But once I did it, I felt so relieved because it allowed me to tell stories in much more detail than I had been able to previously.'Īfter being in a rhythm of writing short stories, Cosby said it was a challenge to switch to writing a novel.

I had been feeling stifled by the short story form, and so it was sort of this thing where I was afraid to do it. 'But at the same time, it gave me the room to spread my wings, so to speak. 'And it was one of the things where I got into it, I realized it was infinitely more difficult than I had anticipated,' he said. ' I had written a lot of short stories and had some success with those, but I wasn't entirely confident that I had the chops to write a long form novel,' Cosby told Wisconsin Public Radio's 'BETA.' Fortunately, for us, Cosby overcame his self-doubt and wrote his powerful, suspenseful and unforgettable debut novel. The new edition features an introduction in which Cosby writes about his fears of being able to maintain a reader's interest and attention for 250 pages. He's won several Anthony Awards, including one for his novel 'Blacktop Wasteland' in 2021, one for his novel 'Razorblade Tears' and the best short story award for 'Not My Cross to Bear' in 2022.Īs a result of his critical success, Cosby's publisher Flatiron Books decided to republish his debut novel, 'My Darkest Prayer,' which was originally published in 2019 by a small Maryland publisher. (Shawn) Cosby is quickly making a name for himself as one of today's top crime fiction writers.

Not my cross to bear book