I have just reached the end of the ‘Slither Tour’. We started in Carlisle then moved through Kendal, Lancaster, (Witch Territory!), Brighouse, York, Scarborough and Whitby (Dracula Territory!).

I visited bookshops, talked to school groups and worked with a wide range of Booksellers ( Sonia from the ‘Children’s Bookshop’ in Huddersfield, Elaine and Sue from ‘Silverdell’ in Kirkham and Tony Higginson from ‘Formby Bookshop’). Additionally I did lots of events for ‘Waterstones’, including the Literature Festival at Lancaster and working with the dynamic Dave (the Drummer in a heavy-metal band called the ‘Eliminators’) who has now gone on to manage the Barrow Store.

It was hard work, tiring but very enjoyable and once again it was great to meet readers both old and new. But now it’s back to my writing!

I enjoyed writing ‘Slither’ because it featured a strange dark non-human mage with lots of new creatures and concepts new to the Wardstone Chronicles Series. It even has a glossary/dictionary of terms at the end of the story (information gathered by an ancient spook). The Kobalos mages murdered their own females long ago and now use human women for food and as slaves! So I thought it would be very interesting to introduce them to Grimalkin. She plays a big part in the book and is not too happy with them to say the least!

Now I am working on the third draft of ‘Alice’ which will be published in June 2013. I have also begun the final book in the series – ‘Spook’s 13’ which doesn’t even have a title yet! It is scheduled to be published in the same month as the film. ‘The Seventh Son’ which is based on the first book and stars Jeff Bridges and Ben Barnes and a number of other big stars.
But what will happen in the final book? Will Tom die? Will the Spook die? Will Alice finally go to the dark? I am still trying to work it all out! And I have to deliver the first draft to my editor by Christmas. So it’s a good job that the tour is finally over and I can get
back to work!

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney.

Happy Halloween! To celebrate the scariest night of the year, Joseph has shared his top ten tips for writing horror for our brand new Totally Random website, featuring all our latest YA & teen fiction.

Here’s a taster:

(1)    A writer is nothing without ideas. Keep a notebook and write into it every story idea that comes into your head.

(2)    Read widely. You learn to write by reading!

(3)    Practise writing! Get into the writing habit. Too many people say they will write when they finally get the time to do so. They imagine they can do it on an extended holiday or when they retire. You need to make time to write on a regular basis.

Visit Totally Random to read the rest -  and then get to work on your own spooky story! Look out for Joseph’s next blog post about SPOOK’S: SLITHER’S TALE, coming later on today.

GLAMOUR

Some people think that being a writer is glamorous. I know that I once did. I dreamed of finally getting published and all the amazing fun that would follow. I imagined travelling to distant countries, staying in city hotels and seeing the sights.

Most of that came true and I do enjoy it but sometimes it can be hard work: having to grab a coffee and manage without breakfast to be in time to travel to some school event; attending a bookshop when hardly anybody turns up; spending a night alone in a strange town on a wet Monday; visiting a big city but seeing only the inside of your hotel room. So when you actually do live the life of a writer it’s not as glamorous as some people might believe.

The same is true of film-making. On April 30th I visited Vancouver, Canada, to watch the film of ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’/ ’The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch’ being made. The film is called ‘The Seventh Son’ and it is a good choice. After all you have to be a seventh son of a seventh son just to be eligible to become a spook’s apprentice.

They have created some amazing sets designed by Dante Ferretti. I was shown the preliminary models and artworks then, finally, the sets themselves. They are big and very convincing. I saw a walled city set in a huge muddy field. It was like a building site complete with heavy machinery and workers in hard hats. There was no glamour there.

That comes afterwards.

I met Jeff Bridges who plays the Spook. He looked convincing. He believed that he was the Spook – I could see it in his eyes. Yes, he was the Spook! Then I watched him playing the same scene over and over again until he and everyone else, (especially the director Sergey Bodrov), was satisfied. There were a lot of people involved and each one of them knew exactly what to do. It was an action scene and the ‘Spook’ kept falling backwards against a pillar in danger of his life. He was covered in dust and he probably had bruises or at least aching bones the following day. It wasn’t glamorous. It was hard work.

The glamour comes later.

They started filming in March and will continue until the end of June. Then post-production will begin. They’ll spend hours, days, weeks and months, editing the film until each section is perfect. Then like a Pendle witch casting the spell called ‘glamour’ the film will come to life and the magic will be there.

It will differ from the first book somewhat. All films are adaptations and make changes. But I am convinced that it will be a great film.

I’m looking forward to it.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney.

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween webchat today - there were some great questions. My tour has just about come to an end with the return of my publicist, Linda, to her home in New Zealand. However, I still have a few more local events between now and Christmas.

So it’s back to my writing, concentrating on finishing the first draft of ‘Slither’ (more news about that soon) and completing the fourth draft of ‘The Spook’s Blood’ which is will be published in June 2012.

I have enjoyed the ‘Grimalkin Tour’ and for those who have not yet read it why don’t you look at the new video trailer? I repeat that it is not a spin-off as is firmly in the main story arc. When Grimalkin finishes her story, Tom continues narrating his adventures in the June book.

Well now I must get back to work. Have a very scary Halloween and don’t gaze into the mirror too long after dark! Grimalkin might be staring back!

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney

What are YOU doing this Thursday evening from 6-7pm? If you’re a true Spook’s fan, you’ll definitely want to be taking part in the 3rd annual Spook’s Halloween Webchat with Joseph Delaney. Everyone is welcome. There will be a very special Spook’s Halloween newsletter going out tomorrow with more details, so do sign up now if you haven’t already…

Hope to see you there.

The first week of the book tour was hectic. The intention was to visit new areas so we started in Bristol with Waterstone’s and then visited a school with Chepstow Books before touring South Wales for the first time. All went well and despite living out of a suitcase, staying at a different hotel every night, it was enjoyable to meet so many readers for the first time and also bring the series to the attention of new audiences.

After Wales we visited a London school before catching the train to Paris. I have talked to French children before but this was the first time I had answered questions in a school there. I had an interpreter but the questions were sometimes difficult and probing – those French children were experts on the books! But I’m sure through a misunderstanding that I answered one of them incorrectly. So here I’ll put the record straight.

How can Bony Lizzie be described as the ‘aunt’ of Alice and then later said to be her ‘mother’? So do the books contain a serious mistake?
I won’t say too much, not wishing to spoil the story for new readers but those familiar with the Wardstone Chronicles will understand. There is no mistake!

On my return to London I met my editor, Ruth Knowles, and we discussed the development of the series. By now most of you will know that the Wardstone Chronicles is scheduled to end with the publication of the final book in October 2013. So will Tom Ward and the Spook die? Will Alice survive? And what about Grimalkin – what will be her fate? The answer is that even I don’t yet know the answers to those questions. I ‘discover’ the plot and allow the story to tell itself. So we must all wait and see!

The first night after leaving London I was awakened in the middle of the night by the hotel fire alarm. I spent half an hour outside waiting for the fire brigade to check if it was safe to go back to bed. They found no fire but there had been a mysterious triple fault on the alarm system. No doubt it was the invisible boggart that follows me around sometimes causing posters to fall off classroom walls whilst I am speaking!
So the tour continues. I’m off to visit witch country in Pendle now and then head north to Bill Arkwright territory north of Morecambe Bay!

Best wishes,
Joseph Delaney

I am about to begin my book tour to promote I Am Grimalkin, the ninth book in the main Wardstone Chronicles series. I will be talking and signing in schools, libraries and bookshops. The main areas I will be visiting are: Bristol, South Wales, London, Paris and, of course, quite a few towns in Lancashire.

I will be in Paris on 7th and 8th October. Events are being arranged by my French publisher, Bayard. I hope to meet lots of readers there.

Here is a list of some of the events in the UK open to the public:
Saturday October 1st. 12 p.m.
Waterstone’s Lancaster Cornmarket
Marketgate Shopping Centre
Unit 5/6 Cornmarket
Lancaster

Sunday October 2nd. 1.30 p.m.
Waterstone’s Bristol
11A Union Galleries, Broadmead
Bristol

Saturday October 15th. 2 p.m.
Waterstones Barrow-in-Furness
25 Portland Walk
Barrow-in-Furness

Sunday October 16th. 1 p.m.
Waterstones Bury
4 Union Arcade
Bury

Thursday October 20th 7–9 p.m.
Scarefest at Crosby Civic Hall
(Tickets for the above from Formby Books)

Saturday October 22nd. 10.30 a.m.
Waterstone’s Wigan
6 Grand Arcade
Wigan

2 p.m.
Waterstone’s Preston
3–5 Fishergate
Preston

Sunday October 30th. 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.
Hoghton Tower
(Tickets for the above from Silverdell Bookshop Kirkham)

I hope to see you at one of these events where I will be happy to sign books and answer questions.

Best wishes,
Joseph Delaney

Each series must eventually come to an end. All along my intention has been to finish off the story of Tom Ward, the Spook, Alice and Grimalkin properly, leaving no loose ends. So I have now decided to end the Wardstone Chronicles with Book Ten.

Additionally, I Am Grimalkin and the I Am Alice book will not be spin-offs. Each will be part of the main ongoing narrative.

In June 2011 The Spook’s Destiny will be published.

In October 2011 I Am Grimalkin will see the witch-assassin play a major part in moving the story towards its conclusion.

In June 2012 Spook’s Nine will be published (at the moment I am close to completing its first draft). There is still no title!

In I Am Alice, which will come next, you will see Alice do what is necessary, and at whatever cost, to give the Spook and Tom a chance of finally destroying the Fiend.

And finally, in 2013, Spook’s Ten will mark the end of the series.

It is true that I have not yet decided how it will conclude, who will live and who will die. I am still discovering the ending.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney

I have just returned from nine weeks in New Zealand to a chilly English welcome, (the weather I mean!). I was determined while away that as well as a holiday, I would write 30,000 words of Book nine, (which I almost achieved) but I did break from my writing for a three city tour in Australia and on my return spent a week visiting schools in a part of New Zealand that I hadn’t visited before. I have a bit of space for writing now before I start the Destiny tour in June. We hope to include a trip to Ireland as that is where the book is set but nothing has as yet been confirmed. As soon as possible, I will, make details of that tour available on both my websites.

Film News

Those of you who keep watch for film news will be aware of the recent discussions/rumours that have been circulating. I can’t say anything yet other than that for the first time since I signed I actually will have something really significant to report and the news is good – there will be an official announcement made shortly. I honestly think there is a 90% chance that they will start filming this year. And I can confirm that the title of the Spooks’ Apprentice/Last Apprentice film will be ‘The Seventh Son’.

Australian Tour

The tour in Australia was busy but again I got to see some fantastic scenery and as always met some lovely booksellers, librarians, teachers and of course children. We started in Sydney and I had my first visit to the Blue Mountains where, as well as school visits, Evie from ‘Megalong Books’, very kindly drove us around and ensured we got some of the best views of the mountains, (I couldn’ t resist a photo of a rock that looked like a dragon) and of course, the ‘Three Sisters’. I enjoyed the train journey from Sydney – it is very scenic and I always like catching the train in any country I am in (I don’t like to be away from trains for too long!). I had a good afternoon at Pinerolo – The Children’s Book Cottage in Blackheath. Margaret Hamilton has had many years in the publishing industry and she now hosts events from her home. It is a very interesting place for an author visit as it is deep in the bush (they have to have regular bush fire drills) and Margaret has made a feature of the art from her years of publishing picture books. I had another great train journey to the central coast, where I had a day at the Gosford library and spent the night in Terrigal - a beautiful beach resort. It was very relaxing and I would like to spend a few days there next year.

I visited the Sydney botanic gardens which as well as being a very nice walk had the added interest of flying foxes (they look like giant vampire bats) which I was surprised to see were so numerous and visible by day. That was very inspiring for an author such as me! Apparently there is a bat farm up the coast which will definitely be on the agenda next time I am in Australia.

It was another good event at The Children’s Bookshop in Beecroft. Paul Macdonald is very enthusiastic about books and reading, hosting many events at the book shop and taking authors into schools. He has a great shop, well worth a visit.

I had a very busy day in Tourquay, a one hour drive from Melbourne and gateway to the Great Ocean Road. I gave four talks in a row at Tourquay College, and I am sorry to say, scared a few of the children in one group. I think since I started including power point in my presentation my talks have become more gory – or perhaps I am channelling Grimalkin a bit too much. I need to finish editing that book so she stops being such a bad influence!

The two days in Perth weren’t long enough but I had an enjoyable visit to Bullsbrook Community Library, and the drive from Midland to Bullsbrook was very scenic - though the only evidence of wildlife was a dead kangaroo. However, earlier in the tour I did glimpse a live snake which slithered past my publicist’s foot without sinking its fangs into her!

New Zealand Tour

Back in New Zealand I drove for the first time down the North Island (usually I fly) from Auckland to Palmerston North which takes in the desert road (and a view of Mt Tongariro and Ruapehu, if you are lucky), and the beautiful lake Taupo. ‘Paper Plus’ had scheduled school visits in Palmerston North, Hawera and Feilding which again were very well organised and the audiences were well prepared and very receptive, with some very good questions. I was very pleased in Hawera to see the volcano Mt Taranaki poking out through the clouds. A return visit to that region is very much on the cards for the future.

While I was in New Zealand, one of the main cities, Christchurch, experienced a devastating earthquake with many lives lost and the heart of the city destroyed. On my first visit to New Zealand in 2008, I spent a week in Christchurch and it was very distressing to think that the places I had visited were now destroyed

My heart goes out to all who have been affected by both earthquakes.

Best Wishes,

Joseph Delaney

Blue Mountains, Australia

Dragon Rock

I have just completed my final events of the year. On Monday December 6th I visited Wirral Boys Grammar, Bebington. The roads were icy, the traffic very slow-moving and I am just glad that I wasn’t doing the driving!

Tony from Pritchard’s Formby was driving and, despite his best efforts, we arrived late for the first talk. It went well, however and in the afternoon we were off to St John Plessington Catholic College for another great visit, where lots of books were sold and even more signed. Even when with a bookseller I am happy to sign books that you have bought previously - even the whole series!

On December 9th I travelled east to Accrington to talk to pupils at the Hollins Technology College. The Librarian, Gill Ainsworth, had organized the school visit and there had been a great deal of preparatory work. There were many brilliant drawings relating to the Spook’s world and a few of them are here for you to see.

In the evening I was driven to Haslingdon Library, where Heather Pitman had gathered a largely adult audience who were knowledgeable about the series and asked many great questions.

My final December visit was to go back to the Blackpool Sixth Form College where I used to teach English, Media and Film Studies. It was great to talk to the students (quite a few of whom hoped to become writers themselves) and meet up with a few members of staff that I used to work with. My talk was addressed to a reading group who had just read The Spook’s Apprentice and the event was organized by the College Librarian, Helen Crowther, who presented me with very well-informed students. I hope to return there in June when The Spook’s Destiny is launched. Speaking of which, I have just seen the first stage in the development of the cover. It promises to be the very best since they were re-launched with different jackets.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney