Spotlight On: Shannon Cook

Spotlight On: Shannon Cook

Mount Whitney, a travel destination for thousands of people each year. They make a pilgrimage, of sorts, to climb its peak and witness a beauty few other places hold. This is where the heart of Shannon Cook’s debut novel, Secrets of Whitney Portal Ranch, can be found. We interviewed her as part of our ongoing Spotlight On series.

The Eastern Sierra has a very specific feel to it. How would you describe the “pull” of the Whitney Portal area to someone who has never been there?

There’s something almost otherworldly about the Whitney Portal area.  It’s not just the scale and shapes of the hills and boulders, but the feeling that the land itself has energy.  Whether the air is crisp and cold in the dead of winter, or hot and dry in the middle of August, when it’s quiet, especially at dawn and dusk, it’s powerful.  During those times, the colors of the landscape shift from soft sages and rusts one minute to deep purples and indigos the next.  It’s quite incredible to experience.

It has the kind of energy that makes you want to slow down, breathe in the scent of sagebrush and sun-warmed earth, and keep returning.  People who spend time here often describe a pull they can’t quite explain, and that sense of awe and mystery was something I intentionally wove into my story.

Can you briefly describe what the book is about?

SECRETS OF WHITNEY PORTAL RANCH is a suspenseful family drama centered around a retired undercover L.A. detective who retreats to a remote ranch in Lone Pine beneath Mount Whitney, only to leave behind a legacy far more dangerous than his daughters ever imagined.  After tragedy strikes, they inherit the isolated property and uncover hidden ties to local drifters, estranged family, and cartel activity, all set against the stark, mysterious beauty of the Alabama Hills.

It’s a story about love, loyalty, danger, and the way the past can resurface when you least expect it.

You’ve mentioned before that this story is inspired by your father’s life. Can you explain that a little more for our readers?

Though SECRETS OF WHITNEY PORTAL RANCH is a work of fiction, it’s deeply inspired by my late father, his law enforcement career, his adventurous nature, and his builder-and-dreamer spirit, whose remarkable life shaped me and so much of this story.

RJ Kirk is a fictional character, but his spirit, choices, and the ranch in Lone Pine that he lived on for 30 years, and loved, are very real.  Many of the events in the novel, especially those set on The Ranch, are drawn from truth, though some elements, like the cartel plotline, are complete fiction, added to dramatize the story.

There are photographs at the end of the book that offer a glimpse into my father, the real man behind the fiction, snapshots of his passions, his grit, and the things he built around him.  They influenced this story in ways both big and small.

If a reader were to take a road trip to Lone Pine after reading your book, what is the one specific spot they must stand in to feel the vibe of the story?

I’m not sure if there’s just one, but I’d tell them to take Whitney Portal Road, turn left on Tuttle Creek Road and follow it into the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area.  The way the boulders meet the road along the creeks bordered by cottonwoods and willows feels almost protective.

There are a few turnoffs, but the first one to explore is about 1.8 miles in.  Find a spot to park and scramble up the rocks.  You might be able to see the valley, or even catch a glimpse of Mount Whitney.  Either way, just stand or sit, and you just might feel something.  And wherever you stop, you’ll be surrounded by the massive, weathered formations.

There are many more well-known landmarks to see in the Alabama Hills, but this area, it feels quiet, a little hidden, like you found it instead of it being shown to you.  That’s the feeling I wanted in the book.

To loop back toward town, make a right on Sunset Drive, then a right on Horseshoe Meadow Road, and another right on Whitney Portal Road, which will bring you back to 395.

Have you come across any legends or folklore from the area that stand out? If so, what?

I didn’t come across any specific legends or folklore in the traditional sense, but the area definitely has a way of making you imagine the lives that came before.  When my sister and I would visit our dad, he’d sometimes take us out to different spots where we’d dig around and find remnants from the mining days, old bottles, sometimes still filled with sugar or grains, or small pieces of metal or pottery, physical history left behind.  There’s something meaningful about holding those objects and realizing someone once stood in that exact place, living a completely different life.

In doing research for the book, I also came across references to the area being connected to what some describe as ley lines, those unseen energy paths people believe can draw you back to certain places.  Whether it’s true or not, it was an idea that stayed with me, because it relates to the feeling so many people describe about the area.

Between that, the old Western films shot in the area, and places like the Dow Villa Motel that have seen generations come and go, the area feels layered with its own kind of folklore.  Those layers of history, memory, and what lies just beneath the surface definitely influenced the tone of the book.

What are your plans for upcoming books?

Right now, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a sequel to SECRETS OF WHITNEY PORTAL RANCH.  There are some loose ends, characters, and parts of the story that feel like there’s more to say.  I’m not rushing the process, but I’ve been jotting down where some of those ideas might go.

And until then, I honestly think SECRETS OF WHITNEY PORTAL RANCH would make a pretty great film.  The cinematography alone…

So, if any of your readers happen to know a producer or two, just let me know!

A special thank you to Shannon for answering our questions!