Tom Holtom brings an engineer’s eye and a writer’s curiosity to his work. His professional life centered on project management, where complex plans, large teams, and detailed work had to come together. He worked on major themed construction projects and later served as the Owner’s Authorized Representative for the modernization of twenty-eight Newport-Mesa School District campuses. This background provided him with years of experience in planning, problem-solving, coordination, and attention to detail.

Writing came to Tom through an unexpected turn in his life. While working at Walt Disney Imagineering, he was named the Primary Next of Kin for a fallen Marine Raider. Learning more about his uncle, Captain Gerald P. Holtom, opened a deeper connection to a family story that had remained largely unknown to him. Tom began gathering information, following records, contacting people connected with the Raiders, and learning about the events surrounding the Makin Island raid. Marty Sklar encouraged him to develop the story as a screenplay, which later became the foundation for Semper Fidelis.

Tom’s writing interests extend beyond military history. His second book, The Goose Is Dying and I Am Not Feeling Too Well Myself, grew from his thoughts about modern life, technology, and the systems people often use without thinking about how they work. His reading interests include writers such as Mark Levin, Peter Drucker, Victor Davis Hanson, Thomas Sowell, and Robert Heinlein. These interests reflect Tom’s broad curiosity about people, ideas, history, technology, and the world around him. His path as an author began without a long-term publishing plan, making his move into writing an unusual and personal part of his professional life. He approaches each subject with care, patience, and a practical sense.