Don Bendell is a best-selling author of 26 books, a television pilot, and a successful feature film, with over 2,500,000 copies of his books, mainly novels, in print worldwide. He is also a successful screenwriter, producer, director, actor, stuntman, talk show host, cowboy, poet, speaker, political pundit, editorialist, and martial arts Grandmaster. Skilled in tracking since childhood, the former US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer, big game guide, and avid bow hunter, is often called on, and has had success, searching for missing hikers, hunters, prized animals, and fugitives.

 

A 7th degree black belt Grandmaster in 4 different martial arts and black sash instructor in Muay Thai, as well, Don is a 1995 inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame and 1996 inductee into the Martial Arts Museum of America and owns and operates 2 successful karate schools in southern Colorado. He was previously on the National Advisory Board of the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts along with such notables as Burt Reynolds, Wayne Newton, Will Sampson, and Jonathan Winters. In 2007, Don was highly-honored in a speech by US Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson along with NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.  He has worked extensively with Vietnamese Montagnard refugees and on Montagnard issues and has also been listed in Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA and WHO'S WHO IN ENTERTAINMENT ever since 1992. From December of 2001-2003, he was President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter (Chap. 4/24) of the Special Forces Ass'n where he is a Life member, is a member of the Special Operations Ass'n, Life member of VFW, American Legion, Life member of DAV, is a 90% VA-rated Disabled Vietnam veteran, a former member of the International Platform Ass'n, and is a member of the Western Writers of America, where he was nominated for 4 prestigious SPUR Awards for 4 of his 10 popular western novels. He is also a member of the Military Writers Society of America. Don was appointed by  former Colorado Governor Bill Owens, then reappointed twice by his successor former Governor Bill Ritter, and now serves at the pleasure of current Governor John Hickenlooper. Don has also testified for the Colorado Legislature on a bill about Search and Rescue and another bill Don had first suggested to Representative Tom Massey about economic and other incentives to attract film and TV producers to Colorado. Both bills were passed and made into state law.

 

Don has a Master of Science in Leadership degree from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Colorado Christian University. He has also been a US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer, a licensed Colorado big-game guide and outfitter, bodyguard, executive sales rep, TV Talk show host, and radio disc jockey. He is the father of 6 grown children and grandfather of 9. Don rides a big pinto National Showhorse named Eagle, a sorrel and white overo paint named Gabe, and he and wife Shirley own the Strongheart Ranch south of Florence, Colorado.

 

He is currently writing westerns for Berkley Books (Penguin Group-USA), has authored military thriller novels for Berkley, and recently completed a memoir, TRACKS OF HOPE, published in hardcover and eBook from Goldminds Publishing, LLC.

 

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DON BENDELL THE TRACKER