This week’s been tough—I’ve been struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which has made writing harder than usual.

Still, I’ve kept pushing forward with Churchill’s Dragons (RAF Dragon Corps, Book 2), and I’m now at around 50,000 words into the draft.

To switch off, I finally finished watching House of Cards on Netflix… and honestly, it didn’t quite land for me.

So I decided to dig out the DVD player and introduce my son to some classic films, starting with Brewster’s Millions. A much-needed hit of nostalgia.

Visit: patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to start reading RAF Dragon Corps.

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.

This week, I’ve been recovering and feeling much better—just in time to reach the midpoint of The Sentinel’s Mercy, my latest Ravenglass Guardians novel.

The story’s hitting its stride, and I’m excited with how it’s coming together.

I’ve also been hard at work preparing for the launch of the Punks Versus Zombies trilogy, which goes live this weekend on August 31!

Can’t wait to get this wild post-apocalyptic ride into readers' hands.

This week’s been a bit rough—I’ve been dealing with a throat infection that had me in bed for a few days.

Despite that, I made good progress on The Sentinel’s Mercy (Ravenglass Guardians, Book 2), reaching eight chapters out of a planned 24.

I’ve also finished my final readthrough of The Silent Watcher (Book 1 in the same series). Though I’m calling them Books 1 and 2 for now, the Ravenglass Guardians series will be seven standalone novels, so their final order may shift.

Meanwhile, I’m gearing up for the launch of Punks Versus Zombies on August 31—just a few weeks to go!

This week, I took a mini-break to Chester, enjoying peaceful walks in Delamere Forest, the stunning Chester Cathedral, and strolling the historic city walls—a great way to reset.

Creatively, I’ve been working on Hunters, my wacky Space Western originally written as a Patreon side project. I’m now rewriting it as a nautical fantasy set in the Ravenglass Universe, and it’s been a fun challenge adapting the tone and setting while keeping the spirit of the original.

I also reflect on my prolific writing strategy—following my energy and excitement rather than rigid plans, which keeps things creatively fulfilling.

Elsewhere, Trial of Thieves has now been submitted to ACX, so the Audible edition should be available soon.

And my interview with the British Fantasy Society just went live—check it out at britishfantasysociety.org/meet-jon-cronshaw/

It’s been a busy week! I’ve been reviewing alpha reader feedback for The Silent Watcher and checking through the audiobook edition of Trial of Thieves (Dawn of Assassins, Book 2).

The paperbacks for the Punks Versus Zombies trilogy are now ready, and audiobook production is underway.

I’m also thrilled to have Emmy Coates back to narrate The Ravenglass Throne—she was brilliant on The Ravenglass Chronicles, so it’s great to have her voice returning to the Ravenglass Universe.

Plus, I’ve put the Ravenglass Throne Boxed Set (Books 1–4) up for pre-order ahead of its September 15 release.

To find out more about Jon, visit joncronshaw.com/books

This week, I finished my draft of The Silent Watcher—the first completed novel in my Ravenglass Guardians series—and sent it to alpha readers for early feedback.

I’ve also begun the next standalone in the series, centred on the Sentinel faction.

While The Silent Watcher is a slow-burn psychological thriller, the Sentinel novel is shaping up to be a gritty military fantasy—both firmly in nobledark territory.

On a personal note, my son is off to Denmark to compete in the Youth Games for karate.

This week, I’ve made solid progress on my Watcher story in the Ravenglass Guardians series, hitting the 75% mark in my draft.

If everything continues smoothly, I should have a complete draft by the end of next week.

I’ve also been outlining the next standalone novel, which will follow a character from the Guardians’ Sentinel faction. Each book in this series will explore a different path of the Guardians, with all seven forming a powerful nobledark saga.

Find out more about my work at joncronshaw.com.

This week, I hit the mid-point in drafting my first Ravenglass Guardians novel, focusing on the Watchers faction. It’s a nobledark fantasy with strong political thriller elements.

Since each of the seven planned books will be standalone, this may not be the first released—but my goal is to write the full series before launching it on Patreon.

I’m aiming for 60k-word novels (like my Guild of Assassins books), which allows me to draft a solid book in about four weeks, writing 3,000 words per weekday—a pace I’ve kept up for years. It’s a challenge, but one I’m excited to push through!

Visit: joncronshaw.com/books

This week, I’ve dived into my new series set in the Ravenglass Universe, focusing on the Guardians—a seven-novel, nobledark fantasy exploring the different paths within the order. I’ve written the first six chapters of Book 1, putting me at 25% of the draft already.

I also reflect on my shift toward writing more 60,000-word novels, similar in length to the Guild of Assassins books. This feels like the sweet spot for the kinds of focused, intense stories I want to tell going forward. Exciting times ahead!

To claim your free copy of Blades of Wolfsbane, visit joncronshaw.com.

This week has been a busy and intense one! I’m thrilled to share that I’ve finished the draft of The Prince and the Fool (Ravenglass Legends, Book 4). It’s always a huge relief hitting that final chapter.

On top of that, I’ve been deep in website work—the book page platform I’d been using suddenly stopped working, so I rebuilt everything from scratch. You can now browse my updated book catalogue at joncronshaw.com/books.

I’ve also leaned further into my King of Nobledark rebrand, making sure everything aligns with the tone and themes of my work. It’s been a lot—but worth it.