The ‘Spook’s Nightmare Tour’ has come to an end and I am finally back to my writing. I have met my editor, Sarah, and agreed changes. So I’m now working on Draft Two of Book Eight which is now provisionally titled ‘The Spook’s Destiny’.
For now the ‘Alice Book’ has been postponed and I will not write it until next year. The reason is a good one. Because of plot developments in Book Eight (a big crisis for the main characters at the end) it works better by having the ‘Grimalkin Book’ published immediately after it in October 2011. So now I am writing about Grimalkin. So far it is going really well but, as usual, I am discovering the plot as I write.
On September 30th this year, ‘The Spook’s Bestiary’ will be published. Here is the cover image below.
Yulek Heller is the artist and his work is really impressive; he has truly brought the Bestiary to life. Below is an image he has created for the book.
Above is a skelt, the creature that lives in crevices near water. It has a long translucent bone-tube rather than teeth and sucks blood from its victims neck. Most of you will probably remember the part played by one in ‘The Spook’s Mistake’.
The launch of ‘The Bestiary’ is to be done in conjunction with the ‘Silverdell Bookshop’ in Kirkham. I’ll let you know the date and time as soon as it has been fixed.
Best wishes,
Joseph Delaney
July 30th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
omg that skelt looks so awesome!!!! i so want to read that book!!!! can’t wight
July 31st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Love the cover! Its great! Love your books Joseph Delaney!
July 31st, 2010 at 7:54 pm
The Bestiary looks really nice!!! And you mentioned that there will be a big crisis for the main characters at the end of book eight, but please make sure Alice is safe!!! Please!!!!! I am so excited about the Bestiary and “The Spook’s Destiny”, and also the “Grimalkin Book” and the “Alice Book”, and anything else about the Wardstone Chronicles!!! I can’t wait to read them!!!
Best wishes,
Kevin
August 1st, 2010 at 5:15 am
Cover looks great, as does the picture of the Skelt. Also, pleased to hear that the Grimalkin book has a publication date (she’s my favourite character). Any chance of you publishing more pictures from the Bestiary before its publication?
August 1st, 2010 at 6:23 am
Hi,
I first fell in love with this series when I had to do the monthly childrens book reviews when I worked in my local bookshop.
I started collecting the books in hardback, the editions that I have are all one colour, eg Spooks Mistake is red with yellow writing and yellow figure upon the front.
I am trying to find out if I can get Spooks Sacrafice and Spooks Nightmare in the same hardback editions.
Or have they now changed them completely??? and are the brighter covers I see on this website?
I live in Australia (but I am sure that I got UK editions)
Any help is much appreciated
Regards
Jess
August 1st, 2010 at 8:52 am
Wow, I can’ wait.
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:33 am
That looks awesome. So much better then what I imagined. Can’t wait for it.
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:24 pm
That looks amazing!
I know that suggestions aren’t really that helpful in most cases, and if I were a writer I wouldn’t like to use anything that someone else has thought of, but I really like the idea of ‘The Spook’s Silence’ as perhaps the last book, and just wanted to share it with you.
I managed to get the spooks sacrafice in the original cover but I’m struggling to find the Spook’s Nightmare, do you know if it’s ever going to be published?
Keep writing, this series is fantastic!
Erin
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 am
I am a huge fan of the Wardstone Chronicles becuase I think they are amongst the best books I have ever read. They have really made my summer by relieving of some boredom and i think your books are very exciting and thought provoking, especially the characters, like that ALice and also her deep realtionship with the other characters, especially Tom.The new books you are writing sound really good and I cannot wait for them to come out. Your books are really realistic and have gotten me spending hours researching lancashire on the internet. I look forward to all your new books and thanks very very very much for making my summer.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:26 pm
cool cover
your number one fan out of the netherlands.
August 4th, 2010 at 5:56 am
Hi Mr. Genius~
Those are absolutely awesome drawings; especially the skelt! Mr. Heller captured your depiction of the characters incredibly! Could you have him alter the main picture of Alice and Tom to make them look less childlike on your website; the website is wonderful, but especially Alice looks too young. I think your new artist could capture Alice and Tom (The Spook is perfect as is)as you envision them in your writings.
August 4th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I absolutely LOVE your books! I am a middle aged mom and I am trying to get my kids (who hate to read) to read your books. I have my dad reading them. I see there is a movie coming out. I hope it does your fantastic work justice. Good luck!
August 5th, 2010 at 2:04 am
WHOW. they are so AWSOME. i hope they are on the front cover for the book cause they are awsome. i wish i had the book now to read it but ill have to wait.
cool
August 8th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Remind me never to get in the way of a skelt…
August 10th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Dear Mr Delaney,
I hope to set a project for a group of undergraduate costume design students to interpret some of your characters as part of their degree work, this would include SFX and costume design.
I have sent an email via the editor at random house books outlining the project.
I have been a big fan of your books for quite a while since buying one for my 14 year old. His 83 year old grandma also loves them so its a wide audience you appeal to.
Keep them coming, can’t wait for the next one.
August 10th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
The skelt looks awesome by the way. Any chance you could show 1 or 2 more vivid pictures from the Bestiary ??
August 11th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Hi Tawqir, we can do… watch this space before the weekend!
August 11th, 2010 at 10:02 am
The Spook’s Bestiary looks amazing! I can’t wait to read it. The Spook’s destiny, The Alice Book and The Grimalkin book sound good as well. I am looking forward to when the come out!
August 11th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Thanks very much, looking forward to it =D
August 11th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Hope the pendle witches return in the next books
August 12th, 2010 at 4:19 am
hey can you post some pictures of a lamia? or a witch / character well known?
August 14th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
It will be great, but will it be the same in all the countries?
August 15th, 2010 at 12:57 am
HiJoseph The cover looks amazing.So does the classic cover of the Spook’s nightmare. Can I just ask 2 questions. Are you going to continue releasing the Collectors editions for every spook’s book you write. And is there any way that the Spook’s Nightmare collectors edition could be sold in shops in dublin, irelan
August 18th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Brillant books can we have some pics of : the main characters,
lamia witches and wormes plus are you going to do another spooks stories about boggarts
August 20th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Hi Joseph can we read that book in France
August 20th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
looks awesome cant wait 4 it to come out!!!!!
August 20th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Love everything about the wardstone chronicles but I’m so frustrated about the covers!! I just want to be able to complete my collection of the old style cover books. If theres going to be classic editions of all the books like the spooks sacrifice then hurry up releasing them!! Still havn’t got the spooks knightmare because I don’t want the new covers
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
I met you when you were signing The Spooks Nightmare. My brother and I love you books. We brought all our series for you to sign and some from our school libary. It was part of the Derbyshire Literacy Festival. You and Your books are amazing!!!!! My brother had long blond hair so you may have mistaken him for a girl!
September 9th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
You are my favourite author. Your books are the best I have ever read, hands down. I’ve read all the available books in 6 weeks and can’t wait to get stuck into the new ones.
Blood and bone!
September 14th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
thank you for creating a very gripping story that surprises the reader no matter what they’re expecting i’m looking forward for this books release date
September 15th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Heyy
i love the bo and i cant wait for this one to come out but i’m kinda confused whats the spooks destiny i thought it was the spooks biestry??So please help me out here it will be reeally appreciated by the way your books are the best! so please answer my question….. 
September 15th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Man, that cover looks fantastic. it’s amazing how someone could draw so good! I’m pleased to hear that Alice Deane is getting i diary book. she’s one of my favorite characters.
September 15th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
i read the Last Apprentice instead of The Spook’s Books. Is there a big difference except that the Spook’s books have awesome covers? Because the Last Apprentice is like . . . the same story i think. they have different titles too. Like the attack of the huntress is actually the spooks nightmare so . . . what the heck!! Why did they make to different covers? Anyway, that skelt is wicked cool! Thumbs up for that artist!!!
September 19th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Wow,I really love the books and it adds to the effect to know you come from my city,I can’t wait to buy this book :)!
September 19th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
So excited for this book and especially the Alice Book, she’s my favorite character. Also, is Mab Mouldheel going to be in the eighth book because she’s one of my other favorites(:
September 26th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Wow! This book looks awesome! I can’t wait for it to come out. I’m counting the days!
September 26th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
THANKS SO MUCH for continuing this series. It is by far my favorite of anything I have ever read (and I am 49)! I love Grimalkin–so glad to hear she is alive and getting her own book. Cannot wait for book 8. Rise of the Huntress was awesome. Please never stop writing these books. I can’t imagine ever not being able to read more of your very talented works! Sincerely–Marie
October 1st, 2010 at 3:58 pm
i love your books and can t wait till the Bestiary’ comes out and same with the other two books but hopefuly u keep goin with them up to 15 or so and can t wait till i read it
October 24th, 2010 at 8:55 am
love the books keep it up just wondering admin about howmnay books will there thankyouu
November 13th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
I can not wait for the next one
November 21st, 2010 at 4:46 am
Hay Joseph I don’t know if you remember me or even my class but last year when you came to NZ you visited room 15 of BlockHouse Bay Intermediate. I was wondering if you have written a spooks 8 you know after the spooks nightmare and before spooks witches and spooks Bestiary. I love the spooks series and i have read all the books up to the spooks nightmare including spooks witches. I can’t wait to read spooks Bestiary. Your books are the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Yay! I’m so excited to read this book! The day it goes on the shelves I am definitely getting a copy! I’m so excited!
December 19th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I just want to clear this up: there is giong to be an 8th book right? If so, when will it be released? Can you please give me an answer? Keep up the AWESOME writing! These books are AMAZING!! This is one of my favorite series EVER! I can’t wait until the next book, if there is one.
December 23rd, 2010 at 10:14 pm
the bestiary is great,i hope the spooks destiny and grimalkin and alice books are fantastic
December 23rd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
what is the ninth bokk called
January 6th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
I am soo addicted to these books and they seem to be getting better each book, i am writing my own Spooks story following ‘the spooks fear’ I am really enjoying writing in your style and coming up with an amazing plot along the way. can’t wait for the next book to come out it’s agonising for me to wait in suspence for the next book. I HATE reading but your books have really captured my imagination
Im glued to my book when i finally get my hands on the newest relese. reading it in just under two days. i wish to send my book in to you but don’t know how please contact me! 
May 19th, 2011 at 10:04 am
I love the wardstone chronicles and have been following the series faithfully i hope the 8th book will come out soon!
September 11th, 2011 at 10:18 am
yes
March 7th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Liam needs to learn how to spell book
He has a beanhead