FORMER SYRACUSAN WRITES CHILDREN’S BOOK

by Michele Boy | September 5, 2024

2015 Syracuse High School graduate Taelor (Oller) Leyva has always dreamed of being a novelist. But as her life and family grew, her priorities became God and her family. 
Leyva is the daughter of Crystal Loder and Dustin Oller. She married 2016 SHS grad Diego Leyva and together they have three children - Dylan 5, Gabriel 3, and Aviana 1.
Leyva said, “I wanted to write a book to explain God and Jesus using characters that young children could understand.”
 After weeks of sitting with the idea, while she was nursing her daughter, it all came to her. 
“There are not many snail stories. The Lord started working through me and Susie the Sad Snail came to life. The rough draft took about ten minutes.”
“I sent the story to my family members to make sure it didn’t stink,” said Leyva. When the feedback came back, it was positive.  Levya moved forward. “I began working with an illustrator I found on fiver.com. Anastasia Dragunova is her name and she had a multiple month wait but she fit my vision the best. She helped me through the process as well, helping me create the story board. Together, we brought the dream to life. It took months and months, but it is worth it once you get to see it in physical form.”
Susie the Sad Snail came out September 1 on Amazon.com. It is a self-published children’s book for ages ten and below with activities in the back. The book is interactive, and you can touch, color, and more.
 Leyva added, “It is a redemptive story about finding the joy, the light, and the positivity, when surrounded by dark and negative. But it is done in a way for little kids to understand.”
Leyva recalls her own childhood. “When I was a kid, I moved from Kansas City to Syracuse, and I was a mess. Syracuse gave me a community. It was what I needed. It gave me the tools to slow down and appreciate the small things. I feel like when tragedy happens, the entire town comes together. When you need someone, the whole town shows up.”
Sadly, Leyva had a few personal experiences with difficult times when she rolled her car her junior year of high school and several months later lost her uncle Tyler. 
Today, Leyva and her family live in Kansas City where husband, Diego, is an electrician. While they moved away in 2022, they keep Syracuse in their hearts. 
“I have more support in Syracuse than anywhere else and we don’t even live there anymore,” Leyva humbly commented. 
While Leyva is nervous about the reception, she is proud of the accomplishment. “The main thing that I am so proud of is creating a legacy for my family. Even if it doesn’t become super successful, the book is something my family will have even after I am gone. It is a book my children can read to their children and forward.”
While Leyva has multiple books in the works, she wants to see how this one goes. 
Leyva is planning a book signing at the Hamilton County Library. No date is set but we will let you know. In the meantime, go to amazon.com, type in Susie the Sad Snail and it will pop up. Order your copy today.