Local resident Taya Okerlund has written several books, including one about Southern Utah local culture titled, “Hurricane Coltrane.” Now she is launching a series titled, “Never Lore,” a second world middle grade fantasy, and although these books are far from realistic, they hold fast to the truth.

“These novels are for everyone,” Okerlund says, “but I started out writing them for my daughter, who loves all things fantastical. She adores books, but she is also very particular. Whatever the story, it had better be full of wonder. So I had my work cut out for me, because I had to satisfy not only her high standards, but also my own. The stories had to be more than magical–they had to be truthful.”

How is fiction–and a fantasy–supposed to be truthful you may wonder? Okerlund insists that great fiction is always honest. “You can’t lie to people,” she says. “No matter how good you are at presentation, on some level, your readers will sense the holes in your storyline and know you’ve betrayed them. They will stop reading.”

It took Okerlund many years to write these books, and ultimately, it became a family effort.

“My daughter insisted on the inclusion of hyenas — at the time she was four years old and experiencing great sympathies for any kind of less-popular creature. I wrote the hyena scene and then my husband got hold of it and lit that scene on fire! He and my daughter are mostly editorial support, but I take many of their suggestions and corrections. My daughter reads over my shoulder and catches my spelling errors. She’s ten now and an absolute hawk for mistakes,” Okerlund says.

“Never Lore,” is currently launched in a LIVE Kickstarter “Make 100” Event online. The official publication date comes later in March 2023, but you can follow and support the live campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neverlore/never-lore-journey-to-smolder?ref=user_menu