The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
=BOOK LAUNCH PARTY THIS WEEK!
=Vicki Atkinson is gathering people to the Barrington White House (145 W. Main Street, Barrington) this Thursday night May 28 from 6:30-8pm for the official unveiling of her debut novel Slivers. What is Slivers about? Well, according to the back cover of the book...
In a single week in the summer of 1973, a quiet suburban neighborhood implodes when generations of mystical deceit become too much to bear. Drawn to the web of secrets and lies, the other worldly slivers refuse to be ignored, pushing one family to the brink.
=Vicki will do a reading, a meet-and-greet, and sign and sell copies of the book. Come on out if you can!
=An informative Q&A with Randy Merkin about his new book. 5 questions, 5 answers.
=If you're interested in interviewing Randy about some of these great stories, Eckhartz Press publisher Rick Kaempfer (Rick@eckhartzpress.com) can help set that up.
COMING SOON!
=Another brand new Eckhartz Press book...
=What will it be about? 
Recovery is not a destination
— it's a transformation. This book is your compass for navigating the 12 Steps,
empowering you to rise above your past and step into the life you were always
meant to live. With warmth, wisdom, and a touch of humor, each page brings you
closer to the full recovery that is already in your reach. Woven within the
guidance are true stories from the fellowship of AA — deeply personal,
beautifully human, and proof that no matter how far you've fallen, a new life
is possible. You don't have to walk this road alone. The path forward starts
here.
=OK, apparently this is a big-ticket item. I'm told hundreds of tickets have already been reserved for this debut...
=Speaking of The Kiss of Night, the WBEZ (NPR) radio show Here and Now did a phone-in segment about good summer reading books. Well, lucky for us, a reader and fan of Mark Wukas's The Kiss of Night called the show and gushed about his great novel. Thanks to that fan, and to WBEZ!
=It shouldn't have come as a surprise. The Kiss of Night is still receiving enthusiastic 5-star reviews on Amazon. Here's an example...
As a Chicago City News Bureau veteran with a command of the classics, Wukas elevates the crime novel genre with graceful prose as his street reporter protagonist leads us through twists and turns in the city's less travelled, but always fascinating, precincts. The resolution at the end of his tale cleverly ties up all the loose ends in an unexpectedly high-minded way
=Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see Jeff Reiter at the Wheaton Public Library last week. It was a great turnout (about a hundred people).
=For those of you Words on Birds fans out there, be sure to check out the spring issue of Illinois Audubon. Jeff has contributed an article called "Rare Birders" to the magazine. It's a highly recommended read (unfortunately currently not on-line).
=How about a bird picture? Can you identify this one?*
=Here's another event coming soon. On June 5th, Robert Conlon is doing an Author Presentation at Embassy Public House on Taylor St. It’s the first Friday in June (next Friday) during the Chicago Irish Society groups night. Wait a minute. Conlon is Irish?
=If you are putting your calendar together for June, here's another date to add. Nick's Pix comes back to the Lake Theater in Oak Park on Wednesday, June 10th at 7pm. Nick Digilio will be screening one of the great film musicals: South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut from 1999. It's a big screen viewing followed by discussion, trivia, and prizes. Oh, and of course, your chance to buy Nick's great book 40 Years, 40 Films.
Records Truly Is My Middle Name & Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars
=Steve Nicks celebrates a birthday this week (May 26), and she is featured in two Eckhartz Press books. Records Truly is My Middle Name author John Landecker hung out with her one night at the Playboy Mansion on State Parkway in Chicago (photo below), and Bill Paige interviewed her for Illinois Entertainer, which is featured in his book of interviews, Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars.
=This week last year the Vanished Chicagoland podcast featured an episode about The Flip Side record stores. Host Pete Kastanes has passed away, but his words live on. You can listen to it here.
=A few key Cubsessions birthdays this week. Cubs announcer Pat Hughes (May 27) rates an entire chapter in the book with his account of what it was like to announce the World Series winning moment. In addition, two Cubs greats made appearances at Cubsessions book signings, Carlos Zambrano (June 1) and Randy Hundley (June 1). Both are shown in photos with Cubsessions co-author Randy Richardson below.
=Hundley also appeared on the podcast by Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave. You can listen to that here.
I Bear Witness & Behind the Glass
=Dan McNeil's book I Bear Witness features a few interviews with Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher. Brian is celebrating a birthday this week (May 25)
=When Joel Daly passed away in 2020, WGN Radio posted a few of the interviews he did on their airwaves over the years. One of them was with Steve & Johnnie from this week in 2005 (May 26). You can still listen to it here.
=This week in 2020, Roger Badesch was making the rounds promoting his new memoir. Among his media stops, Matt Bubala's show on WGN Radio (May 26).
=Who wouldn't want this endorsement? It happened to Life Behind the Camera author Chuck Quinzio this week (May 27) in 2014. Yes, that is Sting.
=It's a big week for rock star birthdays for some reason, which means it's a big week for Bobby Skafish's book We Have Company. Three rock stars celebrating birthdays this week get the full chapter treatment in Bobby's book. Crowded House's Neil Finn (May 27), guitarist Gary Brooker (May 29), and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood (June 1). That's Ronnie on the left, and Skafish in the middle of the photo. Bernard Fowler is on the right.
=Chet Coppock attended every Chicago Bears opening day game for 68 years in a row. Naturally he became acquainted with the great Bears running back Gale Sayers. He writes a whole chapter about him in his book Your Dime My Dance Floor. Gale was born this week in 1943.
=Bill Walton passed away this week (May 27) in 2024. He and Chuck Swirsky knew each other well in the basketball world, and Bill made an appearance in Always a Pleasure.
=Former Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan obviously dealt with Chicago Bulls radio play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky on a regular basis. It wasn't a big surprise that Billy also appeared in Chuck's book Always a Pleasure. It's Billy's birthday this week (May 30)
=This week in 2018 (May 31), the Chicago Writers Association came to us and asked us to publish their literary journal. Little did we know this would just be the beginning. Since then they have asked us to publish four more! Volume 5 debuts in June.
=The seventh edition of EveryCubEver is still selling well.
=This week in 2021, Rick Kaempfer appeared on John Landecker's show on WGN Radio talking about the 3rd edition of his book EveryCubEver. He even recites a poem he wrote for the book. Worth a listen. It's about Harry Steinfeldt, the forgotten third baseman in the famous Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance infield. You can read it below...
The poem by Franklin P. Adams definitely enhanced,
The Hall of Fame chances of Tinker, Evers & Chance,
But the other name in that infield has been lost to time,
Just because Harry Steinfeldt’s name didn’t rhyme,
He hit for more power, he drove in more runs,
He made fewer errors, and when the game was to be won,
They leaned on Harry Steinfeldt, the World Series MVP,
Though his name was a mouthful, depriving immortality
=This week in 2020, Keith Conrad's novel Righteous Might was released. The science fiction thriller about time travel and the attack on Pearl Harbor is still available at Eckhartz Press. In fact, exactly one year later the audio book of Righteous Might was released as well.
=This week in 2021, Wicker Park Wishes author Margaret Larkin sat down for this Q&A about her recently released book.
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=One of the pioneers in the world of Signature Shoes was New York Jets star quarterback Joe Namath, who is celebrating a birthday this week (May 31). He is featured prominently in Ryan Trembath's book about the celebrity shoe craze.
=Dobie Maxwell's incredible book about a real-life bank robbery has gotten praise from across the spectrum. One of the biggest fans is Toronto radio personality Jerry Agar (May 31 birthday boy). Here's what he said about the book...
“It is a sad fact of the human condition that we are entertained by the misfortune of others. That is why Dobie Maxwell calls himself “Mr. Lucky.” He takes the body blows that life has dealt him and makes them into stories for your amusement. None is better than the story told here of two life-long friends – guys who counted on one another – gone wrong with bank robberies, the FBI, police lineups and all the intrigue of crime story fiction which became all too real for Maxwell. If your best friend’s actions had you in the crosshairs of the FBI, what would you do? Read the story, for Dobie’s answer.”
=This week in 2015 (June 1), Brent Petersen made a recipe featured in his foodie novel Truffle Hunt at the farmer's market in Austin, Texas...
*The bird in the picture above is a Kirtland's Warbler, America's rarest songbird. This is the time of year to see them in north central Michigan (May & June). Photo by Jerry Goldner.
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