Wasilla author releases new book about animal antics

There are three things Elverda Lincoln truly enjoys -- her life in Alaska, animals and writing. The Wasilla woman recently put all three together, completing the book "Alaska Animal Antics."

The book is a collection of antics about animals in Alaska, and the funny stories that go along with them. As the subtitle indicates, the book is about "animals, wild and tame, from moose to mosquitoes, and their involvement with Alaskans."

Lincoln has been working on the book for five years, off and on. Lincoln is retired and loves to travel, so it has taken a bit longer than anticipated. The idea to write the book came after some talk with her writing groups, and a noticeable absence of similar titles on the bookshelves.

"Every Alaska book about animals I see is about hunting and fishing and trapping, so I wanted to write something about the funny stories about animals," Lincoln said. "Those stories are for the men, and this book is for the women and men who aren't interested in those other books. Women's stories about animals are just as interesting as the hunting stories."

Lincoln belongs to the Mat-Su Talespinners and the Mat-Su Adult Writers' Group, and the book was born after talking to other writers. They would relate funny stories to Lincoln, and she would edit and rewrite some of them to be included in the book.

"We would talk about the stories, and work them out and correct them and work them over," Lincoln said.

She also wrote her own stories about experiences she has had while living on the Last Frontier -- and she has had plenty, as she and her husband, Bob, started homesteading in the Wasilla area in 1950.

"There were always animals running around, and that's probably true for a lot of other people too," Lincoln said. "That's why they will be able to relate to the stories."

The 42 stories are short -- about a page long on average -- and are written in a style that makes you chuckle along the way. You can pick up the book and start reading anywhere and find a humorous look at the world around you.

Each story is accompanied by a cartoon by 12-year-old Sam Ryden of Wasilla. He was 11 when he did the cartoons, and Lincoln said he was excited to be included in the project.

The book is available at bookstores around the state, Lincoln said. It retails for $9.95 and is being published by Publication Consultants in Anchorage.

Lincoln will be signing copies of "Alaska Animal Antics" on March 15 at Waldenbooks in the Cottonwood Creek Mall, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. She will also be signing copes throughout a craft bazaar at the Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. Senior Center on March 16-17.

To obtain a copy, or for more information about the book, interested people may contact Lincoln at 376-2902.

Lincol also wrote "Udder Confusion: An Alaska Homesteader's True Life Adventures," which is a collection of short stories about her family's move to Alaska.