The Book
A collection of tales to take with you wherever you may dream.
Now Available!
Allister Cromley's Fairweather Belle is an illustrated collection of bedtime stories that were written to give grownups something to read aloud to other grownups or quiet to one's own grownup self to reignite those childhood feelings of safety, wonder and even excitement in the face of all the questions that lay in the dark.
Each sepia-tinted story follows Allister, a mustachioed adventurer/wanderer/philosopher, on his journey through the early 20th century. He enlists in World War I, witnesses the awe and terror of the first escalator, becomes the most subtle of anarchists, dances with a bronze statue of Joan of Arc and even meets Winston Churchill (but not the Winston Churchill you may be thinking of-if, indeed, you think of Winston Churchill).
The book was edited by Amanda B Gillooly, designed by Ruth Gamble and each story is illustrated by a different artist, including Dave Droxler, Melissa McMillan, Jim Senti, Annie Peters, Dallah Cesen, emme b, Kelly Martinez, Kristian Michael Hickman, Lark O Arrowood, Marie Elena O'Brien, Angelica Joy Miskanin, A.D. Peters, Aaron Martinez. The eclectic mix of images brings to life Allister's ever-evolving view of the world.
Come join Allister in a constant search to find the simple answers to the big questions and the complex answers to the small.
What People Are Saying..."The stories are whimsical and delightful."
Angela Rinaldi The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency "You want the literary equivalent of wearing a snuggie in a room full of fireplaces after a day of sledding? Buy this book." Mike Balzer Creative Director of the iO Theater "The stories of Allister Cromley and his plethora of adventures have a unique power to tap into the child-like wonder in all of us and ignite our imaginations to travel to distant lands and times, only to return to our own worlds and appreciate the simple power of storytelling - this time a little wiser than when we first began. Allister relies on the profound power of telling a story which made it a perfect fit for staging in a simple theatrical context. However, the real beauty of storytelling lies in the fact that completely new discoveries are made with each and every reader. I am delighted that the stories will now be in a book format where each reader will have the opportunity to break open the imaginative worlds of Allister." Jess Smith Director and developer of Allister staged readings "After years as a parent reading aloud to my daughter, I wondered why, as we grow older, we lose that intimate connection of reading aloud. That all changed when Shane Portman introduced me to his marvelous character Allister. The clever tales, whether shared aloud or read alone, offer tidbits to ponder, thoughts to conjure and dreams to weave." Annie Peters One of the book's illustrators "It is like drinking hot apple cider on a chilly day." Jill Portman Shane's sister-in-law |
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