Don Bendell

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Don Bendell, (b. January 8, 1947), is an American author of autobiographical Vietnam Era books, six science fiction novels (written under the pen name of Ron Stillman), and ten historical Westerns – the "Colt" series-- written from 1993-2000. He was born in Akron, Ohio, and now lives on ranch property in Colorado.

Contents

[edit] Overview

As an author of 23 books, Bendell draws his characters and storylines from a vivid imagination and personal life experience. A former Green Beret, he served in Vietnam 1968-1969, including a tour on a Green Beret A-team (Dak Pek) in Vietnam, and was in the Top Secret Phoenix Program. In the early 80s, he wrote, produced, and directed a low-budget, martial arts action movie The Instructor. He moved to Colorado in the mid 80s becoming a big game outfitter for a time and developing tracking skills. As a professional tracker, he has tracked children lost in the mountains, trailed cop killers, and helped recover the bodies of lost hikers.

Bendell is a 1995 inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame, and owns karate schools in southern Colorado. Bendell's online editorials have been widely published in newspapers and magazines, and circulated by millions all over the world on the Internet[citation needed]. He has been interviewed on Fox News Live and on many radio shows, and speaks all over the country.

Bendell is currently writing on the third in a series of modern-day military thrillers based on current events and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Detachment. The first book in the series, released December 2005 was Criminal Investigation Detachment; the second published in November 2006, is Broken Borders; and a third, under the working title of Bamboo Battleground, will be released in 2007.

[edit] Code of the West

Bendell applies his version of the “Code of the West” to his Westerns and his other books:

  • Cowboys should treat women like ladies, period.
  • Cowboys fight fair, and only when they have to, and when they do have to fight, they win, period.
  • You know exactly where you stand with a cowboy. There are no gray areas, only black and white, but not when it comes to skin color.
  • A cowboy is only as good as his word.
  • A cowboy protects his family, spread, and community.
  • A cowboy will fight for, and take care of orphans, widows, and those who are oppressed.
  • A cowboy will go out of his way to avoid a fight and is always willing to share his grub, campfire, and water.
  • A cowboy believes in his God, and he believes in America and will fight and die to protect either.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Colt series

Westerns, "Colt" series, of which four were nominated for the prestigious Western Writers of America’s Spur Award, are:

  • Chief of Scouts (1993)
  • Horse Soldiers (1993)
  • Colt (1994)
  • Coyote Run (1994)
  • Warrior (1995)
  • Justis Colt (1996)
  • Eagle (1997)
  • Matched Colts (1998)
  • Blazing Colts (1999)
  • War Bonnet (2000)

All published by Signet Westerns (Penguin)

[edit] Current series

  • Criminal Investigation Detachment (2005)
  • Broken Borders (2006)
  • Bamboo Battleground (due out in 2007)

[edit] Vietnam Era books

  • Crossbow (1990)
  • The B-52 Overture (1992)
  • Valley of Tears (1992)
  • Snake-Eater (1994)

[edit] Science Fiction

(pen name "Ron Stillman" – but just first six books in series were written by Bendell)

  • Tracker (1990)
  • Green Lightning (1990)
  • Blood Money (1991)
  • Black Phantom (1991)
  • Firekill (1991)
  • Death Hunt (1991)
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