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!
=Four Eckhartz Press authors are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy birthday to Mob Adjacent author Jeff Gentile (September 29), Chili Dog MVP co-author Dr. David Fletcher (September 30), 1001 Train Rides in Chicago author Richard Reeder (September 30), and Signature Shoes author Ryan Trembath (October 4).
=Want to hear some podcast interviews with the birthday boys? Listen to Jeff talk about Mob Adjacent. Listen to Ryan talk about Signature Shoes. Listen to Dr. David Fletcher talk about Chili Dog MVP.
New Book Release!
Worth a Second Look is the book that every movie fan should have at their disposal when they can’t find anything to watch. Super Movie Fan and author of Oscars Biggest Mistakes Eric Litt handpicked 200 films that are either underrated, a forgotten hit, a hidden gem or a guilty pleasure from the past 50 years. This book is full of recommendations for terrific films that deserve to be seen again from almost every genre from action to comedy to horror to holiday. There is something in this book for everyone. (Available for pre-order now)
Another New Book Release!
One day Pat Camalliere was finally enjoying her family, newfound success as a historical mystery writer, and singing in a classical chorus, passions she had put off during her forty-year career in medical administration. The next day she found herself struggling to survive after being diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer. With knowledge gained from a lifetime in the field of medicine, as a writer of character driven novels, and as a cancer patient herself, Camalliere walks readers through slices of her life growing up in Chicago, relating moving experiences with detail and humor, demystifying the day-to-day struggles of a cancer patient in a way few can do. There is no one better to explain the cancer experience from diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiation, through side effects and recovery. Although staying alive is a lot of work, personal efforts to understand cancer and the people who treat it can ease the journey to recovery. This memoir will benefit anyone who has or has had cancer, their loved ones, and all who treat and support cancer patients. (Available for pre-order now!)
=Meta Stories is one of our stellar 2024 releases. This week we had a chance to sit down with author Dr. Joe Novak and talk about the book. The Q&A is here.
=Another successful book launch...
=Our top selling book is still making the rounds...
=Janet Sutherland was on WLS Radio last week to promote her annual walk for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. Thanks so much to Ray Stevens for having her on his show. You can listen to it here.
=Janet was recognized at this weekend's walk (the 10th annual) for her tireless work as the foundation's Ambassador for the past twenty years. A letter of thanks and recognition from Congressman Sean Casten was presented to Janet at the walk. Congrats to Janet!
=Rest in Peace, Pete Rose. Randy Merkin writes about his encounter with the all-time hits leader in his book Behind the Glass. Here's a video of Randy telling that story...
RIP Pete Rose. I will never forget the Lunch with a Legend with @TWaddle87 and @WaddleandSilvy! Thanks for the memories. pic.twitter.com/xr25EcIwqW
— randymerkin (@randymerkin) October 1, 2024
=This week in 2008 (October 5), EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer was interviewed by CBS-2 TV just as the Cubs were ending their playoff run. At the time Rick was still concentrating on his Just One Bad Century website. It would be another ten years before EveryCubEver was completed. The sixth edition is out now. Working on the 7th edition for next Opening Day.
=This week in 2016 (September 30), Bobby Skafish held the launch party for his book We Have Company. It was a star-studded event at Toons on Southport Avenue. In the photos below with Bobby...Greg Solk, Rick Kaempfer, Johnny Mars, Emily Skafish, Dane Placko, and David Stern.
Everything I Know I Learned From Rock Stars
=Speaking of rock stars, the immortal Jerry Lee Lewis was born this week in 1935 (September 29). Bill Paige features an interview with the Killer in the pages of his book.
=This week in 2022 (October 4), Bill Paige made a return trip to Chicago (He now lives in Thailand) and played a gig on the North side of the city. Eckhartz Press publisher Rick Kaempfer was there to cheer him on.
Pat Cassidy
=For years Pat Cassidy reigned supreme on the Chicago airwaves as the morning co-anchor at WBBM-AM (with Felicia Middlebrooks). He also managed to find his way into two Eckhartz Press books. That's Pat in Rich King's memoir Ike & Me (along with fellow WBBM pros Jim Benes and Bernie Tafoya), and there's Pat in Mitch Michael's memoir Doin The Cruise. Two very different books, but with one significant similarity...Pat Cassidy. Pat's birthday is September 30.
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=This week in 1971 (October 1), the Chicago Reader was founded. The Reader has been a champion of Eckhartz Press author Vicki Quade her entire career. This is the quote they provided for Vicki's book Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind...
“I love observational journalism. When a writer simply listens and watches, and interprets a story through their senses. Chicagoan Vicki Quade is that kind of writer. She beautifully captures the small nuances of movement and conversation that make Chicago what it is—a city of people, a city of neighborhoods, and a city of a million stories, big and small.”
=By the way, Vicki has a new stage show: Holy Ghost Bingo: God, Goblins, & Games, coming to the Beverly Arts Center for one performance only, Friday, October 18, and to the Madison Street Theater in Oak Park, on Sunday, October 27.
=Today (October 1) is World Vegetarian Day. We have a few vegetarian authors at Eckhartz Press, but only Brent Petersen incorporated that into his novel (Truffle Hunt). Before he even wrote that fun foodie novel, Brent explained his vegetarianism in this essay. The money quote: “I am not a vegetarian because I love animals, I am vegetarian because I hate plants.”
=Not to brag, but how many authors have a photo of Sting (born October 2) holding a copy of their book? Chuck Quinzio has one.
=One of the most popular Cubs podcasts is called Club 400, and this week in 2018, Cubsessions co-authors Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate appeared on the show to talk Cubs. You can still listen to it here.
=One of the most colorful soccer players of all-time, Zlatan, is celebrating a birthday this week (October 3). Paul Banks writes about Zlatan in his Eckhartz Press book. He also once got close enough to the legend to snap this photo...
=This week in 1979 (October 4), Pope John Paul II came to Chicago to make a few appearances. Eckhartz Press author Roger Badesch was there covering the event as a newsman at WKQX. His report from that time, which is found in the pages of The Unplanned Life, includes a description of what it was like hanging out in a scrum of reporters outside the Cardinal's house (where the Pope was staying). Roger passed the time waiting for his Holiness by doing "latch-hook." He created something for his daughter's room.
=This week in 2021 (October 5), shortly after his book was released, Roger announced his retirement from WGN.
=This week in 2018 (October 4), Russ Fahrner (far left) and Bruce Bohrer (far right) appeared on WCGO with Bill Turck to talk about their retirement book...
Tony LaRussa
.jpg)
=This week in 2018, Chet unveiled the promo video for his book...
