About The Author

Soon after his junior college graduation, Thomas Dixon spent 30 years working in the chemical research field, before finally retiring in 2008. Five weeks later, his mother’s death spurred him to collect notes and memories for a long overdue family history. Now he'd really found something he enjoyed—writing about his life.

The proud father of two daughters (4 grandchildren) and two stepdaughters (2 grandchildren), Tom lives in Newark with his wife Mildred.

A Message From the Author

I first considered writing about my childhood during the mid-1970s. I had just graduated from junior college and enjoying working for a large, well-known corporation. I'd also gotten married, which left me tinkering with the idea of starting a family. Having shared many childhood stories with my new wife, she "gifted-me" a fancy notebook and encouraged me to "jot down" my thoughts while still fresh in my mind. Well, by 2011, Tommy Mack had evolved; and so has the book.

My parents revealed little about their childhoods. That fact has bewildered me and a few other family members for decades. Maybe my parents' flickering childhood memories were too unpleasant to rekindle, let alone "burn away" for others to see. I harbor no festering anger from my childhood. I carry no grudges. Like most autobiographers, I am not ashamed of my past, otherwise why would I even bother. Nor do I feel particularly proud. I simply enjoy telling story(s), just like so many.

Many often question an autobiographer's motive. Others don't really care, as long as it's a good story - and well-told. I say it's better your decendants should know you - warts and all. We shouldn't be remembered as just a name on a birth certificate, a face in a family photo album, or a paragraph in an obituary column. We're human. We lived. We loved. We made mistakes. We tried to make amends. Tell it all, I say. But above all, be careful of the innocent.

I’m sure my mother had wonderful dreams of raising a family and providing for her children's health and comfort. Like most mothers, all over the world, she always maintained the hope that her children would live better and have more. No more poverty and welfare for her children. Therefore, she encouraged all her children to stay in school and get an education. As my stories and books will show; fate, circumstances, and bad choices can often deal good people very bad hands.

If you have any questions or comments regarding one or more of my books, please feel free to CONTACT ME. I would love to hear from you! Also, if you enjoy reading good (true) stories, order a copy from Barnes & Noble or from my website via my publisher, Booklocker.com. You'll be glad you did.