I write to learn about the world around me. Music. Technology. People. And sometimes the confluence of all three.
I was a technology columnist for Inman News for half a decade. It’s where I learned to write. Publishing books has been serendipitous. My friend’s dad from the old neighborhood passed away in September 2017. Before he died, he requested that I write his eulogy. Of course, I couldn’t say no. People laughed. People cried. Afterwards, people said I should turn the eulogy into a book. So I did. I even recorded an audiobook, which is available on Audible. I enjoyed the process so much that I decided to tackle a novel.
Acapulco is set in my hometown of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in the 1980s. A group of adolescents discover an old quarry lake that has something dark and magical lurking at the bottom. I wrote the story during the pandemic. During the stay-at-home order, there was something comforting about traveling back in time to my hometown. Back to a time when kids made homemade book covers, played outside until the streetlights came on, and rented VHS movies from the local video store. Life just seemed safer and less complicated back then. The book almost became a Netflix series, but that’s a different story for another time.
I grew up seeing the legendary New England rock band Max Creek. Much to my parents’ chagrin, I saw the band every Wednesday night throughout high school. Many years later, in 2022, I saw the band perform in Denver, Colorado. I hadn’t seen the band live in years, but their performance blew me away. After the show, I pitched the idea of writing the band’s biography, and the band members were on board. I set out to discover why Max Creek didn’t have more commercial success and uncovered a far richer story along the way. It’s a story about community, culture, and longevity. It was also a passion project with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but I am absolutely thrilled to share the story with the world. The book is slated to be published in September 2026.
Max Creek: A Rumor in Their Own Time
At last, the untold story of the legendary New England jam band Max Creek, the pioneers who helped pave the way for bands like Blues Traveler, moe., Phish, Widespread Panic, and beyond.
Formed in 1971 at The Hartt School, the performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford, Max Creek appeared to have all the right ingredients to become the scene's biggest band after the Grateful Dead. They had artistic integrity. A dedicated fanbase. Talent. So, what happened? Author Tom Flanagan set out to answer that very question and uncovered a far richer story along the way.
Acapulco
A paperboy. The last week of school. A haunted quarry lake. Welcome to Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Simon Banks is a paperboy whose life is turned upside down when he and his friends discover an ominous presence at an old quarry lake on the outskirts of town. Obsessed with learning more, Simon discovers that the lake is far more dangerous than any run in with a school bully. Against the advice of his friends, he continues to pursue the presence while a nun from the neighborhood church makes a confession that could unlock the secret of the mysterious quarry.
The Potato Puff Surprise
The Potato Puff Surprise is a coming-of-age story about growing up, battling bullies, and dabbling in the dark art of home improvement.
Tom Flanagan was born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, home to the Industrial Revolution, the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the Division Street House of Pizza. He grew up with an eclectic bunch of characters and his friend’s dad, Joe Kelly, was the ring leader. Joe Kelly was a rebel, a scoundrel, a bluesman, and a true legend. Joe died of cancer Labor Day weekend 2017. After delivering his eulogy, Tom set out to write a short story that captured a few of Joe’s more entertaining antics. Little did Tom know that it would turn into a book that would transport him back in time. Back to the old neighborhood. Back to junior high school. And back to Rocky Point Park. He hopes these stories unearth a few, long forgotten memories from your childhood.