crenshaw family's sadistic legacy, or will he choose the rare and valuable gift of friendship?
I’m great! Thank you so much for having me.
You’re welcome. Grandpa's Cabin is described as a Young Adult, Horror/Mystery/Sci-Fi what can you tell me about it?
When I wrote Grandpa's Cabin, I intended it to be a horror fiction series. As I wrote, the story began to reveal components of Sci-Fi that felt authentic and interesting. Sometimes the thing we fear the most is "otherworldly," I wanted to explore that, and a science fiction element naturally began to emerge--reminiscent of the movie, "Alien." The book starts with horror and slowly reveals the source of the horror.
What about the story makes it fall into the genre of a horror series that crosses over into Sci-Fi?
Bernie Crenshaw, a geneticist and one of the main characters of Grandpa's Cabin, has spent decades developing treatments and remedies for the government. Over time, some of his experiments have gotten out of control and created beings with abilities. Book 2 will explore the Sci-Fi genre by examining what precisely these creatures are capable of. Book 1 is the groundwork for how Nova (Bernie's grandson) navigates the loss of his grandfather and initially discovers the existence of these creatures.
Can you tell me about the characters of Bernie Crenshaw and his grandson Nova?
Great question! As far as the readers know, Nova is the only grandchild. What's more interesting is Bernie left his property to his grandson as opposed to his son (Nova's father). In the book, we see different parts of Bernie. We see Bernie at the height of his fame and notoriety and trying to be a father to Nova's father, Eric. Because Bernie was so busy, he did not get a chance to mold Eric as he hoped. Regret causes a lot of issues and resentment when Eric becomes an adult. As Bernie ages, he accepts his mistakes and pours everything Eric did not get into Nova.
The theme of several of your books seems to revolve around secrets. What is it about family secrets that make you want to have them in most of your books?
I am fascinated by the unseen and unknown. I enjoy discovering things in the darkness and bringing them into the light to heal. Aside from my interest in the topic, readers enjoy reading something juicy or gossipy - I sure do. With secrets, hidden truths, covert operations, and agendas, I will always have a job as a writer!
Grandpa's Cabin is listed as book one. Do you have a series title and how many related books are you planning?
I am planning three books. Right now, I have Grandpa's Cabin Book 1, Grandpa's Cabin: Nova's Shadow, and I have decided on the third title. A 19th-Century English poet William Blake said that we become what we behold, and I want to show that although we may feel we have autonomy or control of our lives, sometimes there are factors outside our control that make decisions for us. For example, Nova is practically blinded by love for his grandfather, Bernie. In some cases, Nova refuses to accept Bernie for who he is and occasionally thinks he behaves righteously. By doing so, he risks becoming another version of Bernie.
Grandpa's Cabin sounds like an interesting and intriguing story. How did you come up with the idea for it?
I've always enjoyed the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. A few years ago, after I had debuted as a writer, I felt a deep need to write a story about a group of friends from L.A. and their dynamics. I knew I wanted to write a trilogy, but at the time, all I had was a group of friends from L.A. During COVID-19, a friend and I went on a hike in Pasadena. At the top of the mountain, there was an old deserted cabin. While hiking back in pitch-black darkness, we heard animals in the leaves and odd sounds. And that's when the concept for Grandpa's Cabin entered my mind. I didn't want him to be old and frumpy. I wanted him to be rich, famous, and highly intelligent - like a scientist. Coupled with friends from L.A., I finally had the foundation to build a story. And, of course, most stories pull inspiration from our real lives and relationships.
What do you wish and/or hope readers take away from the story?
The first goal is for readers to be entertained. I also would like readers to fall in love with the characters as much as I have and be inspired to check out the Lookbook. Grandpa's Cabin has the makings of a great movie, and it was written for sole entertainment on a plane or at the beach. It's my best work, from concept, writing, and production.
The book is also character-driven, and it's relatable to themes of family and friends. I did my best to write strong characters with depth and complexity to drive the plot forward and capture the reader's imagination. Nova is a memorable character that I believe everyone will love.
In addition to being an author, you are also a singer/rapper/songwriter. Which creative outlet do you find to be the easiest and why?
I don't find any of them to be easy. I've been writing for so long; it comes naturally to me at this point. Music is easier to produce a final product. I can quickly tell a story through music by mixing instruments, sounds, and lyrics. A song can take 10-12 hours, while a book takes years. Technical writing, character development, and establishing plot points take much more time. But at this point, Grandpa's Cabin will be my sixth book, and I have a process. I write from the heart and let the editors do their "well-paid" job.
Ross, congratulations on your latest book release. Thank you for answering some questions for me.
Fourteen years ago, Los Angeles
Nova did not understand why first grade had ended early. Dozens of armed security guards descended on the elementary school with their guns drawn. The events of the day, which started with learning to tell time on a silly-framed clock and identifying vowels in sentences, had become disjointed puzzles in Nova’s six-year-old mind, a mind easily distracted by dogs’ tails and why his father shaves his face, but his mother shaves her underarms. Today, his bite-sized body would experience panic, and his mind would be introduced to a modern emotion: terror.
Mr. Woodrow, a frumpy man, only thirty-five but looked sixty, paced the classroom, which was decorated in circus-themed letters and talking numbers. His face was pale and fear-stricken as he explained today’s events to the officers, who observed him with deep suspicion.
“Sir, six-year-old kids don’t just run away from chocolate chip cookies and story time. We need you to breathe and tell us the last time you saw the twins.”
Two chairs, which had been occupied before the recess bell, were now empty. A class of twenty bright-eyed first graders was now eighteen. No one knew where the twins had gone.
After hours of waiting, the class was escorted to the pickup lot, where Nova found his mother, Stella, standing next to their black Range Rover and anxiously biting her left thumbnail down its nail plate.
“Oh, my God!” Stella burst out as she hugged Nova’s frail body tightly. She kissed Nova’s head repeatedly. “Are you okay? You must be so scared.” Nova stood motionless and confused by his mother’s panic.
Nova did not understand why first grade had ended early. Dozens of armed security guards descended on the elementary school with their guns drawn. The events of the day, which started with learning to tell time on a silly-framed clock and identifying vowels in sentences, had become disjointed puzzles in Nova’s six-year-old mind, a mind easily distracted by dogs’ tails and why his father shaves his face, but his mother shaves her underarms. Today, his bite-sized body would experience panic, and his mind would be introduced to a modern emotion: terror.
Mr. Woodrow, a frumpy man, only thirty-five but looked sixty, paced the classroom, which was decorated in circus-themed letters and talking numbers. His face was pale and fear-stricken as he explained today’s events to the officers, who observed him with deep suspicion.
“Sir, six-year-old kids don’t just run away from chocolate chip cookies and story time. We need you to breathe and tell us the last time you saw the twins.”
Two chairs, which had been occupied before the recess bell, were now empty. A class of twenty bright-eyed first graders was now eighteen. No one knew where the twins had gone.
After hours of waiting, the class was escorted to the pickup lot, where Nova found his mother, Stella, standing next to their black Range Rover and anxiously biting her left thumbnail down its nail plate.
“Oh, my God!” Stella burst out as she hugged Nova’s frail body tightly. She kissed Nova’s head repeatedly. “Are you okay? You must be so scared.” Nova stood motionless and confused by his mother’s panic.
Purchase Grandpa’s Cabin from:
Amazon | Paperback | Coloring & Lookbook (Amazon) | Barnes & Noble | Coloring & Lookbook (BN) | Goodreads
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Victory is best known for his father-son memoir, "Views from the Cockpit," and multimedia production brand, "Books & Bangers."
Places to find Ross Victory:
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Love the cover art. Looks great.
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DeleteThis sounds like a great book. I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds like a wonderful read. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great Horror/Sci-Fi read. I like the cover and excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat impact do you hope this book has on your readers?
ReplyDeleteWhat did you do with your first advance?
ReplyDeleteGreat author interview!!
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