Jon Cronshaw's Author Diary: The Real Life of a Legally Blind Fantasy Author

This week, I reached the midpoint of Churchill’s Dragons (RAF Dragon Corps, Book 2) and have started posting editor-ready chapters on Patreon for early access readers.

The story’s coming together well, and it’s exciting to share it as it develops.

I also talk about the upcoming release of Rising Storm (The Ravenglass Throne, Part Eight), which is out this Monday! If you’ve been following the series, be ready—things are about to escalate.

This week, I passed the 24,000-word mark on my current work-in-progress, Churchill’s Dragons (RAF Dragon Corps, Book 2).

The story’s really taking shape, and I’m enjoying building on the world established in Book 1.

I also received the completed audiobook for Punk’s Not Dead and will be doing my final listen-through before it’s ready to go live.

On a personal note, I’ve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) creeping in, so I took a few days off. I booked a short AirBnB break with my wife and son to rest, reset, and recharge.

Sometimes, rest is the work.

This week, I’ve been getting back into fantasy, and it feels great to return to the worlds I love.

I received Part 10 of The Ravenglass Throne back from my editor and spent time going through the edits.

I also completed final edits on Part 11, getting it ready to send off.

Alongside that, I’ve been getting back into RAF Dragon Corps Book 2—revisiting the outline, characters, and worldbuilding as I prepare to continue the series.

It’s been a productive week and a satisfying return to epic and military fantasy!

This week’s been a bit of a struggle—I talk about feeling off and wondering if Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has kicked in earlier than usual.

It usually hits me in November, but with autumn feeling like it arrived early, the dip may have too.

Creatively, I’ve been working on thriller projects and thinking ahead to my next fantasy book.

I’m torn between starting Ravenglass Guardians Book 3 or working on RAF Dragon Corps Book 2—both exciting in their own ways.

I also share what’s coming up soon on Patreon, with exclusive content and early chapters for supporters.

This week marks eight years since I started this podcast—back in October 2017, I recorded the first episode, and here we are in 2025, still going strong!I reflect on the lessons I’ve learned about author branding, especially as I launch my new pen-name, J. Cronshaw, focused entirely on domestic psychological thrillers. Narrowing the audience has made everything—from messaging to marketing—so much easier.Branding has always been a challenge for me. I’ve wrestled with how to define what I do when my books range from dark fantasy to wacky steampunk to near-future sci-fi. Maybe I should have embraced pen-names earlier… but then again, setting up a new website, newsletter, and socials has been a lot of work.

This week, I’ve made the decision to close my paid Substack and focus fully on Patreon as the central hub for my writing, early releases, and community.

It feels like the right move to streamline things and better serve my readers.

On the writing front, I’ve continued working on my psychological thrillers, while also reviewing the audiobook editions of The Ravenglass Throne and Undead Anarchy (Punks Versus Zombies, Book 2).

Lots going on behind the scenes as I keep building stories across genres!

This week, I’ve been juggling projects—working on my psychological thrillers while doing final checks on the first two Ravenglass Guardians novels.

I’m also getting ready for the upcoming launch of Divided Crown (The Ravenglass Throne, Book 7), and exploring the idea of putting together Kindle boxed sets for other series.

On a less exciting note, I talk about my disappointment with the Punks Versus Zombies launch, which didn’t land as well as I’d hoped.

Outside of writing, I saw Spinal Tap 2 (yes, it goes to eleven), and reflect on the fact that my son’s about to turn 13—where does the time go?

This week’s been packed with releases and reader questions!

I launched The Ravenglass Throne: Parts 1–4 as a boxed set, available now in ebook and paperback formats.

The Punks Versus Zombies audiobook is now live, as is the Trial of Thieves audiobook (Dawn of Assassins, Book 2)—great news if you’re an audio listener!

I also took time to answer questions from readers about my writing process and worldbuilding techniques.

This week, I’m happy to share that I’ve finished the draft of The Sentinel’s Mercy, the latest standalone in my Ravenglass Guardians series. With that wrapped up, I’ve shifted gears and started writing a psychological thriller under a new pen name—an exciting side project that’s been on my mind for a while.I also talk about something more personal: I’ve received the official retirement date for my guide dog, Digit. It’s a big emotional moment, and one that marks the end of an important chapter.

foreshadow cellarThis week, I took a research trip to Lytham to scout locations for a future psychological thriller.

I’ve got two domestic thrillers planned and will be writing them as side projects under a new pen-name to keep them separate from my fantasy work.

On the fantasy side, I made solid progress on The Sentinel’s Mercy (Ravenglass Guardians). I’ve now reached 75% of the draft and hope to finish it next week.

Also—though I forgot to mention it in the video—both the Punks Versus Zombies trilogy and Dark Gambit (Ravenglass Throne: Part Six) are now live on Amazon!

Visit: joncronshaw.com to find out more.