The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
Happy Birthday!
One of the key members of the team that brought you Chili Dog MVP is editor George Castle. George is ironically best known as the author of several excellent Cubs books, but he is also the man who introduced Chili Dog MVP authors David Fletcher and John Owens to Eckhartz Press. That book is an ode to White Sox great Dick Allen. It's George's birthday this week (May 27). Happy birthday George!
=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. (http://rickkaempfer.blogspot.com/2021/05/wicker-park-wishes_26.html)
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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. 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.
=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).
=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.
=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.
=Sad news over the weekend. RIP Bill Walton.
RIP. I can’t believe I’m actually writing this on social media. I’ve known Bill for years and he was so kind and gracious to me. He invited me over to his house in the San Diego area , we talked for hours . He loved talking about John Wooden and his days at UCLA. I am so sad pic.twitter.com/2ACf8m5wkK
— chuck swirsky (@ctsbulls) May 27, 2024
=Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan obviously deals 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)
The Write City Review, Volume 1
=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 three more! Volume 4 just came out recently.
=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...
=This week in 2021, Rick Kaempfer appeared on John Landecker's show on WGN Radio talking about the update of his book EveryCubEver. He even recites a poem he wrote for the book. Worth a listen. Of course, Rick and John go waaaay back. Here's a photo of the two them doing a live radio show together on WJMK more than thirty years ago.
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