SANDPOINT — Born and raised in Sandpoint, Whitney Palmer grew up on the lake.

That's where she'd hear tales of the "Pend Oreille Paddler," an elusive creature residing in the abyss of Lake Pend Oreille. 

Tales of the cryptid would be relayed to Palmer as a young girl while fishing with her father or camping on the islands around the lake. 

"I never actually believed it," said Palmer. "People ask me that as an adult and I kind of make fun back at them." 

Still, the long-standing myth fascinated her enough to create a three-part book series titled: "The Mysterious Pend Oreille Paddler." 

“It just kind of struck me,” said Palmer of the tale. “Then it took me another four or five years before I actually made it happen.” 

In 2016, Palmer published the first book, after years of conceptualizing and playing around with the idea. The second part of the story was published in 2019, and the third book concluding the story was published in 2025. 

The book series reflects Palmer’s interpretation of the sea creature — not as a scary monster to be feared, but as a “really goofy, friendly creature that’s lonely and looking for friends.” 

“It’s debunking all these stories I’ve heard since childhood,” said Palmer. 

For Palmer, creating the Pend Oreille Paddler as a creature that is misunderstood is deeply personal. 

"All my work comes from something subconscious or unconscious," said Palmer. "I've felt projected on so much throughout my life and misunderstood. That came through in the story." 

Palmer said the same misunderstandings ring true for animals like wolves or grizzly bears. 

"There are these horrible myths about them as being the 'big-bad-wolf,' like something to be feared. When, really, there's a great misunderstanding of their nature and biology," said Palmer. 

The books' origins began at City Beach, where Palmer had started writing about the Pend Oreille Paddler. 

After some thought, she decided to tailor the writing to make it more kid friendly. Palmer likes to say the series is for children of all ages because the story conveys something beyond age. 

“It’s fun and playful and it’s my inner child, too,” said Palmer. 

Growing up surrounded by nature, Palmer was influenced to become an artist by capturing its beauty. She went to college for painting, where her teachers encouraged her to continue honing her craft. 

Alongside painting, Palmer has long been drawn to writing and poetry. 

Illustrating and writing all three of her books allowed Palmer to bridge the gap between expressing herself through both disciplines. 

Palmer said she ultimately had to put in hours of work to bring her inspiration to life. 

Each illustration is hand-made with gouache and colored pencil, and she treated the project like a job until it was finished. 

As a local artist, Palmer hopes readers can experience the magic of Sandpoint through her stories. 

"It's important to have fun and have humor and be in touch with our inner child because it is there, and it's special, and this is a special place," said Palmer.

Readers can meet Palmer for a book signing on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Sandpoint Books.

    Whitney Palmer poses for a photo with her three-part book series and dog, Topaz.