Josef 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. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

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 “The New God,” the first installment in The Rise of the Dragon Mage series, a fantasy novel set in the world of Tulin.

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’s journey comes from a different angle of a shared, broader unraveling, as the kingdom of Katha braces for threats both old and surprisingly new.

But behind the battles, gods, and dragons, lies an even more personal story: Joe’s own.

The idea began as just a crazy idea — something Joe had been “picking away at for years.” Though he’d written a little in high school and dabbled with short stories, it wasn’t until he stepped back from full-time work that the world of Tulin truly came to life.

“I developed carpal tunnel and started working part-time,” Joe said. “That’s when I really started writing the book. The idea just kept growing.”

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.

His writing process wasn’t 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’ve been 1,000 pages had he left everything in.

“I knew I needed to break it up,” he said. “But I didn’t want the first book to feel incomplete either. It had to tell a full story on its own.”

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.

The characters, Joe admits, represent more than just fantasy archetypes.

“I ended up exploring some different areas. Faith, identity, and the cost of leadership came up in the end” he said. “Some of the biggest battles aren’t with monsters — they’re with yourself.”

Though the ideas were all his, he had plenty of help along the way; His daughter, an artist, created the book’s cover illustration. “After 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,” Joe said proudly. “That meant a lot, having my family in on the process”

Joe also thanks his high school English teacher, now retired, for helping edit the final draft.

“She went through the book line by line,” Joe said.

Though there may have been a lot of corrections in red pen to start with, after some tweaks and edits everything came together.

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.

“I’ve had people ask if it’s really me who wrote it,” Joe laughed. “It’s still shocking to see your name on something like that.”

Though The New God was only recently released, Joe is developing book two, which will continue the brothers’ journeys and explore new corners of Tulin. The series, titled The Rise of the Dragon Mage, is planned to span multiple volumes.

For now, Joe’s proudest moment is simply seeing the book published and printed. “Writing a book is lonely work. You’re in your head for so long,” he said. “But when someone reads it, when they get excited or ask questions about the world… it makes it all worth it.”

Joe Glockl didn’t just write a fantasy novel–he built a world. And now, he’s inviting readers to step inside.

Books are available for purchase following the link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-God-J-L-Glockl.