Our towns are just so magic!

The towns are being used as backdrop for new fantasy e-book The Chaosifier which is storming up the Amazon charts.

Author Mike Evers said the ‘warmth and generosity’ of people in Mirfield inspired him to set his story in the town which has become his home.

“Mirfield is very much a community and that was in my mind as I wrote the book,” he said.

The heroes of the tale are a group of magical ‘luck goblins’ who live in Hopfield (Mirfield/Hopton) in Hag Wood (Hagg Wood, Lower Hopton). They spend the first part of the story going about their business, bringing good luck to unfortunate people in Hopfield and Digbury (Dewsbury). Then later they start an epic journey across London and Europe to face a wicked chaos lord.

Mike, 41, has lived in Mirfield for seven years. From a naval family, he was born in Singapore and lived in Australia, Wales and Sussex before doing English teacher training in Huddersfield. A work placement at Kirklees College in Dewsbury led to a job there.

“After moving around a bit, I suddenly found I was happy and comfortable here,” said Mike, who is married with a baby son. “The warmth and generosity of people in the town inspired me to set the story here.”

With the heroes in place, though, he needed an enemy and this came from a character in a German legend. “He makes the perfect baddie,” said Mike.

The book was actually written a couple of years ago and Mike had virtually given up trying to get it published when a friend suggested US publishing house Trestle Press. “I gave it a try and they loved it,” said Mike, who lives in Stocks Bank Road.

People can read the book via Amazon or kindle and Mike said The Chaosifier is doing well in the fantasy charts, although he is still waiting for reviews as it has only been up for sale a few days.