J.D. Evans didn’t set out to become one of the most beloved self-published romantasy authors. Before her award-winning novel, Reign and Ruin, from the Mages of the Wheel series, she was serving in the military, living a life defined by precision, structure, and hierarchy.
So how did she make the leap from intelligence reports to immersive worldbuilding, magic, and slow-burn romance?
As it turns out, the transition wasn’t as unlikely as it sounds.
From military intelligence to writing fantasy romance
“I grew up writing,” Evans says. “I think most writers start writing when they’re kids. That kind of creativity, that enjoyment of it as an outlet was always there.”
While she was serving as an intelligence officer, writing stayed a hobby. It was a quiet escape between deployments and embassy work. When she finally left the military, she found herself in a new phase of life: marriage, motherhood, and the lingering question of what came next.
“There are aspects of what I did in the military that help with my writing,” she explains.
“I deployed to the Middle East a few times and worked at the embassy in Beirut. The cultural navigation, the experience of different peoples, cultures, religions, places, geography—I think that really adds to a writer’s ability to create something that makes sense when you’re worldbuilding.”
Even her intel work found a creative parallel.
“As an intelligence officer, I did a lot of collating data. I’d take a lot of information and condense it down to something palatable for the people I was informing. That translates pretty well to writing, or even to writing blurbs and pitches.”
How J.D. Evans builds Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy worlds
Evans’ settings draw heavily from her time in the Middle East, but she’s careful to clarify her approach.
“I’m not putting it in as a nod to diversity or an attempt to get away from the classic Medieval Europe setting,” she says. “I genuinely loved the culture and the geography and the thousands of years of history. I think that’s the place to start—when you’re interested in learning, being respectful, and wanting to get it right.”
She’s deeply aware of the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation.
“I made a very conscious decision to step away from using Islam,” she explains. “My setting is Ottoman Turkish, and Islam is a huge part of that history. But I’m not Muslim, and I’m not comfortable, even with research, navigating that space. So there are stories I would never try to write.”
Her advice for writers: if you’re inspired by a culture, learn from it but know your limits.
As she puts it, “If you’re using a historical setting of a different culture or people, you can write stories from different perspectives, but you need to research. You can’t just use the stereotypes.”
The long road to writing Reign and Ruin
Like many debut authors, Evans’ first book didn’t appear overnight.
“The bones of Reign and Ruin came from an old story I’d written years ago,” she says. “Maybe the personalities, maybe the two kingdoms colliding together.”
The spark came from a completely unrelated book, a dark historical novel set in industrial England. “It was about this girl who got pregnant out of wedlock and ran away to London,” she recalls. “There was just the seed of a love story, and that’s often how I get my ideas.”
She laughs about it now. That stray idea eventually became book four in her series. But from first spark to publication? “Maybe a couple of years,” she estimates. “You reach a point where you have to finish it, you have to get rid of it, and you have to move on.”
That tension between creative drive and burnout never fully goes away.
“Every book, I’m convinced I’ll never write another book again,” she admits. “I should just give up, and people aren’t gonna like it as much as the last one, and it wasn’t this hard last time. I go through that with every book, every time. And I think that’s pretty universal.”
→ Check out this post on How to Write Romantasy to learn how to balance fantasy worldbuilding with compelling romance arcs.
J.D. Evans’ approach to worldbuilding in fantasy romance
Every fantasy author eventually gets asked: how do you worldbuild?
Evans laughs at the question because, like most of us, her process changes every book.
“I’m not much of an outliner,” she says. “I’m a plantser. I do keep a beat sheet, but that came from trial and error. Before I was a mom, it was easy to hold the whole story in my head. Now, if I don’t write things down, I won’t remember them.”
Her toolkit is simple but flexible: notes on her phone, a dedicated Scrivener file for each book, and a running list of inspirations—songs, memes, research links, and random thoughts.
“I do what’s often called ‘writing in the headlights,’” she says. “You write what you can see ahead of you, and as you move forward, you figure out the next scene. But for a long series, you do have to know your ending. You can’t drop hints if you don’t know where you’re going.”
Her worldbuilding philosophy borrows from her military background too.
“In Civil Affairs, we talked about something called the second and third order effect,” she explains. “If you build a well, people have water. That’s the first effect. The second and third are that they don’t have to walk miles anymore. They have time back. Their community changes. Those effects ripple out.”
That mindset shapes how she builds societies on the page.
“When you’re worldbuilding, don’t just ask surface-level questions,” she says. “Ask what the ripple effect on your society is.”
→ See this post on the Ultimate Fantasy Worldbuilding Guide for a deeper dive.
How Evans recovered from “not like other girls” syndrome
When readers talk about Reign and Ruin, they often mention Naime—the poised, level-headed heroine who stands apart from the impulsive leads common in fantasy romance.
Evans laughs when I tell her Naime might be one of the most grounded protagonists I’ve ever read.
“She was inspired by me wishing I was like Naime,” she admits. “Naime thinks of the perfect comeback in the moment, and I think of it a week later.”
Her vision for Naime was also shaped by how female strength has been depicted in fantasy.
“I’m a recovering ‘not like other girls,’” she says. “I grew up in a pretty misogynistic environment, where feminine things were habitually downgraded. I thought strength had to look like the men around me.”
Her goal now is to showcase the many faces of strength.
“I wanted to celebrate the ways women are strong that aren’t patriarchal ideas of strength,” she says. “Not necessarily that she can wield a sword as well as any man, but that she has emotional intelligence, social intelligence, maneuvering intelligence.”
Across her series, each heroine embodies a different kind of power: kindness, strategy, vulnerability, empathy.
“I think female friendship is fascinating,” she adds. “It’s so different from how men interact, and it’s an untapped source of storytelling, especially in romantasy.”
The realities of self-publishing fantasy
When the conversation turns to self-publishing, Evans gets candid.
“It’s a lot of work,” she says. “You have to do everything. And if you can’t put the work in, you have to accept that you may not succeed to the amount you want to.”
Her career didn’t explode overnight.
“My series didn’t really take off until I wrote my fourth book,” she explains. “That’s three years where I maybe had no sales. A $15 day was a fantastic day.”
She mentions her friend and fellow self-published author Carissa Broadbent as an example. “Daughter of No Worlds made her a living, but she didn’t take off until Crowns of Nyaxia. That was her third series. So we have to be realistic about the timeline.”
The financial realities can be harsh too. “Editing is insanely expensive,” she says, “especially if you’re writing big, chunky fantasy books.”
Still, Evans prefers the freedom of indie publishing.
“In trad, if your book doesn’t sell, they stop printing it and you’re done,” she explains. “They own your rights. But with self-publishing, you can rebrand, relaunch, and try again. You’re never done.”
For writers who don’t want to wait years before their books find readers, this is where smart marketing comes in. Building an audience early—before launch—can set you up for a more sustainable, confident debut.
If you want help creating that foundation, join the waitlist for my upcoming course, Pre-Launch Marketing for Indie Authors, where I’ll teach you how to build your audience before you publish.
What’s next for romantasy author J.D. Evans after Mages of the Wheel?
Evans isn’t done with Mages of the Wheel just yet, but she’s already thinking ahead.
“Whatever I do next will be shorter,” she says. “Probably still fantasy romance, probably still ancient or older setting. But I also have ideas for more paranormal urban fantasy and sci-fi. It's all romance though. I was just telling my husband this morning, while I would like to be considered legitimate in the fantasy community, and it's a struggle as a fantasy romance writer, I don't know that I can write something without romance. It happens even when I don't mean for it to.”
During our conversation, I mentioned how frustrating that can be as both a writer and a reader.
“I struggle with that,” I said. “There are 500 pages of cool fantasy going on, and then a subplot of romance, and suddenly it’s not legitimate anymore.”
Evans agrees. “It's a frustration. There's a whole spectrum of romantasy right now, and it’s all kind of shoved together. Some of it probably belongs in erotica—and I don’t mean that negatively—but readers want different levels of romance and spice. There’s almost no separation yet, and the genre’s still finding its legs.”
Key takeaways for fantasy writers
- Draw from real experiences and cultural curiosity, not surface-level tropes.
- Build worlds by asking about the ripple effects of every choice.
- Explore feminine strength in all its forms, not just the sword-wielding kind.
- Be patient with your publishing journey. Success takes time.
- Remember: Self-publishing takes a lot of work, but you have full control over your books.
Explore J.D. Evans’ books
If you haven’t yet stepped into the Mages of the Wheel universe, start with Reign and Ruin. It’s the perfect blend of lush worldbuilding, romance, and political intrigue, and a great study in how to write complex, emotionally grounded fantasy.
You can find J.D. Evans’ full series and updates on her website: www.jdevansbooks.com/
And if you’d like to connect with her on social media, she’s active on Instagram (@jdevansbooks) where she shares book news, writing thoughts, and the occasional sneak peek into her next project.
FAQ about J.D. Evans and Reign and Ruin
What genre is Reign and Ruin by J.D. Evans?
Reign and Ruin is a romantasy novel—a blend of fantasy, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance. It’s the first book in J.D. Evans’ Mages of the Wheel series and features lush worldbuilding and a grounded, emotionally intelligent heroine.
Is J.D. Evans a self-published author?
Yes. J.D. Evans is a self-published fantasy romance author. Her Mages of the Wheel series is independently published, which allows her full creative control over her stories, covers, and releases.
What is the Mages of the Wheel series about?
The Mages of the Wheel series follows interconnected characters navigating magic, politics, and love in a richly imagined world inspired by Middle Eastern and Ottoman influences. Each book stands on its own but ties into a larger universe.
Where can I read more romantasy books like Reign and Ruin?
If you enjoyed Reign and Ruin, explore authors like Carissa Broadbent, Helen Scheuerer, or Penn Cole—all known for epic fantasy romance with deep worldbuilding and complex characters.
Is Reign and Ruin spicy?
Reign and Ruin has some open door spice, but it’s on the lighter side and not overly explicit.
In what order should I read the Mages of the Wheel books?
Start with Reign and Ruin, followed by Storm and Shield, Siren and Scion, Wind and Wildfire (prequel), and Ice and Ivy. Each book can stand alone, but reading them in order lets you fully experience the character arcs and world continuity.
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