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

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