I need to tell you about That Night in the Woods.
I wanted to write a more conventional horror novel for the spooky season, to capture both my love for the horror paperbacks of the 1980s as well as my adoration for all things Halloween (I know I’m not the only one to have visited Spirit Halloween already). With this book, I approached the writing from more of a character-building standpoint. The shock and grossness of some of my extreme horror work was cast aside in favor of a slower yet more dread-inducing narrative.
And so, I created a cast of five main characters—former high school friends who are now in their 40s and share a secret, dark history. Some are more likeable than others. Each are flawed, as human beings tend to be, but they all have their reasons to be the way they are, and one of those reasons is the terrible thing that happened to this old group of friends one Halloween night thirty years ago. Utilizing the horror genre trope of old friends reuniting to face past trauma, I created my own unique the-past-coming-back-to-haunt-you tale of terror with supernatural elements, heavy themes, and shifting perspectives in character and timelines. I wanted room to fully explore this cast of five, both in their teens and their adult years, to create characters that would feel as real and true to the reader as their own friends. In That Night in the Woods, you’re placed right there in the forest with these folks. When the horror hits the fan, you know them and perhaps even relate to some of them. This is why I made the cast so diverse, so there would be at least one character any reader could latch on to. But as is typical with my stories, some are not what they seems, and no one is safe.
At 376 pages, it’s one of my longer books, and easily the longest one I’ve released this year, with Along the River of Flesh and The Prettiest Girl in the Grave coming in at just under 200 pages. It is a slow burn, unlike my splatterpunk novels Toxic Love and Body Art, which get in your face with aberrant sex and depraved gore almost immediately. This is not one of those books. And while That Night in the Woods is unquestionably disturbing, featuring teenage suicide and other things I won’t divulge here for the sake of spoilers, it’s not quite as transgressive in content as Gone to See the River Man or And the Devil Cried. It’s an old school horror novel that focuses more on a spooky, ghostly vibe, a scary story to curl up in bed with on a cool, gray afternoon in October.
Therefore, some of my readers won’t like it, and that’s totally okay. I’ve already had some of my biggest fans tell me it didn’t work for them, and I don’t expect every one of my books to be a homerun for everyone. To be fair, this novel is a tonal shift for me in many ways, but as the story progresses, the horror drastically intensifies, much like my novel A Fine Evening in Hell. There’s no shortage of bloody murder and genuine frights in That Night in the Woods, and many of my other fans have absolutely loved it. The early NetGalley and Goodreads reviews reveal just how differently readers feel about it. Hopefully you’ll appreciate my experimentation with this one, and get lost in these dark woods in the best possible way.
Then you’ll reach the ending, which has divided readers more than anything else I’ve ever written. So, in that sense, That Night in the Woods is my most controversial novel to date.
Here's what it’s all about:
When Jennifer receives a message from Scott Dwyer after twenty years without contact, her first reaction is one of excitement. Scott was her first love. Now in her forties and in the middle of a divorce, nostalgia for her youth gets the better of her.
Scott invites Jennifer to his house in Redford, the town she grew up in. It’s a place she’s tried to put behind her, for not all childhood memories are sunny. When she accepts Scott’s invite, she struggles with mixed feelings, especially when she learns of the death of Steven Winters, one of her childhood friends.
Scott invites three people from their past to honor Steven’s memory—Corey, Traci, and Mark. But the group is more than old friends. They share a dark secret that has troubled them for decades. Now it’s time to face their traumatic pasts. Together, they must unravel the mystery of what happened in the patch of forest behind Scott’s house, a place once known as Suicide Woods.
From the author of Gone to See the River Man comes a chilling novel that reminds us that old ghosts are the ones that haunt us most.
As you can guess from the synopsis, I also wanted to tackle the strange nature of reconnecting with people from one’s past. In this modern age where social media and Google searches make it impossible to disappear, it’s easier than ever for old flames and childhood friends to find you. Now that I’m in my 40s, I have reconnected with some people from my past… with mixed results. I saw real potential for a horror novel with this. What if your best friend from childhood held a terrible secret? What if your first love contacted you out of the blue and made a desperate plea to see you right away? What if the most traumatic moment of your childhood somehow found a way to return?
These are the kind of thoughts that oil the wheels of this horror author’s imagination. Taking this concept and centering it around Halloween time seemed like the perfect pairing. Making the reunion sort of Stephen King-like also seemed appropriate, as I grew up reading him and felt this story should take a conventional horror approach. Fellow Gen-Xers will enjoy the ’90s nostalgia throughout, and anyone who goes crazy for Halloween like I do should appreciate this literary celebration of our scariest holiday.
That Night in the Woods will be released in paperback and ebook by Cemetery Dance in October, just in time for Friday the 13th. But why wait when you can snag a signed hardback right now, exclusively through TRIANAHORROR? This is the perfect read for this time of year, and the hardback bundle comes with all sorts of treats for your hollowed out pumpkin pail!
BUNDLE INCLUDES:
Signed hardback edition of the novel
That Night in the Woods high-quality magnet
That Night in the Woods bookmark
Trick 'R Treat Bag filled with random Halloween goodies
Trianahorror sticker
Kristopher Triana Button (styles vary)
Halloween stickers (styles vary)
I am also offering a special discount just for my newsletter readers! You all mean so much to me, so if you’re interested, just use discount code: NIGHT at checkout to save 10% off your entire order. Code is good for the entire month of September!
And remember, you can also still use discount code "100" to receive 15% off any order over $100. But only one code will work at a time.
As I said before, That Night in the Woods has been my most divisive book amongst readers! What will your take be on the shocking twists? Will you get out of Suicide Woods unscathed, or will part of you remain there… perhaps forever?
This Halloween season, choose an author who makes it his business to freak you the hell out.
Choose Triana.
Ha ha, sorry, I simply couldn’t resist. Thanks for checking out my newsletter today! Get ready for a month of ghost and goblins, keep reading, and try to be happy.
Your pal,
Kris
As a lifelong reader of all kinds of horror, I'm looking forward to this one. I thought The Prettiest Girl in the Grave and A Fine Evening in Hell were light on extreme horror in favor of character development and I was totally ok with that. The main racist guy in the latter was incredibly well written and believable, imo. Also, my favorites are The Ruin Season and They All Died Screaming, which could not be farther apart thematically. Betting you hit another one out of the park with Night. I'm excited for a moody, atmospheric Halloween treat. Thank you for always bringing your best game for us fans.
I forgot to enter the 10% code! Please include some extra treats!!