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T-R PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER
\nJosef Glockl stands proudly with his newly published fantasy novel. Available for purchase online, the book is the first in a series of many the new author is working on. The book became available to the public on March 31.<\/p>\n
TAMA \u2013 Josef Glockl of Tama never set out to write a fantasy novel. Well, maybe he did. After five years, multiple rewrites, and one persistent vision later, the longtime community resident is now a published author, writing \u201cThe New God,\u201d the first installment in The Rise of the Dragon Mage series, a fantasy novel set in the world of Tulin.<\/p>\n
The story follows four royal brothers whose fates diverge in the face of ancient magic, rising darkness, and the threat of the Godless, a mysterious, terrifying force long held at bay by a magical barrier. Each brother\u2019s journey comes from a different angle of a shared, broader unraveling, as the kingdom of Katha braces for threats both old and surprisingly new.<\/p>\n
But behind the battles, gods, and dragons, lies an even more personal story: Joe\u2019s own.<\/p>\n
The idea began as just a crazy idea \u2014 something Joe had been \u201cpicking away at for years.\u201d Though he\u2019d written a little in high school and dabbled with short stories, it wasn\u2019t until he stepped back from full-time work that the world of Tulin truly came to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI developed carpal tunnel and started working part-time,\u201d Joe said. \u201cThat\u2019s when I really started writing the book. The idea just kept growing.\u201d <\/p>\n
The change in workload as an Assistant Manager at Hy-Vee Dollar Fresh, left Glockl with more time and motivation to pursue his dream of being a writer.<\/p>\n
His writing process wasn\u2019t linear. Joe rewrote the novel several times, scrapping and restarting different sections until the structure and characters fit the story just right. The world of Katha grew so large that he estimates it would\u2019ve been 1,000 pages had he left everything in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I needed to break it up,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want the first book to feel incomplete either. It had to tell a full story on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n
The New God introduces Deagan DuVere, the third-born prince of Katha, whose magical potential sends him away from the battlefield and into the Opal Tower. His brothers; Throm, the heir and warrior; Carver, the devout priest; and Bon, the youngest, who holds a connection to a cult, each find themselves pulled into separate yet very connected quests.<\/p>\n
The characters, Joe admits, represent more than just fantasy archetypes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up exploring some different areas. Faith, identity, and the cost of leadership came up in the end\u201d he said. \u201cSome of the biggest battles aren\u2019t with monsters \u2014 they\u2019re with yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the ideas were all his, he had plenty of help along the way; His daughter, an artist, created the book\u2019s cover illustration. \u201cAfter I messed around with some AI art and ended up not really liking it, I asked my kids to help out. My daughter took a picture she found and eventually sketched out an idea that became the cover,\u201d Joe said proudly. \u201cThat meant a lot, having my family in on the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Joe also thanks his high school English teacher, now retired, for helping edit the final draft. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe went through the book line by line,\u201d Joe said. <\/p>\n
Though there may have been a lot of corrections in red pen to start with, after some tweaks and edits everything came together.<\/p>\n
The novel is self-published through Amazon, where readers can purchase it in paperback or Kindle format. With local supporters already taken note, some were surprised that the friendly assistant manager at Dollar Fresh had created an entire fantasy world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had people ask if it\u2019s really me who wrote it,\u201d Joe laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s still shocking to see your name on something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though The New God was only recently released, Joe is developing book two, which will continue the brothers\u2019 journeys and explore new corners of Tulin. The series, titled The Rise of the Dragon Mage, is planned to span multiple volumes.<\/p>\n
For now, Joe\u2019s proudest moment is simply seeing the book published and printed. \u201cWriting a book is lonely work. You\u2019re in your head for so long,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when someone reads it, when they get excited or ask questions about the world\u2026 it makes it all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe Glockl didn\u2019t just write a fantasy novel\u2013he built a world. And now, he\u2019s inviting readers to step inside.<\/p>\n
Books are available for purchase following the link to Amazon: https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/New-God-J-L-Glockl. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DES MOINES \u2014 Six Iowa farm families will be recognized as recipients of the 2025 Way We Live Award at the Iowa …<\/p>\n