CHITTENANGO - Former Skaneateles resident MaryLee Kelly recently published her first book, "NoWhere Land." What's surprising is she's written this tome at age 70, when most people are fully into their retirement years and happy to be sedentary after a life of hard work and raising families.

A graduate of State University at Cortland with a BS degree in Education in 1953, Kelly lived in Skaneateles for 11 years, raised six children and was the founder of the Skaneateles Art Guild. She ran for Skaneateles town supervisor unsuccessfully in 1977 but, "had a lot of fun doing it.

"I always wanted to write a book, ever since I graduated from college, but teaching and raising a family took up my time, although I did attempt to write a little book for very young children along with illustrations, but did not get it published," Kelly said. "Writing a book was always in the back of my mind."

Before "NoWhere Land," the only writings Kelly had published was when she ran for town supervisor, a couple of articles for the local paper stating her platform and ideas for the town. She also became involved in doing gravestone rubbings at the time of the Skaneateles Bicentennial and had appeared before several groups to explain and display them.

But Kelly's desire to write a book kept resurfacing.

"I read some articles about composing a novel; how to put it together, proof it and all," Kelly said. "It took a lot of time to read and re-read it to get it running smooth. Sometimes in bed at night I'd think about the story, coming up with names for characters or a new twist. I found that I had to get up and jot down a name or idea so not to forget it.

Like all good authors, Kelly read a great deal - especially the type of material her target audience was reading. "I checked young readers books at the bookstore to get an idea of length, number of chapters, etc. I didn't want this tale to get too long or too complicated, I wanted the readers to enjoy it, not get bored," she said.

In "NoWhere Land," no one is bored. It is a tale of the quest of young Peter McFall, whose life has been upset by the recent move of his family to a new area. His father helps him build a tree house, which he names the Utopia Den. He finds unexpected adventure there, as well as some unusual friends: a praying mantis and a ladybug. With them he travels magically to NoWhere Land.

McFall's quest is to stop a stubborn Draconis from frightening the citizens and taking over the Castle of Hamasco, king of the land. As he travels from his world to another, McFall discovers strange new people, new responsibilities and a greater appreciation for his own family.

"I just let my imagination go. In fact, even though I had a general idea for the story, it just evolved as I wrote it, characters and all," Kelly said. "When I was a child, I used to climb the apple tree in my backyard where I would pretend to be some character residing there. That's where I got the idea of a tree house, it was like another world to play in."

Kelly began looking into how to publish "Nowhere Land" and found iUniverse, an Internet publishing company. iUniverse provides individuals a simple, affordable way to publish, market, and sell fiction and non-fiction books. The company is the largest independent publisher in the United States.

"iUniverse gave authors control over when and how their works are published," Kelly said. "Their way of doing things was something I could afford and understand. They worked one-on-one with me and were extremely helpful."

Kerry Mickle, publishing services associate for iUniverse, said working as a liaison between Kelly and the design team was "a wonderful opportunity."

"Print on Demand (publishing) is still a relatively new industry and we require more participation from our authors than mainstream publishers do," Mickle said. "MaryLee met those challenges with no difficulty. She seems to have the knack for transporting juvenile readers into another place and making the adventures there enjoyable ones.

"I find my senior authors more refreshing because their goals are focused on telling the story in the most enjoyable way, which, to me, is the foundation for a better book," Mickle continued. "Everyone knows grandparents tend to tell the best stories. It was brave of MaryLee to venture into this new territory at her age."

Mickle said while some seniors are challenged by contemporary computer and Internet aspects of writing and publishing, "MaryLee met those challenges cooperatively and with enthusiasm - important traits in this business."

Kelly is pleased with the process and results of "NoWhere Land."

"I'm not in this to sell books; it's just something I wanted to do," Kelly said. "I am a strong believer in reading for children of all ages, so I wrote 'Nowhere Land' with that in mind. I am happy that my book has found a small yet growing audience."

"NoWhere Land" has an underlying message Kelly feels is a legacy to her seven grandchildren. "Peter McFall found a way to rise above his disappointment at having to move away from the city and his friends," she said. "Through his journey and his new friends, Mantis and Lyra, he adjusts to his new life. Many young people have to endure so much change these days, maybe it would help them to dream a little."

The project was so much fun, Kelly has now written the sequel to "NoWhere Land."

"It needs to be proofed and worked on some but, basically, it is just about ready," Kelly said. "I probably won't get it published until a bit later this year. It takes time to get going along with some planning because I'd never tackled this type of project, but I am finding it easier to write and produce another book now that I have some idea what I'm doing."

Print on Demand publishing helps authors get published who might otherwise be overlooked by mainstream publishers, Mickle said. "We help authors make their dreams of publishing come true, and when you can say that at the end of the workday," she said. "It makes for a satisfying day, indeed."

"I've read 'NoWhere Land' so many times in the process of getting it done, but I still don't tire of it," Kelly said. "I also think people need to realize they can make their dreams a reality at any age. Writing this book was a tremendous experience for me. I'd recommend anyone who has a dream to chase it, to bring it to fruition."