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It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with S.A. Cosby, author of My Darkest Prayer

Author’s Bio: S.A. Cosby is a writer from southeastern Virginia. His work has appeared in numerous collections, magazines and anthologies. His story, Slant-Six received an honorable mention in the Best American Mystery Stories 2016.  
DL: What inspired you to write your book?
SAC: My Darkest Prayer was a story I had knocking around in my head for a long time. I wanted to write a noir tale but through the prism of people who looked like me. I wanted to tell a story that shined a light on the place I call home. The grandeur and the grotesqueness of the South fascinates me. I wanted to take the noir tale out of the mean streets and bring it to the dusty roads and sweeping pastures. I also wanted to tell an exciting fast paced tale. Because at the end of the day if the story doesn’t sing then what was the point?

DL: Describe your writing process? Do you use an outline or let it flow organically?
SAC: I’m a bit of a hybrid. I like to start out by writing a detailed synopsis. Then after I have the bones of a beginning, middle and end I start writing the story. The synopsis is a guide but it allows me to stray off the path sometimes. The ending in the synopsis is rarely the ending that makes it to the final draft. Once I have a working draft, I send it out to friends and family to get their first impressions. Once I’ve studied those notes I rewrite where I feel it’s necessary and then I do one final read through myself. This is to ensure I’ve maintained plot continuity and that the narrative is moving at the pace I intended.

DL: What do you think makes a good story?
SAC: I think a good story is equal parts conflict and action and character development. Action isn’t strictly defined as car chases and fist fights. It is anything that happens in the story that pushes the main character in directions he or she may not have gone otherwise. As long as that main character is interesting and has an interesting arc then I think the story will be worthwhile. For me stories that make me feel or think in a real substantial way are the ones that really touch me. Those are the stories that stay with me long after I’ve closed the book. 

DL: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
SAC: I think the authors that had the most influence on me early on were Stephen King and Dean Koontz. They both have an incredibly accessible style. As I got older, I would say Walter Mosley and John Ridley had a profound influence on my style and the themes I want to explore.

DL: If you were hosting a dinner party which three authors would be your dream guests?
SAC: Oh man that’s a tough question! Let’s see. How about Walter Mosley, Raymond Chandler and Chester Himes. I would love to sit down with them over a bottle of good whiskey and just pick their collective brains for an hour or so. I’d love to hear how their theories about writing differ and also where they find common ground. I’m sure the evening would be fascinating. 

DL: What are the keys to success in marketing your book(s)?
SAC: I think one of the keys is being willing and able to sell yourself. Go to readings, conventions and events. Guest on podcasts. Be a part of blogs. No one is going to believe in your writing more than you and if the public sees that hopefully they will start to believe in it as well. You have to be willing to go where the people are. Become a public entity.  I also cannot overstate the importance of social media. It’s an invaluable tool in today’s competitive publishing environment.

DL: What tips would you give to aspiring writers?
SAC: Read a lot. Write a lot. The first piece of advice will give you the tools. The second piece will teach you how to use them. And develop a thick skin. You’re going to hear the word no a lot. But all you need is one person to say yes.

DL: How about sharing an excerpt from My Darkest Prayer?
SAC: Here you go:

I handle the bodies.

That's what I say when people ask me what I do for a living. I find that gets one of two

responses. They drift away to the other side of the room and give me a sideways glance the rest of the night or they let out a nervous laugh and move the conversation in another, less macabre direction. I could always say I work at a funeral home, but where's the fun in that?

Every once in a while when I was in the Corps, someone would see me at Starbucks that modern mecca Wal-Mart in my utility uniform. Sometimes they’d catch me in my dress blues after a military ball just trying to grab something before heading back to the base. They would walk up to me and say, “Thank you for your service.” I'd mumble something like “No, thank you for your support” or some other pithy rejoinder, and they would wander away with a nice satisfied look on their faces. Sometimes what I wanted to say was, “I took care of the bodies. The bodies with the legs blown off or the hands shredded. The bodies full of ball bearings and nails and whatever some kid could find to build his IED. I loaded the bodies up and dragged them back to the base, then went back out on another patrol and prayed to a God that seemed to be only half-listening that today wasn't the day that someone would have to take care of my body.”

But I don't think that would have given them the same warm and fuzzy feeling.

DL: What’s on the horizon for you? 
SAC: I have a crime novel called BLACKTOP WASTELAND about a retired getaway driver who gets pulled back into a life of crime, that is currently being shopped around by my agent. I’m currently working on a new book called RAZORBLADE TEARS. A story about two fathers trying to avenge the deaths of their sons. Other than that, I am still adding to my TBR pile. That thing seems to get bigger and bigger every week.

DL: Where can readers learn more about you and your book(s)? 
SAC: Readers can find out more about me and my work here:


·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.cosby.3

·         Twitter: @blacklionking73


It’s been a pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and your work.








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