Updates Archives - Page 3 of 3

You Have To See These Photos!

It is so cool to see photos of Acapulco out in the wild. Here’s a few of my favorites.

The first two photos was taken by yours truly from our trip to Hawaii. I didn’t even have to bribe my crew to take the photographs! My friend Kevin (FoCo In Under Five) snapped the next two pictures in Fort Collins, Colorado. How cool is the little library pic? I absolutely love little free libraries. And my friend, Zane Burnett, snapped Acapulco on a flight. How cool is that?

Updates

Hope You Can Make It

I’m excited to announce that I will be doing a book reading and signing at The Galway Bay in my hometown of Pawtucket, Rhode Island on Friday, July 30th at 7:00pm. Here’s the Facebook Event page. I’ll be reading passages from Acapulco and The Potato Puff Surprise. Also, the talented Brian Twohey, will be joining me and playing a set or two of acoustic music.

The Galway is located directly behind McCoy Stadium, the former home of the Pawtucket Red Sox. This is going to be a special night. I grew up two blocks from McCoy. I worked at the stadium in the summertime and saw hundreds of baseball games. If you’re anywhere near Rhode Island on the 30th, come on down. I’d love to see you. Here’s the gig poster.

In other news, Acapulco was featured in the Valley Breeze, a Rhode Island based newspaper. Simon Banks, the main character of the story, is a hard-working paperboy. It’s pretty cool that a local newspaper showcased the book. Here’s the link:

https://www.valleybreeze.com/2021-07-13/pawtucket/new-novel-inspired-haunted-pawtucket-quarry-lake#.YPDV5BNKhTa

Updates

FoCo In Under Five

I have spent the past four years trying to convince my Colorado friends that there’s a (BIG) difference between a Boston and Rhode Island accent. I was recently a guest on my favorite local podcast, FoCo In Under Five, talking about Acapulco. Needless to say, it was a ton of fun, but I don’t think I helped the accent debate. Here’s the full episode.

Updates

Thank You!

It warms me heart to read all of the text messages and social media posts about Acapulco. Thank you so much for the love and support! It means the world to me.

A lot of writers like to publish book testimonials from famous authors and other celebrity-types. I’m taking a different approach. I prefer to hear what my friends and family thought of the book. Here are a few testimonials from my beta readers:

“Acapulco is a coming of age, supernatural adventure you’ll be sure to enjoy. Every town has a legend that kids need to explore—this one just happens to be a haunted quarry lake. So, reawaken your youthful curiosity, put on your bicycle helmet, and pedal back in time. It’s a real joyride of a read!”
-Trevor Platcow (friend and fellow music nerd)

“Acapulco was a quick fun read that was hard to put down! In Tom’s sophomore novel, a young man and his friends face the end of the school year and a mystery at a local swimming hole in Pawtucket, RI. Following in the footsteps of Dazed and Confused and Stranger Things, this gang of friends bust each other’s chops, party, and try to solve a mystery. I look forward to more from Tom in the future.”
-Mike Charpentier (friend and bass player extraordinaire)

“You do not have to be from Pawtucket to enjoy Tom Flanagan’s latest offering. Acapulco takes you back to a time of BMX bikes, penny candy, and adventures with your friends. With a few surprises thrown in, Flanagan weaves an intriguing tale that keeps you turning the pages.”
-Tim Flanagan (my brother)

Updates

Acapulco Available Now!

I’m super excited to announce that Acapulco is finally available! First and foremost, I want to thank you for all of your support. Writing and publishing a book is not for the faint of heart. Your patience, kind words, and encouragement has meant the world to me. With that said, I think you’re going to love the book. Acapulco is available in paperback and on Kindle. The hardcover is coming soon (I promise). You can grab your copy here:

BUY NOW

On another note, despite a couple of technical hiccups, I had a lot of fun to talking about Acapulco on The Rotunda with Scott Rotondo. You can check out the recording here.

Updates

Yours Truly on 990WBOB with Scott Rotondo

I’ll be discussing Acapulco and other shenanigans this coming Monday (6/28) on The Rotunda. The Rotunda is a radio show out of Providence, Rhode Island hosted by Scott Rotondo. I’ll be on at 8:30pm (ET) / 6:30pm (MT). You can listen live here.

I hope you can tune in and check out the show. It should be a lot of fun.

Quick update on the book. I have received the final proof of the paperback, and I have to say, it looks pretty awesome. Due to a snafu with Amazon and UPS, the final hardcover proof is MIA. However, Acapulco will still be available Thursday, July 1st!

Updates

My New Book: Acapulco

I have some exciting news to share. I have finished the final draft of my new book, Acapulco, and delivered it to my talented editor. The cover design is also in the works. Here is the book description:

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.

Think The Goonies meets Stranger Things with a little Dazed and Confused sprinkled in. I know. Kind of cool, right? I don’t have an official launch date, but I’m hoping for the beginning of this summer. Join my email list to get the latest and greatest updates. Have a question? Drop me a line.

Updates

The Potato Puff Surprise Now Available

I’m proud to announce that my first book, “The Potato Puff Surprise” is now available. The Potato Puff Surprise is a coming-of-age story about growing up, battling bullies, and dabbling in the dark art of home improvement.

My friend’s dad, Joe Kelly, died of cancer Labor Day weekend 2017. I had the honor of writing and delivering his eulogy. Joe was a rebel, a scoundrel, a bluesman, and an absolute legend. After the services, I set out to write a short story that captured a few of his more entertaining antics. Little did I know that it would turn into a book that would transport me back in time. Back to the old neighborhood. Back to junior high school. And back to an all but forgotten amusement park.

I collaborated with a wonderful group of professionals. The ultra-talented Patrick Caldwell illustrated the cover and truly captured all three acts of the story in one illustration. I also worked with the equally talented Brian Martinez who photographed my author photo, and Laura Mahal edited the book. Laura possesses the unique ability to simultaneously educate and encourage. That’s a true gift.

The book is available in print (paperback) and digital (Kindle Edition) on Amazon. The eBook is also available on Apple, Google, Barnes and Noble, and other platforms. You can learn more here.

I hope these stories unearth a few fond memories from your childhood.

Recent press:

The Valley Breeze: Flanagan hopes ‘Potato Puff Surprise’ inspires laughs, memories

The Pawtucket Times: Author’s Rhode Island roots shine through ‘The Potato Puff Surprise’

990WBOB Radio Show: The Rotunda: A Night At The Theatre

Updates

A Romance in Battleship Gray

I’ll be hosting s special night of music and storytelling celebrating the life of Joe Kelly. Joe was a true original. There are dozens of entertaining stories people can share about him, but he loved my stories. He loved them so much I decided to write about a few of his shenanigans. Little did I know it would be a catalyst that would take me back to my childhood. I was transported back to my home town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and back to junior high school. I rediscovered the unwritten rules of school dances, battled bullies and rekindled my love for potato puffs.

I’ll be reading a chapter of my upcoming book and my good friends, John Reddington and Pat Baron, will be performing a set of music. And there will certainly be no shortage of Joe Kelly stories throughout the night.

Join us: Friday, July 27th at 9:00PM at the one-and-only Galway Bay, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (the same place where I read Joe’s eulogy).

You can RSVP here