18-wheel holiday

Valley Life editor

One Christmas Eve, years ago, Mark Mendonsa was pulling into the port of Anchorage in his big rig, when he realized the chains on his truck were part of the Christmas cheer -- "my chains were singin' like sleigh bells ringin'" he said.

Now, years later, Mendonsa has written a Christmas book for children -- "A Semi for a Sleigh" -- that revolves around his life as a trucker, and that line appears in the beginning of the book. Even though it has only been out for a few weeks, Mendonsa said he is receiving a lot of positive comments about the book.

"I've never seen a truck driver Christmas story before, and I've had this idea forever," Mendonsa said. "It's been in my mind for more than 20 years. Now that I've finally done it, everybody is saying they love the book."

Mendonsa took the first step toward publishing by attending the Book Bonanza in the Cottonwood Creek Mall. There, he talked with Evan Swensen, an Anchorage publisher.

Mendonsa told Swensen about his idea, and that is was a poem about trucking and about Christmas. Swensen immediately told him that poetry doesn't sell that well, but to go ahead and submit something to Swensen, and he'd take a look at it.

"He called me right back and said, 'You didn't tell me this was a story,'" Mendonsa said. "He really liked the manuscript."

The next step was to find an illustrator for the book. Mendonsa also paints miniature gold pans and sells them, so he stopped by Blaine's Art on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway to pick up some supplies. While there, he casually mentioned his project, and asked if they knew of any illustrators who would be interested.

"They told, 'Look no further. She's standing right over there,'" Mendonsa said. "Karen [Whitlock] had a great portfolio."

A Semi for a Sleigh is Mendonsa's first book as an author, and Whitlock's first book as an illustrator. Mendonsa said truckers immediately know the author was a trucker, too, because of certain terms in the book, and because the illustrations are true-to-life.

"I took a lot of pictures to Karen from the inside of trucks, and I wanted them all to be realistic," Mendonsa said.

Mendonsa is particularly excited about the inclusion of a CD with the book. His brother, Charles Mendonsa, has worked in Nashville in the music industry for years, and he helped arrange a CD that includes a musical score, a couple of songs and the book being read aloud.

"It is really a first-class CD," Mendonsa said. "Truckers need something they can listen to, rather than read, while they are out on the road. Hopefully, we'll have these books and CDs in truck stops in the Lower 48 where truckers can pick it up. I've never seen a trucker Christmas story before."

Mendonsa is also hoping to strike up a deal with the Teamsters, so trucker drivers in the Teamsters are aware of the unique book and CD combination.

The book truly was a family affair, as Mendonsa's mother, Mary Mendonsa, co-authored it.

"I would bounce all of my ideas off of her, and we'd come up with the right wording," Mendonsa said. "It was a lot of fun working with her on the book."

"A Semi For a Sleigh" is available in most bookstores.