COEUR d'ALENE — Visions of sugarplums dance in her head and the magic of Christmas is in her heart the whole year through.

Mica Riendeau is entering her seventh season as her sparkling other self Silver Belle, a merry elf who delights in bringing Christmas cheer to passengers aboard Journey to the North Pole Cruises on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"Growing up in Coeur d'Alene, everyone knows and hears about the cruises," Riendeau, 26, said during a Nov. 3 interview.

"It’s been a family tradition forever," she said. "As a kid, that was the highlight of my holiday season. No matter how freezing cold it was, I would sit on the very top of the boat determined to be the first to see Santa at the Real North Pole, as I was so genuinely convinced. I went to North Pole, Alaska, when I was a little girl. The people asked me what I thought, I said, 'This isn't the North Pole. The real North Pole is in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.'"

As a child who grew up in that winter wonder and magic, Riendeau is ecstatic to reciprocate.

"I've had the opportunity to provide that exact same magic to little boys and little girls that I experienced," she said. "There's nothing more rewarding and gratifying than seeing their laughter and their smiles. I’ve had parents come up to me with literal tears in their eyes because they are so happy to see their kids so happy, hugging and saying, 'Thank you so much.' Some of these parents, they've saved money all year in order to make this happen."

Riendeau was inspired to write a children's book that captures the lore of Silver Belle, tales she has been sharing with families for years.

"Being on the boats, interacting with the children, they’re curious; they want to know about the magic of the North Pole, what’s going on," Riendeau said. "They naturally are going to ask you a lot of questions, so naturally I would come up with these vast stories that were whimsical and full of detail about these adventures Silver Belle would go on with her friends at the North Pole."

She began to memorize the stories and expand on the Silver Belle universe.

"It clicked that I should write these down," she said. "You get this feeling when something is just right. I had a lot of support from people. I found who I needed to in order to make it a reality."

Written by Riendeau with art by Frank Bowmen, "Silver Belle and the Christmas Cookie Caper” takes readers on an interactive, illustrated expedition to the land of Santa Claus.

"Jumping into a little mystery where Silver Belle is trying to solve some trickery," Riendeau said. "She steps into her sister’s place in the North Pole bakery and suddenly finds that the main parts of Santa’s surprise party are missing, so she has to find out what happened to them. It takes her on quite an adventure around the North Pole."  

The story is designed for elementary school-aged kids with "I Spy" features called "Sightseeing with Silver Belle" as well as hidden characters and details, coloring pages and an "authentic gingerbread recipe passed down by Mrs. Claus herself through the generations," Riendeau said.

The book released Oct. 4, published by Kalispell-based Scott Publishing.

To finally hold a physical copy of the book gave Riendeau — a first-time author with a background in performing arts — an extraordinary sense of accomplishment and pride.

"I thought about those who were there to encourage me on for each and every one of those mile markers. I thought of that first child who hugged me during my very first night, and the pure joy in their eyes," Riendeau said. "I thought of the time I gave my own coat to a little girl because she was cold, and how I sat with her there with her in my arms telling silly stories until we were both laughing.

"It’s those thousands of little moments, those little steps, that I thought about when I first held it," she said.

"Silver Belle and the Christmas Cookie Caper" is available on scottpublishingcompany.com and amazon.com for $20. Riendeau said the book will also soon be available at the Well-Read Moose.

Journeys to the North Pole begin Saturday with Santa's Sneak Peek Week Cruises.

Info: cdacruises.com

    Coeur d'Alene resident Mica Riendeau as her seasonal self, Silver Belle, recently published a children's book based on her elf character. She will begin her seventh season with the Journey to the North Pole Cruises when they begin Saturday.