Monika Wieland's facination with orcas was sparked during a family trip to Alaska when she was 12.

A year ago, the 2007 graduate of Reed College in Portland, Ore., published her first book, "Orca Encounters: Images of Southern Resident Killer Whales."

She is scheduled Wednesday to sign copies of her book and narrate a slideshow on the giant marine mammals at Everett Public Library.

She plans to talk about what makes local orcas so revered and to share stories of recent research and sighting.

Clcik here to read the complete story.