About the Author

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Tom was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. Growing up in rural America, Tom has a deep sense of community - when our families, neighbors, farmers, local businesses, and organizations all work in concert to support one another, it strengthens us individually and collectively. Tom relishes opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with his local community.

Tom is also a proud Gen-Xer. The 1980s was, arguably, the best decade ever, and Tom fondly recalls influences from this era that will likely resonate with others as well. Some of these reflections include:

- "Surfing" in the back of Grandmom's station wagon and waving to the drivers behind us,
- The Sears holiday "Wish Book,"
- Peddling a 10-speed Schwinn with no helmet,
- Captain Noah, Captain Kangaroo, and locally, Al Albert's (aka "Uncle Al") Showcase (technically, some of these may be the 70s)
- Being a latch-key kid and fending for yourself until adults came home,
- Atari 4600 - Tom is still a Berzerk champion,
- Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary,
- After-school specials and Ultraman,
- Smurfs,
- Boy perms (see above photo),
- Encyclopedia research,
- Wall-mounted telephones with cords that were constantly tangled,
- Mixed tapes,
- The explosion of music videos thanks to Friday Night Videos and MTV,
- Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, Twisted Sister, Poison, Tina Turner, Live Aid, We Are the World, Hands Across America ... oh, this list could go on and on,
- OP corduroy shorts (sadly, Tom didn't get his first pair until he was an adult and by then, they weren't as fashionably cool as they were in 1986),
- Shopping in the "Husky" section of Bradlees and Ames.
Well, you get the idea.

While Tom recalls these moments fondly, this time in history was not without its traumatic events, including the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the "Cold War," Tiananmen Square, images of starving children in Ethiopia, and, of course, the AIDS crisis, to name just a few. As a young boy in the height of the development of his sexual identity and growing up in conservative, rural American at the height of the AIDS scare, it led to a deeply repressed sense of self, the impact of such has taken years to undo.

Today, however, Tom is living proof that "it gets better." He and his husband have been together for nearly 15 years and married for 10. They have two young daughters who are learning to appreciate the good parts of the 80s and 90s (Tom's husband is a Millennial) while they help their dads stay in touch with all things 21st century. Tom takes inspiration from his personal lived experiences, as well as the experiences of his family, to provide greater authenticity to his creative work.

As a gay dad and a father of BIPOC daughters, Tom is committed to advancing children’s stories that are inclusive of diverse families, who have been historically under-represented in children's books. Tom's work helps to fill that representation gap.

Professionally, Tom is a NJ Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked with at-risk youth and individuals living with mental illness for most of his career. Through that work, he has come to appreciate the importance of sharing one's lived experience with others through story-telling. He hopes his kids books help others feel more seen and valued.