Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

I’ve loved the fantasy genre ever since I read Tolkien’s body of work. Fantasy gives you the most freedom regarding worldbuilding and while there are tropes that ought to be included, one isn’t constrained like in genres like crime fiction for example. This ultimate freedom can be overwhelming but forces you to really let your imagination loose and think about the world you’re constructing.

What have you written so far?

I’ve written a thriller in German when I was 19, a spy thriller earlier this year, Zari and the Citadel as well as most of a dystopian satire and the beginning of an absurd chess novella.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Dream big, plan carefully and execute with attention to detail. Trust your subconscious to fill in the gaps and get you over writer’s block. Find a setting where you can get into the flow and keep reading as much as you can.

Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book? 

Zari and the Citadel is the first in the 7-part Zari Pendragon series and follows a girl from New York as she gets drawn into the world of Realmbuilding. She learns about her real parents and their war against the Citadel’s founders while she has to find her own way in an increasingly complex power struggle over ancient artifacts, ruins and other sources of knowledge both known and hidden.

Tell us more about your main character. What inspired you to develop this character?

I modeled Zari to be similar to me in regards to her love for books, ruins and the sea. I want her to be an innocent kid with a happy childhood that gets thrown into a completely strange world where she has to find her own path while dealing with the dark legacy of her real parents. I want her to have a hero’s journey and be complex and real and as such I’m drawing from both Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, combining the noble, better-than-human heroine with a grounded, realistic and very much flawed character that is affected by the world around her.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

Keeping the worldbuilding and lore consistent and knowing what to reveal and what to hint at. Seeing as there will be six move volumes, the trick is to reveal enough but not too much, to keep the mysteries of that world at a healthy level.

What one person from history would you like to meet and why? 

Probably Tolkien. I would ask his advice in how to construct a fictional language as this is probably the most difficult thing about writing fully fleshed out fantasy.

What do you like to read in your free time?

Fantasy, spy novels and historical novels.

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?

Tolkien, Jules Verne, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Enid Blyton, Lee Child, Wolfgang Hohlbein, George R.R. Marting, Patrick Rothfuss.

Tell us something unique about you.

I’m a traveling nomad without a real home, living wherever I work as a scuba instructor and writer. I have hardly any material possessions – a backpack and a carry-on suitcase plus my diving gear is all that I have.

Want to learn more about J.B. Kovacs?

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