J.D.L. Rosell

Most of my five series are soundly within epic fantasy. In style, I strive to be immersive, empathetic, and exciting in equal measures. As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I often include my favorite hallmarks of the genre, be they dragons, elves, or wizards - though always with a twist!

Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas (not Missouri, thank you very much!), I'd say more of my influence came from our annual summer visits to the Colorado Rocky Mountains, which is where I live now. I've always enjoyed hiking and the outdoors, and I try to instill that love into my writing wherever possible.

Insatiable! I was constantly reading, and across many genres. My favorites were always fantasy - The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter being the ones I devoured several times over.

At this point, I wouldn't want any one author's style, but to steal the aspect that they do best. For example, I'd love to be able to write relationships as beautifully and intricately as Robin Hobb, or to capture character voice as viscerally as Joe Abercrombie.

Robin Hobb, N.K. Jemisin, Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Ursula K. Le Guin

The Will of the Many by James Islington has been one I've been pushing lately - it's so enthralling!

I probably put the most of myself into Bjorn Borson, one of the protagonists of The Runewar Saga. He starts the series shy and bookish, but is forced by circumstances to come out of his shell and into his own - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

It's always the one I'm currently writing! But of those published, I'm probably still most proud of The Last Ranger, Book 1 in Ranger of the Titan Wilds.

Messy, though I try to be otherwise! My desk faces a window on the 2nd floor of our home, beyond which rises a tree often populated with birds. It makes for gentle entertainment during the pauses between pages.

My favorite time to read is in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee, either outside while camping or on the couch at home, and with a lovely view to look up at.