Aftershocks

Female Rage, a Giveaway, and ’Nam

My new survival horror novel, The Old Lady, comes out today. I chose February 20^th because it is my late mother’s birthday. She would have been 73. Not that the term “old lady” is used in the book to refer to one’s mother (or wife, for that matter). I’d just planned to release the book in early 2024 and thought it would be a nice gesture to do it on Mom’s birthday, and maybe even bring the novel good luck. I don’t believe the dead watch over us and try to help us, but she did, so who knows.

The irony is that there’s much more of my father in this book than my mother. Tracey—the main character and titular old lady—is the daughter of a traumatized Vietnam War veteran. So am I. While my father was nowhere near the monster Tracey’s father is in the book, he too was severely damaged by his time in Nam, and as a result, the rest of my family was harmed by the war too. My father’s problems took a toll on all of us, and the Agent Orange compound he was subjected to in Nam created lifelong health problems not just for him, but also for his children (for me, this meant bipolar disorder 1).

My father, Richard Triana, somewhere in Vietnam, 1967

It is difficult to explain just how deeply the Vietnam War has affected my life, as the son of one of its drafted soldiers. Its huge shadow followed my father to the grave that fucking Agent Orange ultimately put him in. That same shadow darkened the house I grew up in—a house full of guns, ammo, and survival supplies. Even now, with the war having ended over half a century ago and my father having been dead for fourteen years, the aftershocks of Nam continue to haunt me, that same old shadow blackening me from the inside.

The Old Lady is the first time I’ve really addressed it in my work.

This is not a military or war novel, but it is about what war does to us, both as veterans and as the family of veterans. It’s a book mired in trauma, grief, and anger. It’s horror at its most basic and true form.

The Old Lady cover art by George Cotronis

It’s also a book one reviewer called “the ultimate in female rage.”

I love hearing that about my work. All too often in extreme horror, female characters are merely victims to be graphically tortured, raped, and murdered by large, ugly, male villains, mostly in juvenile, uninspired books written by hacks who mistake grossness for horror. Sometimes we get final girls we only root for because we hate the bad guy so much, not because they’re a well-developed, interesting character on their own. Fuck all of that. I like to give the ladies I create much more to do and feel and be, including making their characters the ones you should be the most afraid of.

I’ve particularly had readers comment about their love for my unhinged female leads in my novels Gone to See the River Man and Full Brutal. They’re not my only books with a deranged woman at the center, but they’re my most popular. With The Old Lady, I continue this personal trend, but twist it in a new direction.

You see, this time, the totally unhinged, ultra-violent woman in the book is also the heroine.

Okay, the unlikely anti-heroine, but still, she’s the protagonist, and she’s just as barbaric as Kim White from Full Brutal. But whereas Kim was just a sadistic teenage girl, Tracey is a highly skilled, professionally trained killing machine. I mean, just imagine what Kim could have done with a flamethrower. That’s what awaits you in this book.

Get ready to root for the crazy old lady.

You can get the paperback and eBook everywhere, or snag a signed paperback through my website, which comes in a special bundle with a die-cut magnet, button, and bookmark. The limited hardback has sold out. An audiobook version is currently in production.

Here is the synopsis:

She never wanted to come home.

After the death of her estranged father, Tracey returns to the remote cabin she grew up in. As a traumatized veteran of the Vietnam War, Tracey’s father subjected her to rigorous survival training under brutal conditions, believing it was for her own good. She escaped and never looked back. Now in her fifties with a criminal record, Tracey returns to claim the property she’s inherited.

Hiking through the forest, teenage Alicia and her friends get lost in the snow. They stumble upon a compound run by extremists, and when the teens see too much, only Alicia manages to escape. She searches for help and comes across a secluded cabin.

With the panicked girl banging on her door, Tracey is launched into combat mode, awakening her inner demons. Though she suffers from extreme PTSD, she is skilled in combat, making her a deadly adversary—perhaps too deadly. As a snowstorm hammers down, the women must work together to save Alicia’s friends from their captors.

Alicia has a protector now, but what if this strange old lady is even more dangerous than the people she’s escaped from? 

I’ve also teamed up with the lovely Chandra at Where the Reader Grows to do a special giveaway through her Instagram. The grand prize is a signed hardback copy of The Old Lady and a bundle of swag items. Two runners up will receive a signed paperback of the book with the same swag. Entering is easy and free for US residents. Simply go to her Instagram page to see how to enter (look for the post with the same image as above).

Where the Reader Grows is one of the absolute best and most active book review profiles out there, especially for horror and thriller lovers, so you should be following it anyway. You can also find Chandra’s reviews in Scream Magazine and Cemetery Dance, as well as at her website.

My first book signing of 2024 is rapidly approaching. Come out to see me on March 23^rd for The Horror Depot’s Horror Author Con at Rhode Island College in Providence. I’ll be signing books all day and plan to speak at the university (more on that later). I hope to see you there.

I’m also honored to announce that Along the River of Flesh—the sequel to my bestseller Gone to See the River Man—has been nominated for this year’s Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel! Thank you to all the readers out there who voted for it, and congrats to all the nominees in all categories. I will be a guest of honor at this year’s Killercon, so I’ll be there for the awards ceremony in August. Hopefully you will be too. If you’re a fan of extreme horror fiction, this is the premier event for it, folks.

Currently reading: Elizabeth by Ken Greenhall. After the triumph of Hell Hound, I knew I needed more from this author, so after reading Wayne Smith’s Thor, I jumped back on to Greenhall with his debut novel. It’s about witchcraft, y’all. Plus, this edition has a new introduction by Jonathan Janz.

Currently watching: reruns of The Simpsons and American Dad that I’ve seen 100 times. Comfort food for the brain, y’all.

Currently listening: I’ve Got a Future by Toydrum, featuring Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. If Tracey from The Old Lady had her own theme song, this would be it.

That’s all for this newsletter. I’m very excited for the release of The Old Lady and hope I’ve made you at least a little excited too (and perhaps a little scared). Until next time, keep reading, and try to be happy.

Your pal,

Kris