We are excited to host the cover reveal of S. A. Cosby’s latest novel, All the Sinners Bleed, forthcoming from Flatiron Books in June 2023. S. A. Cosby was kind enough to answer a few questions to go along with the cover reveal. Scroll to the bottom to see the cover.
Congratulations on winning the Anthony Award for Best Novel two years in a row! How does it feel?
S. A. Cosby: Surreal, especially when you look at who I was nominated with. Every book in my category is an instant classic. I’m so honored.
You’re one of a few writers redefining rural noir, especially for stories set in the South. What does rural noir, or Southern noir, mean to you?
SA: I think it’s the gospel of the dispossessed. It’s the stories of people who live in a place that, more than any other part of the country, is haunted by blood and forced to confront that legacy as we try to move forward.
You’re a chess player. Do you think about chess the same way as writing?
SA: I try to, haha. I try to see things in my stories five steps ahead of my characters.
How has your career in the funeral industry informed your writing?
SA: It’s given me a deeper sense of empathy, for sure.
What’s the inspiration behind All the Sinner Bleed? What can you tell us about it?
SA: The main inspiration was the old Southern Gothic tales my mom would tell me about our hometown, with a dash of True Detective Season 1 thrown in for good measure.
What are you working on next?
SA: Right now I’m working on an eight-episode audio crime drama for Audible called Brokedown Prophets, and I’m having a blast.
