Interview with fantasy author, Jon Cronshaw

1) Let’s start with an easy question. What is your Author name; use your Pen name if you have one.

Jon Cronshaw

2) What is your genre and what drew you to it?

I’ve been a reader of fantasy since I can remember. Some of the earliest books that made we want to tell stories included The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis, The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, and The Witches by Roald Dahl.

Since then, I’ve enjoyed most genres, but always find myself being drawn back to fantasy.

3) Which character of yours was the most challenging to write and why?

I wrote a gamelit novel called Blind Gambit where the main character is blind but has a chip to allow him to see in virtual worlds.

I’m legally blind and have only about five-percent vision, so writing Brian’s character meant me confronting some of my own feelings about sight-loaa and disability.

4) Do you prefer writing dialogue, action or other scenes?

I love writing dialogue. My first drafts read like messy screenplays. I love banter and distinct vocal patterns with characters. I can’t get through stories with flat dialogue.

5) How did you come up with your cover design?

I didn’t. My designer is tremendous. I gave him a brief based on some story elements and he produced something magical. I wish I could take credit it for it!

6) Pick five books that are must-reads in your mind.

Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe, The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks.

7) Where is your favorite place to read?

On my bed.

8) Which book villain would be the hardest to defeat?

I know I wouldn’t a chance against one of Scott Lynch’s bondsmages. For the Falconer to go through what he did and come back makes him pretty tough.

9) Name one of your favorite authors.

Michael J. Sullivan

10) If you could live in any “book world” what would that be?

I’d love to live in the Discworld. There are so many fun and silly places.

11) What is your best book memory?

The excitement on my son’s face when we bought him the Eragon boxset for Christmas.

12) What is the name of your book/series? Tell me a little bit about them.

My fantasy stories are set in the Ravenglass Universe. The Ravenglass Chronicles is a 21-novella series which is a coming-of-age high fantasy story inspired by the tarot’s major arcana.

My latest series is set in the same world and is an adult fantasy called Dawn of Assassins. This is about a pair of thieves who get recruited by a master assassin to be his next apprentice. The trouble is, they want nothing to do with killing, so they try everything they can to outwit the assassin.