The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
The Book of the Year Awards
=The award ceremony was on Saturday night at the Tip Top Tap in the Allerton Hotel. Congrats to Mark Taylor for winning in the Non-Fiction Book of the Year category. Mark's book "Hospital Heal Thyself" came out this week in 2024. An international publisher bought the book later in the year, but not before Mark's Eckhartz Press version won the award. Congrats to him!
=A few other Eckhartz Press authors were on hand for the ceremony too. That's Bob Boone (City U) and Richard Reeder (1001 Train Rides in Chicago) with publisher Rick Kaempfer in the first photo. Last Comiskey author Ken Smoller (a finalist himself) in the second photo with Rick.
Coming soon to Eckhartz Press...The Kiss of Night by Mark Wukas
=What is it about? The death of a retired Chicago homicide detective forces Will Moore, an assistant city editor for the Chicago Tribune, to revisit life-and-death events from his first days as a police reporter for City News Bureau. As he becomes immersed in the dark river of despair coursing through the streets at night, Will comes to understand the humanity lying beneath Chicago crime statistics. Will himself becomes part of the story when his next-door neighbor, a young Latino gang member, is murdered, and Will is asked to help take revenge.
=It's a page turner, and will be available for pre-order very soon.
=This week in 1982 the #1 album in the country was "Great White North" by Bob & Doug McKenzie (from SCTV). Naturally the boys made an appearance at a Flip Side store with the Rosenbaums...
=Pat Colander passed away this week in 2019. Publisher Rick Kaempfer wrote this tribute to her when he heard the news.
=This week last year Rick Kaempfer appeared at the Chicagoland Record Show (1/21/24). Here are a few photos from that signing...
=The Loop Files is dedicated to two special ladies, Sandy Stahl and Cindy Gatziolis. Cindy's birthday would have been this week (January 25). That's her on the left (with fellow Looper Tricia Mladic)
Records Truly Is My Middle Name
=Here's a free excerpt from John Landecker's book about Wolfman Jack (born 1/21/38), and two photos from the book from additional famous birthdays this week, John Belushi & Ernie Harwell (1/25/18).
=Rock journalist Bill Paige got the opportunity to interview some of the biggest rock stars during rock and roll's heyday. Among them, Steve Perry, who turns 75 this week (1/22). He rates his own chapter in Bill's great 2017 Eckhartz Press book.
=Tom Weinberg was a WTTW producer for years, and wrote a book about his greatest adventure, looking for a lost city in the jungles of Honduras. The photos alone, like the one below, are worth the price of admission. This week in 2018 he had a book signing at The Book Stall in Winnetka.
=He may be the White Sox radio announcer now, but back in 2016, Len Kasper was the TV play-by-play man for the Cubs. In the book Cubsessions this week's birthday boy tells the story of that magical night in Cleveland.
=This week in 2018 there was a colliding of two Eckhartz Press authors. The author of Brandwidth, Kipper McGee, interviewed the author of Doin the Cruise, Mitch Michaels. You can listen to the podcast here.
=This week in 2020, Eckhartz Press author Andrew C. Langert released his biography of Lewis University's Brother James Gafney. This photo is Andy holding the very first copy of the book.
=This week in 2019, Eckhartz Press author Chet Coppock made his final public appearance for a charity. He grabbed the mic and entertained the Bowling for Veterans event. That's a photo of him at the event below, along with a shot of Chet with his lifelong friend Jack Brickhouse. Jack was born this week (January 24), 109 years ago.
=Randy Richardson is not just the president of the Chicago Writer's Association, he's also a three-times published Eckhartz Press author. His first book for us was the coming of age novel Cheeseland. This week in 2013, Randy recapped the many stops on his media tour.
=Eckhartz Press Author Brent Petersen is now a famous podcaster. How famous? His Destination Eat Drink podcast was recommended by the AARP.
=This week in 2012, The Living Wills was featured on Rick Kogan's show on WGN. Both authors (Rick Kaempfer & Brendan Sullivan) gave Kogan credit for encouraging them to write this book.
=This week in 2021 comedian (and Eckhartz Press author) Dobie Maxwell appeared on the Comedians Over 50 podcast.
=For years Joel Daly delivered a nightly commentary on the Channel 7 News in Chicago. This week in 1978 he delivered his last one. Would you like to read it? It's featured in his Eckhartz Press book The Daly News.
=Chuck Swirsky has some great photos in his book, including these two with this week's birthday boys Vince Carter and Pat Tomasulo.
=This week in 2015 Rick Kaempfer was wrapping up his Father Knows Nothing Publicity Tour.
