Bill Branon
{{short description|American novelist}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Bill Branon
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| birth_place = Connecticut
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| occupation = Author, novelist
| nationality = American
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| period = 1992–present
| genre = Military science fiction
| subject = Thrillers
| notableworks = Let Us Prey
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Bill Branon, from Hartford, Connecticut, is a novelist and former Naval medical officer and weapons expert best known for his thriller Let Us Prey.
Biography
After graduating from Harvard, where Branon played on the school's baseball team as a pitcher,The Harvard Crimson, [http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1956/4/23/freshman-sports-pbill-branon-pitched-the/ Freshman Sports, April 23, 1956][http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1956/5/16/freshman-sports-pharvey-friedman-will-be/ The Harvard Crimson, "Freshman Sports," May 16, 1956] he entered the U.S. Navy via Officer Candidate School. He retired at the rank of Captain after 23 years of service.
While in the service, Branon worked as a dentist, including in forensic dental work.[http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Dec-07-Sun-2003/opinion/22520600.html Las Vegas Review-Journal, "We 'won't ever know all the truth'," (scroll to end of story), December 7, 2003]
Career
In 1992 at age 52, he self-published the book Let Us Prey. It was reviewed and listed on The New York Times "Notable Books of the Year,"[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/06/books/notable-books-of-the-year-1992.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all The New York Times Arts, "Notable Books of the Year 1992," December 6, 1992] which caught the notice of mainstream publishing houses. After a bidding war among publishers, it was picked up by HarperCollins and published under the same title, making it into the Book-of-the-Month Club.[http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jul-16-Tue-2002/living/19168090.html Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Writers share self-publishing experiences," July 16, 2002] PEOPLE magazine, after the book was re-released, published a review in 1994.[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20107865,00.html PEOPLE magazine, "Picks and Pans: Talking With Bill Branon," April 18, 1994"] He went on to write "Devils Hole" and "Spider Snatch." A book about a fictional coyote was his fourth book.[http://www.viewnews.com/1998/VIEW-Apr-21-Tue-1998/NWest/7312516.html The View News, "Late-blooming author talks life, death in newest book," April 21, 1998] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724161702/http://www.viewnews.com/1998/VIEW-Apr-21-Tue-1998/NWest/7312516.html |date=July 24, 2011 }}
In 1994, he moved to Las Vegas from Southern California with his wife Lolly. "There are more stories per square inch in Las Vegas than anywhere else. It has a vibe to it," Branon told the Las Vegas Sun in a February 1999 interview.[http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1999/feb/28/a-write-turn/ Las Vegas Sun, "A Write Turn," February 28, 1999]
Branon was included in a 2002 article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal about celebrities who live in the Las Vegas Valley.[https://www.angelfire.com/celeb/dcassidyfan/apr2002journal.html "FAMOUS FACES: Seeing Stars – Don't be surprised if you bump into a celebrity somewhere in Las Vegas," April 14, 2002]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101204000610/http://huntingtonpress.com/go/authors/bill-branon Publisher's profile, Bill Branon]
- [https://www.amazon.com/Bill-Branon/e/B001HQ6078/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 Author's page, Amazon]
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Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Writers from Hartford, Connecticut
Category:Writers from the Las Vegas Valley
Category:United States Navy officers
Category:American male novelists