Thursday, August 14, 2025
Monday, August 11, 2025
Publishing Portal--August 11, 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.
TONIGHT: Meet the author. Former City News reporter and longtime New Trier English teacher Mark Wukas joins “Author Night” Monday at Max and Benny’s restaurant in Northbrook to talk about his critically acclaimed Chicago-set novel from Eckhartz Press, The Kiss of Night.
=If you miss Mark at Max and Benny's, he will be at Printer's Row Litfest in early September. More details on that in the coming weeks.
=While the film version of the book is actually being filmed this week in New York, the publicity campaign for Mob Adjacent continues here in Chicago...
=Another portion of the Q&A with author Jeff Reiter...
Jeff: Words on Birds, or WOB as I call it, has always been about birds, birding and birders. Most of my columns follow one of those three paths, which are obviously closely connected. So one month I might write about a specific species, typically a common bird like the Northern Cardinal or Red-winged Blackbird. I’ll profile the bird and share some interesting or surprising facts about it. The book has a section called Everyday Wonders with columns like these. The next column might be about a birding adventure I went on or tips on how to get more enjoyment from the hobby and see more birds. I try to address all kinds of birding, including backyard birding and birding away from home. And then occasionally I’ll write about an individual birder who has good stories to tell, expertise to share, or who has a unique approach to watching birds. My next column, in fact, is about a guy from Naperville who is on a quest to see as many kinds of hummingbirds as he can. Next year he will probably see his 250th species. That’s incredible, especially when you consider there is only one hummingbird species commonly found east of the Mississippi River! I’ll write about bird conservation, of course, and now and then do a book review. There’s even a very personal column in the book about my late parents, and how they influenced my love of birds and birding.
(Photo: Baltimore Oriole by Linda Petersen)
=The book launch party is on September 4 at 6:30pm. Jeff is also giving a talk about birds that night. Be sure to reserve your seat. It will be held in the beautiful Cantigny Visitors Center theater in Wheaton (1s151 Winfield Road).
=More signings will follow, including Printer's Row LitFest the following weekend, and another at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum the weekend after that. (More details to come on those two events).
=The 7th edition of our classic book is still doing well. This past weekend it was a big hit at a charity golf outing in Mt. Prospect. Also, don't forget that author Rick Kaempfer is still posting nearly every day at the JustOneBadCentury facebook page. For instance...
=Bob Conlon has been making the Book Club rounds, and so has his book Celtic Knot. It's really the perfect book club novel, as the people in Crystal Lake, Hinsdale, NW Indiana, and Naples Florida will soon be able to tell you. What can we say? It's a popular book.
=Bob has also been signed to appear at the Western Springs Library, and give a talk there. That's coming up in October. We'll have more information about that in the coming weeks.
=Eckhartz Press author John Records Landecker is still on the air weeknights at WGN Radio, and occasionally there's something on his show that we must point out. This Friday night (7-10pm), his old WLS pal (and current WGN colleague) Bob Sirott will appear on the show with John and the two will reminisce about their crazy rock and roll days (They call it "For Radio Geeks Only"). Last time they did this a few weeks ago, it was very entertaining.
=John Records Landecker has done a great job getting out there and promoting his book. This week in three successive years (2013, 2014, 2015), he was making appearances. In 2013 (August 11), it was the Morning Show Bootcamp in Chicago. In 2014 (August 11), it was in Georgetown, Illinois. In 2015, he appeared on the Justin Kaufmann show on WGN Radio.
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The Loop Files
=One of the biggest stars from the Loop's second heyday (late 80s/early 90s) was Kevin Matthews. Kevin is still around creating memorable content. In fact, he has a new movie coming out. He made the announcement live on Instagram last week...
=Another big Loop star is Danny Bonaduce. He's celebrating a birthday this week (August 13). Happy birthday Danny!
=August 12, 1985—The Outfield releases their megablockbuster hit record Play Deep. Guess which Chicago area record store hosted the band for an in-store appearance. That's right, the best one of all-time, Flip Side Records. This photo, and that story, are in the book.
=Flip Side co-author Larry Rosenbaum will also be appearing at the Printers Row litfest. In next week's roundup we will pin down the exact times our Eckhartz Press authors will be there.
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=Vicki Quade is also celebrating a birthday this week (August 15). Vicki came to Eckhartz Press after meeting us on this podcast. She was already well known in Chicago for her play Late Nite Catechism. Her book is a character study of the people in Chicago who she meets on the streets. Very funny and insightful.
=That same week (August 12), Will appeared on WGN Radio to talk about it.
=The Bears season is right around the corner, and no book on the market does a better job of chronicling the recent sad sack history of our favorite team than I Bear Witness by Dan McNeil. It also makes a great gift for the Bears fan in your family.
=One of the stars of our last great Bears team, Tom Thayer, is celebrating a birthday this week (August 16). This photo of Tom appears in Dan McNeil's book.
=Vicki Atkinson led a two-hour discussion about her book Surviving Sue with this great group of ladies at Palatine Library exactly a year ago this week.
=Brent Petersen's foodie novel Truffle Hunt came out ten years ago on Eckhartz Press (2015), but Brent is still writing and talking about food. He hosts the popular podcast Destination Eat Drink, and writes for the website of the same name. Check out his latest video...
=This week in 2017, on the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death (August 16), Bob Shannon released his book Turn it Up. The book is about that first generation of disc jockeys who helped make rock and roll famous.
=The same week in 2017 (August 15), we were preparing to release the book Safe Inside by Lee Kingsmill, and began taking pre-orders. That book was later awarded honorable mention in the Book of the Year awards by the Chicago Writers Association. It was greeted with reviews like these...
“The best books expand our humanity by the vicarious experiences and opportunities for compassion they provide. Lee Kingsmill’s Safe Inside is just such a book. It’s rich and textured, filled with family dynamics, religion, sexuality, the refuge of the imagination, the sanctuary of movies, and most of all, the depth, truthfulness, and complexity of humanity.”
“This beautifully written and sensitive novel about growing up in Chicago in the 1940s and ’50s and falling in love with the movies is that rare thing, a story that totally recreates a vanished world. Every detail of both place and character is so closely observed and evocative that you feel like you are there. ”
=Pat Colander's book won the Book of the Year from the Chicago Writers Association in 2016. They always say you can't judge a book by its cover, but let's face it, with this book you can. The cover photo is the handiwork of the great Chicago photographer Barry Butler, who is celebrating a birthday this week (August 11).
=This is Barry's original photograph...
Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars
=This week in 2018 (August 17), Bill Paige launched his great rock and roll interview book in his home town (at the time) Austin, Texas. Here are a few photos from that launch party.
=Three of the rock stars Bill interviewed in the book are celebrating birthdays this week, Joe Jackson (August 11), Mark Knopfler (August 12) and Belinda Carlisle (August 17)
=Eckhartz Press author Chet Coppock literally knew everyone in the sports world, including wrestler Hulk Hogan (born August 11) and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson (born August 14), Both of them appear in Chet's book...
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=This week in 2014 (August 12), Joel Daly was interviewed by the Chicago Bar Association about his book The Daly News. In addition to being a famous Chicago news anchor, Joel was also a practicing attorney.
=This week in 2020 (August 13), Kipper McGee appeared on the One on One podcast to talk about the second edition of his media book, Brandwidth.
=Another week, another birthday of a rock star who appeared on Bobby Skafish's radio show, and subsequently, in his book. This week it's the late great David Crosby (August 14)
Andrea Darlas
=The local Chicago radio newscaster has been a big supporter of Eckhartz Press books over the years. She provided a testimonial to Janet Sutherland's book Nose Over Toes, appeared on the radio with Patti Vasquez and Cameo author Beth Jacobellis, and also invited EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer into the WGN Radio studios. Andrea's birthday is this week (August 11).
I was truly captivated by Janet’s story…from front to finish! I laughed out loud and even welled up with tears as I read page by page of her journey. Janet is a survivor in every sense of the word. When anyone else (including myself!) would have given up, Janet persevered. Whether it was through the help of her parents, her beloved dogs, her friends or her co-workers, Janet’s journey is one everyone should know about. She makes me “stop and smell the roses” at the end of every chapter! As a friend and former co-worker, I have always looked up to Janet, but now I truly admire her courage, her strength and her humor.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
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