welcome to T O N Y B E N D E R . n e t

     Hooter Pridley didn’t stand a chance. One look at
“Miss June” Trixie Foxalot, posing seductively in her lime
green bikini with a torque wrench, and he was smitten.
He couldn’t bring himself to turn the calendar page,
even as the months flew by. His destiny was clear, or
as clear as it gets for “a water bug skittering across the
surface of thought.”
     Thus, quitting his auto-parts job and jumping into
his 1970 Barracuda, Hooter begins a redneck odyssey
across the West, leaving mountainless Sterling,
Colorado, to search for the calendar girl of his dreams.
On the way to LA, he meets a number of memorable
characters, finding friends in unlikely places—
Mormon Goths, Rastafarians, brothel grifters, a rabbi
with a mean left hook and the unforgettable Luxum
DeShane, a wise homeless clarinet player with a
mysterious past—not to mention all the loony patients
Hooters sees while posing as Dr. Pridley, psychiatrist
to the stars.
     Relying on his plucky spirit and folksy wisdom to
propel him along, Hooter gets himself in and out of one
sticky situation after another while learning some life
lessons along the way. Fast-paced and sidesplittingly
funny, If Every Month Were June is Tony Bender at his
satiric best.

"Prairie Beat" is the funniest short story collection yet from Tony Bender, two-time winner of the Best Humor Columnist award from the National Newspaper Association! Kent Brick, Editor of North Dakota Living says, "Life up our way depends on this bench sitting,clutch grinding,tear wiping,baby boomer wordsmith. Values that matter—that propel communities—get preserved and passed along through Tony's words. Every morning at daybreak, fingering the keyboard, cup of strong coffee steaming close by, Tony Bender binds us, nudges us ahead. His knack for making us chuckle is mere icing on the cake." Published by Redhead Publishing in trade paperback format, 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches, 224 pages, © 11/1/2002, ISBN 0970544243 Order here and get a signed copy!

"The Great and Mighty Da-Da" was Tony Bender's follow-up to the wildly successful "Loons in the Kitchen," which quickly gained cult status across the Midwest. In this collection of short essays, Bender reveals a more philosophical, spiritual side. But fans needn't worry: he has not abandoned his edgy wit or delightful, optimistic view of life. Certainly his writing continues to bloom. He has always made it look easy. Now, in "The Great and Mighty Da-Da," Bender makes his pieces seem almost effortless as he chronicles the lives and times of everyday people. In his subjects, Bender divines the extraordinary in us all. Tony Bender remains a fearless writer. He challenges the edges with his humor. And when writing more serious, fare Bender goes beyond writing from the heart. He writes from the soul. The Great and Mighty Da-Da is published by Redhead Publishing in a 6x9 full- color soft-cover format, UV coated. 208 pages. ISBN 0-9705442-1-9, © 11/1/2001. Buy now, and have Tony personally autograph your book.

"Loons in the Kitchen," published 11/1/2000, quickly established itself as the most-popular book on the Northern Plains, selling out six weeks after publication and prompting another press run. Tony Bender's 'Loons' continues to touch and tickle. The success of the book might have been a surprise to some and maybe to Bender himself, but not to his legions of loyal readers of his syndicated column. The Bismarck Tribune called Bender "blisteringly funny" and he is. He is wry, irreverent and daring, poking fun at Midwestern ways and getting away with it because he is clearly a creature of the Plains. "The Redhead's Tractor," an acclaimed hilarious piece from 'Loons,' catapulted Bender to national recognition in 2001, winning a first-place prize for humor writing from the National Newspaper Association. "Loons in the Kitchen," subtitled Humorous and Poignant Short Stories From the Dakotas is published by Redhead Publishing in a 5x7.75 soft -over format. Full-color embossed cover, UV-coated, 192 pages. ISBN 0-9705442-0-0, © 11/1/2000. An autographed book is a great gift idea. Order a signed copy today!