Tom Branson

Tom Branson was born in Sacramento, California by the name of Michael O'Leary in 1948. He's always had an interest in writing but it wasn’t until later in life that he actually began to write. Having been exposed to life’s ups and downs, he came to realize the importance of a good story to escape the pressures of everyday living, a place to retreat in order to regroup and then carry on.

The excitement and adventure of the old West has always appealed to him with its challenges of winning or losing, living or dying. The men and women of that time were filled with hope for a better life, or filled with greed to get something for nothing. No matter what their goals were, it took a type of courage that taxed men and women to their limits, and produced heroes or cowards. The tall mountains and hidden valleys, mixed with the hot, dry deserts, fuel his mind with thoughts of adventure and mystery. It was a time when you knew where you stood. Men and women were strong or weak and were judged by what they did, not by what they said.

He came up with the name Tom Branson after noticing that there were a lot of author's by the name of Michael O'Leary and it didn't sound very western. Not to mention the spelling can be confusing. Tom was the name of his grandfather's oldest brother and Branson was his family's last name on his mother's side. He had a good feeling about the name.