Mark Linyard regrets signing the Oedipus pact. By scribbling his name on that contract, he pledges to fight his dad. He learns the hard way from this mistake--the first of many that he makes in The Company of Ashes. These linked stories cycle through Mark's arrests, incarceration, and friendship with an urn. He experiences persistent doom that shapes his life--and comes to see angst as fuel for sparking his redemption. About the Author Born in 1979. Lifelong resident of Kentucky. Lives in Louisville with his family.