Monday, March 24, 2025

Publishing Portal--March 24, 2025








The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.


EveryCubEver

=The seventh (and possibly final) edition of EveryCubEver is now available for pre-order! Author Rick Kaempfer has revised and added more than 500 entries since the last edition, and included hundreds of classic photographs. He vows to only revise it again if the Cubs win the World Series. If you've already bought a previous edition, this is the year to update. If you haven't bought it yet and you're a Cubs fan, what's wrong with you? You can literally read about every...Cub...ever.


The Flip Side

=Thanks to everyone who came out to the Chicagoland Record Show this past weekend to meet the authors of The Flip Side

=Speaking of records, another records-related appearance is coming soon...


This week, a chance to meet two Eckhartz Press authors...

=Eckhartz Press author Jim Slusher will be presenting News Media, Truth, and Trust on Tuesday, March 25, 7 p.m at the Mt. Prospect Public Library (10 S. Emerson Street in Mt Prospect). Jim is the Daily Herald Opinion Editor and will share insights and tips for discerning reliable sources and navigating biases in modern journalism.

=Inside Melania author Lauren LoGuidice is returning to town for another comedy show...Wednesday, March 26th 9PM at Lincoln Lodge.


Next week you can meet another one...

The Kiss of Night

=You won't want to miss Mark Wukas' big day. Coming soon (April 5)...click on photo to enlarge.

Mob Adjacent

=This week in 2018 (March 26), the Gentile brothers (Jeffrey & Michael) appeared on Rick Kogan's show on WGN Radio to talk about their book Mob Adjacent.  They have some exciting news about their book coming soon. That's all we're allowed to say at this point, but it will be a big deal. Consider yourself teased.


Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=We released John Records Landecker's memoir Records Truly Is His Middle Name on his birthday (March 28) in 2013.  John certainly had a memorable birthday that year. He appeared on Johnny B's show on WGN Radio in the morning, then on the WGN-TV Morning show, then on the afternoon show on WBEZ.


Down at the Golden Coin

=This week in 2012, Kim Strickland held the book release party for her second novel Down at the Golden Coin. She actually handed out golden coins to everyone who bought the book. (Yes, they were chocolate.) The event took place at an art gallery owned by Bill Veeck's daughter.


Lost in the Ivy 

=This week in 2014, we also released Randy Richardson's murder mystery, Lost in the Ivy. With Opening Day approaching, it's a good time to revisit this story. It's a snapshot in time, back to pre-gentrified Wrigleyville.

Oscars Biggest Mistakes

=This week in 2022, Eric Litt appeared on WGN-TV to talk about the slap heard round the world. He has become a well-known movie expert since releasing his first book with Eckhartz Press. Last year he followed that up with another excellent movie book, Worth a Second Look.


Back in the DDR

=This week in 2023 (March 24), acclaimed author David Berner reviewed Rick Kaempfer's novel, Back in the DDR....

    "Matching history with Rudi’s awakening to the times makes Back in the D.D.R. a compelling story, giving the tale deep roots both emotionally and culturally. Rudi’s maturation comes alongside striking events in the world and reminds the reader how global history can impact a singular life, especially that of a 13-year-old boy."


*Chili Dog MVP

=This week in 2022 (March 28), Kurt Begland reviewed Chili Dog MVP

=The next day, Chili Dog MVP authors Dr. Fletcher and John Owens appeared in Orland Park Card show 


Cubsessions

=This week in 2018 Windy City Reviews released their assessment of the book Cubsessions.

    "Famous people fascinate all of us. Don’t try to deny it. And there’s no shortage of famous people among the millions who follow the Chicago Cubs. That’s the premise of Cubsessions, a series of interviews with passionate fans who have achieved various levels of fame. The anthology is an obvious labor of love for the co-authors, Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson. The result is a start-of-the-season gift for every diehard Cubs fan."



The Daly News

=One of the great things about Joel Daly's book The Daly News is that he shares several examples of his famous television news commentary. Here's an example of that from this week in 1977, free of charge. 


The Loop Files

=One of the contributors to The Loop Files is Jimmy Mac McInerney. Jimmy is celebrating a birthday this week (March 28). This photo (with John "Swany" Swanson) is in the book.

 

Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars

=Bill Paige doesn't only write books about rock stars, he also writes songs. This one was inspired by the COVID pandemic.


And finally, a couple of basketball stories during March Madness...

Signature Shoes

=This week is the birthday of Walt "Clyde" Frazier (March 29). Not only a great basketball player for the New York Knicks, but also a pioneer in the world of Signature Shoes. Author Ryan Trembath wrote all about that part of Frazier in his book.


 Always a Pleasure

=Chuck Swirsky's biggest fan, NBA star Chris Bosh, is celebrating a birthday this week (March 24). Here's what he said about Chuck for book's back cover...

  • Basketball is about more than the players on the court or the fans in the stands. It’s also about the voices who add color to the game—play-by-play, night after night. And Chuck Swirsky is one of the legends responsible for the soundtrack of basketball. With passion that is always palpable, Chuck brings excitement every time he picks up a mic. Over the years, millions of fans have hung onto his every word, but what’s even more special about him is who he is when the mic is off. In my years in Toronto with Chuck, I never received a greeting from him that didn’t include an ear-to-ear grin. I feel lucky to have seen him continue to grow as a broadcaster when he and his family moved to Chicago. Chuck showed me that a team is only as strong as the environment surrounding it — a community that extends beyond the clubhouse. So thank you, Chuck—for your enthusiasm on great days and positivity on the rough ones. You made Toronto a great place to be in a great place to play. Oh, and thanks to your kids for always keeping those cookies around. Those were no joke.

    Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat. 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 2 time NBA Champion.


Monday, March 17, 2025

Publishing Portal--March 17, 2025








The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.

 

St. Patrick's Day

=St Patrick's Day has always been a big day for Eckhartz Press. Our Irish cup runneth over. Joel Daly (The Daly News) covered the parade for Channel 7 for 40 years. John Landecker (Records Truly Is My Middle Name) been has going to the parade since the 1970s (photo below with Bob Sirott) and Brendan Sullivan (The Living Wills) wrote a piece for us about what it means to grow up South Side Irish. It's all here.


=Note: We have another Irish book in the pipeline. A novel called "Celtic Knot" will be coming out in the next few months.


THIS WEEK 

The Flip Side

=Coming this weekend, meet Ken Churilla and Larry Rosenbaum at the Chicagoland Record Show...Details below.

=Another appearance coming soon...


NEXT WEEK

=Eckhartz Press author Jim Slusher will be presenting News Media, Truth, and Trust. That timeliest of topics will be presented on Tuesday, March 25, 7 p.m at the Mt. Prospect Public Library (10 S. Emerson Street in Mt Prospect). Explore the evolving news media landscape with someone who knows what he's talking about. Jim is the Daily Herald Opinion Editor and will share insights and tips for discerning reliable sources and navigating biases in modern journalism.



=When Donald Trump lost in 2020, we assumed the interest would wane in this book written by Lauren LoGuidice. It's about the things she learned touring the country as a Melania impersonator. Well, it turns out Lauren is returning to town for another show...Wednesday, March 26th 9PM at Lincoln Lodge.


COMING SOON

The Kiss of Night

=You won't want to miss this big day. Coming soon (April 5)...click on photo to enlarge.


EveryCubEver

=Last edition? It's a barn burner.

=Also, don't forget the first day of Spring is this week, or as we call it at EveryCubEver headquarters, the first day of Jack Spring.


Randy Richardson

=Randy has written three books for Eckhartz Press: Cubsessions, Cheeseland, and Lost in the Ivy.


Surviving Sue

=Another wonderful review of Vicki Atkinson's book this week. This time from blogger Lori Pohlman (Lake Arrowhead Lady Writer)...

Vicki is a fellow blogger, one I follow and read with pleasure, always knowing I will find something positive, real, and insightful in her posts. Vicki is generous with her readers, sharing of herself, her humor, her highs and lows with an empathic interest in our perspectives.

This is Vicki’s voice, and it shines on the pages of her book. She is a profoundly kind-spirited woman who grew up learning how to turn the injury and injustice of her mother’s mental illness into something bigger than her own pain. With keen intelligence, her father’s and sister’s love, and later through her own family and probably also due to her dedication to her studies, Vicki survives and thrives, and she does it without ever compromising her own values.

Vicki’s compassion for her mother is more than challenged over the years, but somehow, she stays the course of doing what she believes is best for everyone concerned. For those who don’t know Vicki or haven’t read Surviving Sue, I’d like to stop here to encourage you to read it for yourself. This story is worth your time. It may even affect the ways you view some of your own experiences, past or present. It may soften your heart. It’s a beautiful book, and an engaging read.



I Bear Witness

=This week is former Bears center Jay Hilgenberg's birthday (March 21). He was kind enough to provide us with a blurb for Dan McNeil's book I Bear Witness.

  • Dan gets puffy chested about his titanic drives and he does have length. He gets club head speed with that Barney Rubble body and hits it a long way. In every direction. The pride he takes in his radio work gets much better results.

    Jay Hilgenberg, Bears center, '81 - '91, 7-time Pro Bowl selection



Happy Anniversary!

Two Eckhartz Press books had book launch parties this week, Cameo by Beth Jacobellis (2018) and Nose Over Toes by Janet Sutherland (2019). Photos from those book launch parties are below. 





Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=This week in 2013 was a big week for Records Truly Is My Middle Name. You don't really know what you have with a book until the Chicago Tribune's Rick Kogan chimes in. His excellent review in the Tribune came out this week, and Rick also conducted this interview in the Tribune newsroom.


Cubsessions

=Two of the contributors to Cubsessions are celebrating birthdays this week, actor Gary Sinese (March 17) and Shawon Dunston (March 21). Dunston himself doesn't appear in the book, but the man who created the Shawon-O-Meter (Dave Cilha) does. That's Dave (on the far right) at one of the Cubsessions book signings.  Others in the photo--author Randy Richardson, former Cubs ball girl Kathy Wolter, and Ronnie Woo Woo.

Scott Simon

 =The NPR host is celebrating a birthday this week (March 16). He appears in the  two Eckhartz Press books mentioned above. His late 1970s report on the John Landecker show was a significant turning point in Records Truly Is My Middle Name, and Simon was also interviewed by Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate about his love of the Cubs for their 2019 book Cubsessions. 



Back in the DDR

=This week in 2023, Windy City Reviews dropped an incredible review of Rick Kaempfer's novel Back in the DDR...

  • “For those reminiscing on or wishing they could have visited Cold War Europe, this reviewer has the next best alternative for you, in the form of Rick Kaempfer’s fascinating new novel Back in the D.D.R. In his highly polished and breezy writing style, Kaempfer takes the reader on a literary adventure of a lifetime, back to Checkpoint Charlie and the whispers of espionage.

    Having an understanding of the geography, when added to Kaempfer’s descriptive and detailed writing, helps to transport the reader to these locations. Indeed, the reader may begin to feel as if they are physically accompanying Rudi and his family as they travel.

    This fantastic story ends on a triumphal note for thirteen-year-old Rudi, who is forced to mature in a short time. Emblematic of this dawning maturity is when Rudi states, “In Chicago I always felt like a German boy pretending to be American, in Germany I discovered that I was not pretending.”

    Charles Kuner, Windy City Reviews


 Monkey in the Middle

=This week in 2016 (March 21), Dobie Maxwell was making the rounds in his native Milwaukee. He had a big appearance at Shank Hall.


The Loop Files

=This week in 1989 (March 18), Steve Dahl got his vasectomy live on the radio, and Garry Meier had to describe it. That story is told in the pages of The Loop Files. 


Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind 

=This week in 1861, Benedictine Sisters of Chicago founded. Eckhartz Press author Vicki Quade is a huge supporter of the organization, and they, in turn, are huge supporters of Vicki...

  • “Vicki Quade’s new book reminds me of Martin Buber’s quote which was always a favorite of mine: All real living is meeting. Anyone who loves or wants to know Chicago will enjoy Vicki’s keen humor and vivid memories. They invite us to find new ways to live and laugh, especially during this pandemic isolation. Maybe it will encourage some to write their own memories of human encounters!”

    Sister Patricia Crowley, O.S.B., Benedictine Sisters of Chicago

 



Safe Inside

=This week in 2020, Lee Kingsmill's great book was given a long and heartfelt endorsement by WGN Radio's Steve King and Johnnie Putman



 Always a Pleasure

=This week in 2023, in the days before a ridiculously needless trade war began, Chuck Swirsky pitched his memoir Always a Pleasure in Canada. It was a coming home of sorts for Swirsky who was the play-by-play man for the Raptors for many years. 



Chili Dog MVP

=One of the 1972 White Sox is celebrating a birthday this week (March 23). Jim Geddes is featured in the pages of Chili Dog MVP.