The Book Connection...: Author Interview: Ross Victory, Author of Views from the Cockpit

Ross Victory is an American Marketing professional, travel enthusiast, and author of the new memoir, Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son. He spent his early years collecting pens, notepads and interviewing himself in a tape recorder. With an acute awareness for his young age, he was eager to point out hypocrisies and character inconsistencies in children and adults through English assignments. He delighted in provoking a reaction from his English teachers with writing that seemed to wink and smile.

He enjoys writing non-fiction and fiction projects--stories of captivating, complex characters expressed in all their dimensions usually on a path to self-discovery through suffering. After the loss of his father, Ross has married his love for writing to create a compelling memoir to inspire the world. Ross received his B.S. in Business Administration & Marketing Management.

Website: http://www.rossvictory.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rossvictoryofficial

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rossvictoryofficial/

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in sunny, Los Angeles, California land of taco trucks, celebrities and traffic!

When did you begin writing?

My earliest memory of writing would probably be in a 3rd or 4th grade writing class. I recall I once wrote a story that was “so scary” for an English assignment that the teacher reached out to my parents about it. My first love is songwriting, I’ve been creating songs since 5 or 6 years old.

What is this book about?

Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son is a memoir born from pain about my relationship with my late father, Claude B. Victory. It covers our earliest memory, which was plane watching at LAX to our last memory, which was, unfortunately, the discovery that his cancer had metastasized, and he was a severe victim of elder abuse. The book uses comparative analysis between an airplane journey and an actual life journey to engage readers.

What inspired you to write it?

It was a part of my healing process—the process I needed to go through to cope with the loss of my dad. It was extremely cathartic. But, honestly, friends and family encouraged me to express my voice and that it was worth sharing.

How is it similar to other books in its genre? How is it different?

Memoirs are usually about people’s personal stories, which range from experiences to childbirth to loss of dogs, etc. So, it’s very authentic and a real-life story. I think it’s different because I used a lot of metaphors and symbolic meanings in the book and also fictionalized some aspects to give it a proper narrative arc, so it wasn’t just an overload of subjective information and facts. There’s a beginning, a climax, a twist and an end.

What is the most important thing readers can learn from your book?

My goal is for people to walk away and contemplate the programming they received in their childhood. I want people to ponder and ask questions about what they’ve been told is true and their relationship with authority. Of course, I want them to answer the question that I said, “What is the view of the cockpit of your life—what do you see? Are you cruising? Are you nosediving? Etc.” If readers can gain a sense of awareness in order to make a positive change, then that is success to me!

Where can readers purchase a copy?

The book is available worldwide online. It is on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play Store and some local L.A. bookstores like Booksoup, Maliks Books & Café, Skylight Books and Vroman’s in Pasadena.

What is up next for you?

For the past two months, I have been recording the audio book of Views from the Cockpit for readers who are interested, but don’t have time to read. As you know, L.A. is famous for its traffic, so traffic is a good place to enjoy the message. I have also recorded a promotional single called “Savor the View” which is accompany the audio book version. It was recorded at Good Vibez Studios in Burbank and produced by Pnxcho! It’s really something special. It’s a stand along song and solid in its own right, but my goal was to tie in audio and my vocal and songwriting abilities.

Is there anything you would like to add?

September 13, 2019 would have been my father’s 76th birthday. Views from the Cockpit in its entirety is an expression of love and gratitude to my dad for the gifts he passed on to me. The gifts AND the cautionary tales/life lessons. I hope readers get to know him and enjoy everything he has shared with me.