Grandfather Peter Lind Sr., a commercial fisherman turned artist, has been credited with reviving the art form of the Alutiiq hunting visor. Peter Lind Jr., the children's father, also a fisherman, creates historic replicas of Alutiiq hunting tools and makes contemporary spirit masks. Susan Lind and daughter Jolene do bead work and jewelry. Grandmother Darlene Lind sculpts bronze sculptures of Alutiiq figures -- and writes short stories to go with the sculptures.

That literary tradition continues in the granddaughters. Identical twins, the Lind girls at first appear shy, but get excited when talking about their fiction. Like some twins or close siblings, they also tend to finish each other's sentences. Their love of storytelling began as little girls when they would make puppet shows.

"We wanted to show our imagination," Chelsea said.

Like many young -- or even older -- writers, Chelsea said she loves books and loves reading, particularly fantasy series like Cornelia Funke's "Inkheart" trilogy.

A visiting writer, Jack Dalton, helped Chelsea get started in writing when he taught at West Homer Elementary in 2008. Dalton had the students write and make a book. He taught them about character and plotting, and how a story should have elements like problems characters had to solve. Chelsea illustrated and wrote "Black Bear and Lynx" for Dalton's workshop.

"That was part of my inspiration with a book," she said.

"Sankritt's Doing" tells the story of a girl, Britney, caught by a demon lord, Jerad, and her attempts to save the demon from his own evil. Chelsea's working backwards in the trilogy, with more books to come.

Marissa also has a book in the works, "Mutant's Talisman," about two people looking for a lost talisman that creates a portal between the real world and a magic world. Chelsea illustrates her books as well as her sister's. As the girls finish their books, Travis edits them and puts them together through the CreateSpace program.

"And now she has a book," he said of Chelsea's first novel.

Their parents fully support the children's creative efforts, said Susan Lind.

"They can write out the story. Travis can film it," she said. "That can be our retirement."

For information on the Lind family creative endeavors, visit Bits of Alaska at www.xyz.net/~slind, Lind Twin Books at mcnbooks.webs.com or Travis Lind's film site at AlaskanAceProductions.webs.com.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.