It’s the dead of summer but the heat has died down in New England. Somehow, I doubt that will be the case when I visit Austin, Texas next month. Normally I wouldn’t go to Texas this time of year—I’m crazy but I’m not that crazy—but my next public appearance is at Killercon, the number one convention for fans of extreme horror and splatterpunk. It takes place in Austin, Texas, August 11th through 13th. Many other giants of extreme horror will be there too, including Aron Beauregard, Ryan Harding, Jeff Strand, Monica J. O’Rourke, Maurice Broaddus, Lucas Mangum, Christine Morgan, to name a few, as well as the event’s hosts, Wrath James White and Brian Keene.
The 2023 Splatterpunk Award ceremony will take place there on Saturday the 12th, where my slasher movie tribute Ex-Boogeyman is nominated for Best Novel. In 2019, I won Best Novel for Full Brutal, and last year, Ryan Harding and I won Best Novel for our collaborative work The Night Stockers, making me the only author to date who has won in the Best Novel category twice.
Will this be the third time?
I’ll also be speaking on panels, including The Seven Deadly Sins of Modern Dialogue and Writing from Pain, and will also be doing a live reading.
For more information on Killercon, click the button below. Hope to see you there!
Fans have asked where else I’ll be appearing this year, so here is an updated list of book signings for 2023, with links to the events. More may be announced later, but so far this is where you can find me, get books signed, take pictures with me, and have me sign your body parts (whether they’re attached or not). I don’t do as many conventions these days, so come out and see me if you can!
1. Killercon. Austin, TX. August 11th through 13th.
2. CT Horrorfest. XL Center. Hartford, CT. September 23rd through 24th.
3. Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. Haverhill Public Library. Haverhill, MA. October 14th.
In other news, Along the River of Flesh (the sequel to my smash hit Gone to See the River Man), has positively exploded within the horror community, and I couldn’t be happier with the overwhelming response it is getting from fans and reviewers. Signed copies of both titles are available on my website, and you can now preorder the new book on Amazon in both ebook and paperback, with a release date of August 1st. The audiobook is under production.
My website TRIANAHORROR.COM has also exploded, with orders pouring in from around the world. I feel so incredibly blessed to have fans as wonderful as all of you. I greatly appreciate everyone for reading my work, sharing it on social media, and writing reviews.
Many items are back in stock on the site now, including the popular t-shirts, and there are a few new bundles too, so check it out!
I had a fabulous birthday week. I got together with my good friends Aron Beauregard and Daniel J. Volpe to sign copies of The Obituaries 4: Summer of Blood, which is also signed by special guest author, Edward Lee. The book is now available exclusively through our website. They’re limited to 500 copies and are selling rapidly, so get on it while you can.
I also watched The Flash at home, and I don’t care what anybody says, that was easily my favorite comic book movie of the past decade, if not longer. A huge part of my love for it was seeing Michael Keaton return as Batman in a significant role, but the entire movie was well-made and entertaining, with a slightly altered take on Flashpoint Paradox that really worked for me. It’s a shame the movie did poorly, mostly due to DC announcing that it “wouldn’t count” in the new timeline they’re creating for the series, and the awful personal behavior of the movie’s star. Hopefully, DC still sees the value in the Keaton Batman and gives us that again in some form or another. I mean, how cool would it be for him to be the DC Universe’s version of Nick Fury? If not, I was most pleased to truly feel like a kid again one last time, and on my 46th birthday at that!
As Stephen King once said: “People think that I must be a very strange person. This is not correct. I have the heart of a small boy. It is in a glass jar on my desk.”
Currently listening to: the official playlists for Gone to See the River Man and Along the River of Flesh. These playlists are special because the books have a lot to do with Delta blues and folk music, and many of the songs on these mixes are featured in the books or helped inspire them. They are available on Spotify for free.
Also, stay tuned for a new episode of my blues music series River Man Radio, coming later this week. If you missed the first one, here it is: River Man Radio - Episode One.
Currently reading: Just got my hands on an ARC of Bryan Smith’s upcoming novel, Kill the Hunter. Really excited about this one! Smith is an extreme horror O.G. and he never disappoints. And that retro horror paperback art by C.V. Hunt is incredible, right? Coming soon from Grindhouse Press, and you can preorder it now.
Currently watching: new episodes of Futurama and What We Do in the Shadows! What a time to be alive.
Until next time, keep reading, and try to be happy.
Your pal,
Kris