Touching the Darkest Places: A Guest Post by S.A Cosby

Edge-of-your-seat thrills and spills (of blood), an action-packed, high-octane quest for vengeance and a family up against the mob. You’ll have to catch your breath after reading. Read on for an exclusive essay from acclaimed author S.A. Cosby on writing King of Ashes.

“Why are your books so dark?”

I get asked that a lot, and usually I have a pretty sardonic answer like, “Well, I don’t think its that dark if you compare it to Kafka,” or I’ll paraphrase Stephen King’s famous answer, “Why do you think I have a choice?”

That’s the polite answer one gives at cocktail parties or during podcast interviews.

But what I actually believe is this:

“I don’t think any of us truly understands how stygian black the human soul can be, because once you realize the true depths of shadows that can exist inside a man, you’ll understand that we can never truly create something that is dark enough to replicate that unlighted place.”

But I wanted to try.

That was how I came to write KING OF ASHES.

Following the release of ALL THE SINNERS BLEED, where I had attempted to answer my own questions about evil and the toll it takes on us as individuals and as a society, I found myself pondering a different perspective on the nature of what we define as “evil.”  What do you do when you come to understand the thing, you’re really, really good at it, and also morally reprehensible? How much are we willing to excuse in the pursuit of what we believe is a righteous goal?

It’s a consideration that has intrigued me and fascinated me for years. For me it’s the central question of one of my favorite movies, THE GODFATHER. I’ve alluded to my appreciation for THE GODFATHER in interviews and I’m open about how it was a spiritual inspiration for KING OF ASHES. Not in a truly literal sense; KING OF ASHES is obviously not about the Italian Mafia, but the story of Michael Corleone and his journey from war hero to mob boss mirrors my protagonist Roman Carruthers and his journey from skilled financial advisor to gangland money man. Both men tell themselves they are doing what they need to do to protect their families.

But the cost of their devotion is high.

I became obsessed with delving into the price of that kind of devotion. Of deconstructing the darkest places inside of us where we hide from our own conscience. Where we cower under the piercing light of our deepest regrets.

I think I came as close as I ever want to get to that place with KING OF ASHES.

As a writer it’s my job to visit those places.

But that kind of darkness leaves a stain.