Jack and Mary
Jack Branson
analytical
All Jack ever wanted to do was to be a police officer, and eventually he worked at every level of law enforcement—local, county, state, and federal. In 2003, he retired after a 20-year career as a Special Agent, U.S. Department of the Treasury, where his assignments included Secret Service duties with foreign dignitaries, the U.S. Presidential jump team, and 15 years on the U.S. Attorney’s Office public corruption task force. He now heads a private investigation agency, Branson & Associates LLC.
During Jack’s final year as a federal agent, his aunt was brutally murdered. Though he’d guarded presidents and kings, he’d never worked a murder case. So for the next four and a half years he entered this new territory. And from this experience, he became a true crime writer.
Jack’s favorite quote:
“The tallest trees catch the most wind.”—African wisdom
contact us at wordauthority [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Jack and Mary
a blend of left brain/right brain just right for writing
Jack and Mary were high school sweethearts and soon proved that opposites create the strongest attraction. Introvert and extrovert. Analytical and creative. Emotional and stoic. But on the basics—faith, values, goals, and family—Jack and Mary were singly focused. They’ve been best friends and husband-wife for more than 40 years.
The Bransons have a fantastic daughter, an incredible son, two phenomenal grandsons, and an adorable granddaughter. Their favorite pastimes are family and travel.
Jack and Mary’s favorite quote:
“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” —Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.
contact us at wordauthority [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Mary Kinney Branson
creative
Mary always wanted to be a writer, and she wrote 17 books before working with Jack on their first true crime book. Mary’s first book was published when she was 25 and, over the years, she’s written books for preschoolers, children, youth, and adults. Topics varied from teaching to babysitting to devotions.
When Jack’s aunt was murdered, Mary coped as writers do. She journaled her thoughts, observations, and insights from the first day. She used her notes to write a first person account of the murder, but the book became a partnership between Jack and Mary as Jack completed all the research and edited the book for technical accuracies.
Jack and Mary discovered that, though the topic was painful, they enjoyed writing together, and they soon began writing full time.
Mary’s favorite quote:
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” Henry David Thoreau
contact us at wordauthority [at] bellsouth [dot] net
