To learn more about the books written by Tom Mach; select from the following:
Novels | Short Stories | Children's Stories | Poetry | Nonfiction | Plays
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Novels | Short Stories | Children's Stories | Poetry | Nonfiction | Plays
Also view and purchase on Amazon.com | Click Here To E-Mail Tom Mach
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Embrace Eternity
It is 1982, a time during which scandals began to erupt over clerical abuse. The bishop, needing to replace the previous pastor, installed Father Luke because he thought the new pastor would enjoy the progress his daughter was making at St. Agnes School in Gamma, a Mississippi River town in western Illinois. This only made things worse because Melina had already lied to Angela that her father was killed in an accident, and Luke couldn't handle malicious gossip from the congregation. But by keeping it all a secret, a vigilante group misjudged the undue attention this priest was giving to an 8-year-old girl, who was secretly Father Luke’s daughter. What happens next may surprise you.
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Excerpt
The sun had sunk into the Mississippi like a huge orange ball, and soon Gamma was engulfed in nightfall.
Angela, clutching her pink crossbody bag, watched as her mom rapped on the rectory door. She had been looking forward to seeing Father Luke again, not because she could use more of his help with fractions, but because she still felt a special closeness to him.
The door creaked open, and the priest invited them both in.
“I’ve got an errand to run,” Melina said, looking about as if she hoped no one was around. “So I’ll just leave you with her as I did before. Her class is working on fractions, and she needs some help with them. Drop her off at home by 8:45, okay?”
“Certainly. Come on in, Angela. How are you doing?”
“Fine. Georgiana said someone in class put gum in her hair,” she said, lowering her backpack to the carpeted floor.
“Well, I’m glad it wasn’t your hair,” Father Luke replied.
She giggled as she looked about. There was his old wooden desk and the pleasant scent of polished books. A full moon peeked through a window as if watching them smile at each other. She hoped he liked the way her golden hair was brushed down, not tied in braids like it usually was. Instead, he commented on her dress.
“White top and blue skirt, Angela? Special occasion?”
“Well, not exactly. Mom went shopping yesterday. She thought I’d try wearing it after school. Like it?”
“Of course, and is that a new crossbody bag you’re carrying?”
“Yes, I keep my erasers and pencils in it. Mom also got me a micro-cassette recorder. Now I can record stuff so I can remember later what you told me.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Let's see that workbook you’re holding. I understand from your mom that you’re still into fractions?”
She showed him her workbook and settled on his lap. “I hate fractions. Don’t understand why I have to know them.”
“Angela, ‘hate’ is a bad word. It’s the direct opposite of love.”
“Does that mean I can’t hate math?”
“No, it means you have to study harder.”
She thought she heard some light music filtering through the room. It was coming from a small box resting on a shelf above where Father Luke sat, scrolling through the pages of her workbook.
“That’s beautiful,” she said.
“What’s beautiful, sweetie?”
“That music and the men’s voices.”
“That’s two hours of Gregorian Chants. Sister Margaret lent that CD and the player to me. Very peaceful. Those men are chanting the Psalms in the Bible. I play it to relax.”
“I kinda like it, Father.”
He kissed her on the cheek. "I do, too, sweetheart. Maybe it will motivate you to focus on this section on fractions. Now listen to this problem carefully. It says if a farmer had 80 eggs and a thief stole a quarter of them, and then someone else came along and stole half of what the farmer had left, how many eggs would the farmer have left?”
“Well, it was wrong for the thief to steal the farmer’s eggs."
Father Luke shook with laughter. “You’re right, but that’s not the answer.”
Angela, clutching her pink crossbody bag, watched as her mom rapped on the rectory door. She had been looking forward to seeing Father Luke again, not because she could use more of his help with fractions, but because she still felt a special closeness to him.
The door creaked open, and the priest invited them both in.
“I’ve got an errand to run,” Melina said, looking about as if she hoped no one was around. “So I’ll just leave you with her as I did before. Her class is working on fractions, and she needs some help with them. Drop her off at home by 8:45, okay?”
“Certainly. Come on in, Angela. How are you doing?”
“Fine. Georgiana said someone in class put gum in her hair,” she said, lowering her backpack to the carpeted floor.
“Well, I’m glad it wasn’t your hair,” Father Luke replied.
She giggled as she looked about. There was his old wooden desk and the pleasant scent of polished books. A full moon peeked through a window as if watching them smile at each other. She hoped he liked the way her golden hair was brushed down, not tied in braids like it usually was. Instead, he commented on her dress.
“White top and blue skirt, Angela? Special occasion?”
“Well, not exactly. Mom went shopping yesterday. She thought I’d try wearing it after school. Like it?”
“Of course, and is that a new crossbody bag you’re carrying?”
“Yes, I keep my erasers and pencils in it. Mom also got me a micro-cassette recorder. Now I can record stuff so I can remember later what you told me.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Let's see that workbook you’re holding. I understand from your mom that you’re still into fractions?”
She showed him her workbook and settled on his lap. “I hate fractions. Don’t understand why I have to know them.”
“Angela, ‘hate’ is a bad word. It’s the direct opposite of love.”
“Does that mean I can’t hate math?”
“No, it means you have to study harder.”
She thought she heard some light music filtering through the room. It was coming from a small box resting on a shelf above where Father Luke sat, scrolling through the pages of her workbook.
“That’s beautiful,” she said.
“What’s beautiful, sweetie?”
“That music and the men’s voices.”
“That’s two hours of Gregorian Chants. Sister Margaret lent that CD and the player to me. Very peaceful. Those men are chanting the Psalms in the Bible. I play it to relax.”
“I kinda like it, Father.”
He kissed her on the cheek. "I do, too, sweetheart. Maybe it will motivate you to focus on this section on fractions. Now listen to this problem carefully. It says if a farmer had 80 eggs and a thief stole a quarter of them, and then someone else came along and stole half of what the farmer had left, how many eggs would the farmer have left?”
“Well, it was wrong for the thief to steal the farmer’s eggs."
Father Luke shook with laughter. “You’re right, but that’s not the answer.”
Bio of Tom Mach
Mach was a former copywriter, editor of two magazines, conducted writing workshops in Ohio, California, and Kansas, and taught writing at KU’s Continuing Education Program. In addition to numerous articles he had authored in national and regional publications, he was a past president of the California Writers Club and of the Kansas Authors Club. He won the Jack London Award in California and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kansas Authors Club.
In 2011, Sissy! and All Parts Together were listed by the Kansas State Library as worthy to be included among the 150 best Kansas books Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award, while All Parts Together was a Best Books Award Finalist. Angels at Sunset was nominated in 2012 by an Eastern college for the Nobel Prize for Literature. In addition, Tom has written two children's books--Homer the Roamer and The Invisible Twins and children who have read them enjoyed them.
His other fiction books include Tom’s Travels, Unearthing the True Cross, Forgiveness Forever, You’re a Real Character, and Three Years With Jesus.
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- His 30 funny additions to Pluggers cartoons have appeared in thousands of newspapers.
- Finally, he was a columnist for the Kaw Valley Senior Monthly for more than six years.
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