Well, I’ve just this moment got the latest draft of ‘The Spook’s Bestiary’ off to my editor. There’s more work to do but now it’s really starting to take shape. It’s now got new entries featuring ‘Siscoi‘, the Transylvanian vampire god and Romanian witches who use ‘animism’ magic to summon him through a portal. As a preparation for writing Book Eight, I’m trying to grow the Spook’s world and make those witches really different to their counterparts in Pendle.

‘The Spook’s Sacrifice’, Draft Five, has also gone off to my editor. I think it’s just about finished now and should, hopefully, be ready for the copyeditor who’ll check it for mistakes and inconsistencies.

I really enjoyed the Random House Author’s party in London. I met lots of interesting new people many of them I felt I ‘knew’ already because of email contacts. It was nice to put faces to names and talk face-to-face. Almost had a disaster though. Fell asleep on the train back home but luckily woke up before my connection at Preston. I could have been carried as far north as Glasgow!

I watched both performances of the Spook’s play and the actors from the Paul Nicholas school were brilliant. I really enjoyed seeing the first book dramatised in that way. So a big thanks to all who made it possible. In World Book Week, March, I’ll be giving a series of talks; at one of the events in the North of England, I’m hoping to bring some of the actors with me so they can do a reading or perform a short extract alongside my talk. I’ll post a list of events and dates here as soon as they are finalised.

Well here’s some film news ….

The film is still on schedule for actual production in 2009. Kevin Lima is still the producer and is developing the script. Although they may use unknown, or relatively unknown, young actors to play Tom and Alice, they need a big star for the Spook - someone who will draw people to the box office! One rumour is that a major star has already turned the roll down. Whether or not that is true it may be nothing to do with his liking for the part; stars usually have commitments and schedules and he may not have been free in 2009. Anyway the search goes on. At the moment, my own personal favourites to play the Spook would be Sean Bean or Gary Oldman. What do you think? Suggestions please and I could forward some of them to the producer. I might help make up his mind!

I hope you all have a great Christmas. Next blog in January - or earlier if I get some more film news.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney