Look, I’ve just been busy.
It’s been a crazy month, but that’s typical for October when you’re a horror writer. This time of year, everyone else is as interested in scary stuff as horror hounds like us are all year round. Therefore, my presence is requested at even more bookstores and conventions than usual, and my release schedule is packed full of fresh horror works. It keeps me so busy that I sometimes neglect things like my newsletter, diet, and general wellbeing. But rest assured, I have plenty of spooky treats for you, my loyal readers.
October is my favorite month, and Halloween my favorite holiday. The cold air moving in; the beautiful New England foliage; the scary decorations everywhere; a new The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode. The list of diabolical delights is rich and endless. Over the years, I’ve tried to capture the magic of the season in my writing, be it in short stories like “It’s Never Night When I Die” (available in The Obituaries – The Collection Vol. I) or my seductive witch novel The Long Shadows of October. And for spooky season 2023, I have a brand-new Halloween-themed horror novel coming from Cemetery Dance Publications, just in time for Friday the 13th! You can learn more about it in my previous post HERE.
That Night in the Woods is also available in a signed hardback exclusively sold on my website.
My fall book signing tour has been going extremely well. Thanks to everyone who turned out to see me at CT Horrorfest in Hartford, Connecticut, PVD Horror’s Little Pop-Up Shop of Horrors in Cranston, Rhode Island, and the Barnes and Noble in Annapolis, Maryland.
*Picture from the Barnes and Noble in Annapolis, MD. Left to right: Aron Beauregard, Cassandra Celia, our host Jenn, me, Ronald Malfi, Daniel J. Volpe.*
The tour continues this coming weekend in Haverhill, MA for the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival, which takes place at the Haverhill Public Library on Saturday, October 14th, 2023. This is an amazing event that is totally free for guests to attend. I’m honored to be back for my third year and look forward to seeing everyone again!
The last stop of the tour (and most likely my last book signing of 2023) will be at the Barnes and Noble in Canton, Connecticut. I’m looking forward to seeing you there. If you’re in the New England area, I implore you to drop by for signed books and free swag!
Unfortunately, I had to cancel my appearance at Ghoulastic Book Fair in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in November. But it’s an incredible event with a lot of great writers in attendance, so I highly recommend everyone check it out if you’re anywhere near Mechanicsburg.
Some of you have asked where the next episode of River Man Radio is. I really appreciate the enthusiasm. Episode 3 is finally coming in another newsletter in the next few days. This show features tracks from Son Seals, Magic Sam, Queen Sylvia Embry, James Cotton, and many others. I hope y’all dig it as much as I do. I put a lot of thought into the selections and how they flow together. Be sure to check out episodes 1 and 2, if you haven’t yet.
In bigger news, the all-new issue of The Obituaries comes out this month and is now available for pre-order! Limited to 500 copies. The Obituaries: Destinations of Death is here, and this time we're featuring another legendary guest author, Bryan Smith! Bryan is the Splatterpunk Award-Winning author of 68 Kill, Dead End House, Kill the Hunter, Merciless, and the Depraved series.
The Obituaries: Destinations of Death contains a brand-new novelette by Bryan Smith called The Sick Place, as well as brand-spankin’-new novelettes by Aron Beauregard, Daniel J. Volpe, and me, making this another fat issue. My story, Live Nude Horror, may be the sickest, vilest, and most sexually degenerate work I’ve put out since Body Art, so fans of my nastier work, rejoice!
It also features 19 all-new faux obituaries, including one Bryan Smith wrote about himself. Each book comes signed by Smith, Beauregard, Volpe, and your horror daddy, Triana. It also featuring gruesome cover art by Imperial Skulls Studios and brutal interior illustrations by our house artist Nick Justus, who has worked on every issue to date.
Get yours while they last!
I also have a top-secret project I’m working on with my protégé, Mona Kabbani. I’m excited to tell you all more about it as the release approaches, but for now I’ll just say I’m very proud of Mona for releasing her first work that dips a broken toe into the world of splatterpunk while maintaining the signature brand of psychological horror fans have grown to love from her. We’re both very pumped to bring you our first collaborative effort. Expect more news about it this holiday season.
Currently watching: The Simpsons - Season 35.
I’m a hardcore, die-hard Simpsons fanatic. Have been since I was 12. The show is like family to me and makes me feel cozy and at home whenever I watch it. While the golden age of episodes is long past, the show still manages to produce quality content, even if it can’t possibly have the same impact it had in the ’90s. The latest episode, "A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream", was the most emotional one they've had in a long time. Bravo to writer Carolyn Omine for reminding us of the show's heart, and for so skillfully managing characters we've loved for over three decades. I must admit I got a little choked-up. Truly great stuff.
Currently reading: They Lurk by Ronald Malfi.
I consider Ron one of the absolute best horror writers working today, and I’m stoked to have snagged a signed copy of this new novella collection from him.
Currently listening to: Halloween Hootenanny, a 118 song Halloween mega-mix I made. Listen to it here.
I think that’s all the muck that’s fit to rake! Until next time, keep reading, and Happy Halloween.
Your pal,
Kris