Monday, December 23, 2024

Publishing Portal--December 23, 2024








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


Twas the Night Before Father's Christmas

=A heartwarming holiday message from Father Knows Nothing


A Very Eckhartz X-mas

=Back in 2018 we gathered a dozenof our authors and had a group book signing on the Northwest Side of Chicago. What a fun day. (Top Row, L-R: Chet Coppock, Beth Jacobellis, Bruce Bohrer, Becky Sarwate, Randy Richardson. Middle Row, L-R: William Mansfield, Donald Evans, Rich King, Richard Reeder, Alex Burkholder, Ronnie Woo Woo. Bottom Row: Dave and Rick)



Happy Birthday!

=Three Eckhartz Press authors are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy birthday to Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars author Bill Paige (December 26), Surviving Sue author Vicki Atkinson (December 28), and In Small Boxes author Ann Wilson (December 30).

 

  
 



I Bear Witness

=Just like the Bears didn't take off the holiday season in 1988 when they played in the Fog Bowl (photo below from that day December 31, 1988 of author Dan McNeil with his mentor Chet Coppock), Dan McNeil is not taking off this holiday season from promoting his book. Last Friday he was in Griffith Indiana, on Sunday he was in Cedar Lake, and this coming Friday he'll be in Aurora at Two Brothers Roundhouse.

=Dan was on WGN-TV last weekend talking about the Bears with Jared Payton.


Always a Pleasure

=This week in 2022, Chuck Swirsky appeared on WGN Radio with Steve & Johnnie to talk about his book Always A Pleasure. He also did a book signing at the Windy City Bulls game, and ran into an old friend--this week's birthday celebrant Jared Payton (December 26). I'm sensing a theme here.




Jim Harbaugh

=The former Bears quarterback (and I suppose he's done other things since) Jim Harbaugh is featured in several of our books, most notably Randy Merkin's Behind the Glass, and Rich King's Ike & Me. Harbaugh is celebrating a birthday today (December 23).

 


 The Loop Files

=Just as we were getting ready to release The Loop Files, Jimmy Buffett passed away. That led Jonathon Brandmeier to dip into his photographic archives and pull out this photo. He also told us the story of the day Jimmy rode his bike to Johnny's show (at Navy Pier) to appear on it. That story is in the book. Jimmy was a Christmas baby (December 25).



Doin the Cruise

=Foreigner guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones plays a big role in the Mitch Michaels memoir Doin the Cruise. It's Mick's birthday this week as well.

 

Happy Holidays to the entire Eckhartz Press stable of authors. We are honored to have such a distinguished group: Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Roger Badesch, Paul Banks, Jim Baumann, Jeanne Bellezzo, Judge Michael Bender, Bruce Bohrer, Bob Boone, Dan Burns, Pat Camilliere, Duane Scott Cerny, Ken Churilla, Tim Clue,  M.L. Collins, Keith Conrad, Don Evans, Russ Fahrner, Dr. David Fletcher, Jeffery Gentile, Michael Gentile, Jack Hafferkamp, Jessica Hagy, Bob Herguth, Nicole Herion, Beth Jacobellis, Judy Ann Jamerson, Rick Kaempfer, Rich King, Lee Kingsmill, Ken Korber, John Records Landecker, Andrew Langert, Margaret Larkin, Tom Latourette, Eric Litt, Lauren LoGuidice, Lou Macaluso, William Mansfield, Spike Manton, Dr. John Martucci, Dobie Maxwell, Kipper McGee, Dan McNeil, Randy Merkin, Mitch Michaels, Frank Miles, Pat Motto, Joe Novak, Kristin Oakley, Lori Oster, John Owens, Bill Paige, Brent Petersen, Jason Pomrenke, Paul Possenti, Vicki Quade, Chuck Quinzio, Scott Redman, Richard Reeder, Edward Reyes, Randy Richardson, Carl Rosenbaum, Larry Rosenbaum, Becky Sarwate, Todd Schneider, Bob Shannon, Bobby Skafish, Jim Slusher, Maggie Smith, Ken Smoller, David Stern, Kim Strickland, Brendan Sullivan, Janet Sutherland, Chuck Swirsky, Mark Taylor, Deb Tokarz, Ryan Trembath, Will Wagner, Tom Weinberg, Ann Wilson, and Butch Zeppo.


Happy Holidays to the families of the authors who have passed away in the years since their books came out. We miss them all greatly: Alex Burkholder, Pat Colander, Chet Coppock, Joel Daly, Mark Gelinas, Dena Mendes and Felitzitas Sudendorf. 

 

90 authors have now written over 100 books for Eckhartz Press. We are proud of each and every one of them.


And Happy Holidays to the authors we have signed for the upcoming year. You know who you are! We're looking forward to adding to our family.


Have a wonderful holiday season, and we'll see you in 2025!