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Mostly Cloudy Bellmore-Merrick family duo creates books and memories
Stories are all about travels close to home
Therése Palmiotto, a Merrick resident, and her father-in-law Samuel Palmiotto, of Bellmore, are more than just family — together they have completed two books about local travel that are geared for children, but suitable for the coffee table.
“Exploring Shelter Island - A Book For Curious Young Visitors” was published in May 2022, followed by “Creating Memories at Woodloch,” a tale about the resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, which was published during November of last year.
Therése writes the stories and Samuel illustrates them.
“For Shelter Island, which was the first one published, we were out there frequently,” Therése said. “I was just always leading my children through exploring the island. I would research the history of the island, some of the locations. We would go on new hiking paths. I was always trying to learn and discover with them, so I was keeping notes.”
Both books were written in rhyming verse and produced with vibrant colors, and the Palmiottos said they wanted to make the books multigenerational-accessible and fun to read — as well as beautiful to display on the coffee table.
Therése wrote the first book and presented the draft to a publishing company, Milk & Cookies, which wanted to move forward with it. But she said she needed to find an illustrator, and her father-in-law, a trained artist, was the logical choice and up to the challenge.
“When I have an idea that I would like to run with, I give him very little creative direction,” she said. “I like to really see what he does with that narrative and transform that written word into illustration. So it’s kind of fun for me to not give him too much. Working with family you have (to) make sure we’re all playing nice, so I really leave that generally open-ended. From there, we have some collaborative moments.”
The books have not only been widely accepted by readers, but also by the communities they represent.
“The Shelter Island community as well as the Woodloch family have so warmly embraced these books,” Therése said. “Both locations are fabulous and relatively close family travel destinations for Long Islanders. Being able to capture the memories and inspire people to travel locally is the ultimate goal.
“We live in an area where a two-hour drive in either direction will bring you to a transformative destination, and I’m happy we get to share that,” she added. “The inspiration and back story to the creation of the Woodloch book is featured on their site under the ‘Woodloch Champions’ section.”
The Palmiottos have learned a lot in the process of producing these books, with neither having previously worked in the publishing industry. Therése said that if they should publish more books in the future, they are far more able to work through the process. Now equipped with a better understanding of publishing from beginning to end, and knowledge of all the steps along the way, they are ready for their next story, if inspiration should strike.
The Shelter Island story was published with a bright blue cover, featuring a beach scene, and the Woodloch story has a green cover, featuring a young boy fishing.
“The notes in my iPhone are full of ideas for future projects,” Therése said. “My son Dominick really wants us to publish one with a red cover, and I definitely have a story that would be an ideal match. Being able to work creatively with family makes the outcome tremendously more special, so I do hope we have the opportunity to publish another book together.”
For newcomers interested in pursuing their own creative ideas, she urged them to go for it — but come prepared with plenty of research. She said future authors must become somewhat of an expert in the field they want to pursue, and find their specific niche or angle.
She said that producing a book boils down to creating and sharing memories.
“What I really wanted to do was capture those special memories and unique traditions,” she said. “The books become a tangible representation of that nostalgia. I selected those specific locations, Shelter Island and Woodloch, because I recognize there’s a collective feeling around those locations. Whether it’s their first time visiting and you want a book to memorialize that first visit, or a special memory you had from a vacation 20 years ago — in the back of your heart, there’s a special fondness for those memories.”
To learn more about the books, they’re available for sale on Amazon at TinyURL.com/39dsspn9.
