The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
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=An orphan’s tale of survival, family, and love in early 20th century Chicago. Based on a true story. One moment can change your life forever. For eight-year-old Tim, this occurred when both of his parents, immigrants from Ireland, perished. Separated from his siblings, friends and the only world he knows, Tim becomes a resident of an orphanage northwest of Chicago. Tim executes a harrowing escape and returns to live on the rough and tumble streets of Chicago. He encounters the red-light district, tuberculosis, smallpox, the Spanish flu and the mob in a notorious time in Chicago history which includes the Iroquois Theatre fire, the Eastland Disaster, and more. Using his smarts and will to survive, Tim’s unceasing desire to again experience love of family keeps him alive through extraordinarily challenging events.
=Here's what fellow author Brendan Sullivan had to say about Celtic Knot...
Take an orphan whose childhood reads like Charles Dickens, set his essentially true story in the epic and tragic boom town of early 20th century Chicago, share the amazing account of that young Irish-American boy’s rise to manhood and success in such a dynamic, turbulent city, sprinkle in a little Irish magic and you’ve got The Celtic Knot. Bob Conlon’s narrative of his grandfather’s life is told with love, humor, charm and more than a few page-turning tales of adventure. A work of non-fiction with a little poetic license and a wink of imagination thrown in. How very Irish.
=Author Robert Conlon has been a trial attorney since 1985 representing businesses in commercial disputes across the country. He is a Founding Partner of Chicago based law firm, Walker Wilcox LLP. Robert and his wife, Pam, have worked and lived in Chicago and the Western Suburbs throughout their married life. They have three adult children and six grandchildren. Robert believes that he owes a tremendous amount of gratitude to previous generations for their sacrifices, hard work and perseverance. Celtic Knot reminds us to never to forget our ancestors’ journeys.
=Larry Rosenbaum will be appearing at this Sunday's Chicagoland Record & CD Collectors Show in Countryside. Come on out and pick up your autographed copy of The Flip Side. Details below.
=This week's birthday boy was a favorite of The Flip Side owners. Happy birthday (May 18) to keyboardist Rick Wakeman (Yes). There he is in the middle, flanked by Carl (left) and Larry (right) Rosenbaum.
=Famous organist Nancy Faust is making a resurgence on the South Side. This is a wonderful article about her in the Tribune, and it mentions the book Chili Dog MVP. She's a big part of that story. The article also mentions the exciting trip we have planned this summer--to the Hall of Fame to see Dick Allen inducted.
=Two 1972 White Sox, featured in the book Chili Dog MVP, are celebrating birthdays this week. Carlos May (May 17) is the only player to have his birthday on his jersey. He was #17. (Photo: Eckhartz publisher Rick Kaempfer with Carlos). Steve Kealey (May 13) was a pitcher on that team.
=The big official launch party of Last Comiskey happened this week last year (May 16). Among the celebrity guests appearing at this one; White Sox greats Ron Kittle, Jack McDowell and Donn Pall, moderator Tom Shaer, author Ken Smoller, filmmaker Matt Flesch, and the aforementioned Organist Nancy Faust.
“The Kiss of Night” ❤️ #newbook #thriller #podcast #chicago #eckhartzpress @rickkaempfer.bsky.social @wynneleon.bsky.social sharingtheheartofthematter.com/2025/05/09/e...
— Dr.Vicki Atkinson (@vickiatkinson.bsky.social) May 9, 2025 at 6:16 AM
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=On the other side of town, EveryCubEver is still selling well. Get your copy of the 7th edition.
=Remember that Rick is posting EveryCubEver features every day on the Just One Bad Century facebook page, and Rick's own page on BlueSky (and occasionally on Twitter too). Here's an example...
=This week in 2019, EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer met life-long Cubs fan George Will and gave him a copy of EveryCubEver.
=This week last year Rick appeared with Dave Plier on WGN Radio to talk about The Loop Files. You can listen to that here.
=Thanks to Tom Barnas for this piece in his “Stories from the
78”
= On May 17, 1989, comedian Sam Kinison & his friend Guns & Roses guitarist Slash, visited the WLUP (Steve & Garry) studios. The story of that incredible day is told in the pages of The Loop Files.
An upcoming appearance in Wauconda by Surviving Sue author Vicki Atkinson. June 19th. Mark your calendar. Don't miss it!
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To the Men I've Loved (God help them!)
=The book To the Men I've Loved (God Help Them!) uses a device to put you in the mood for each chapter. Author Pat Motto has chosen a record from that era that will serve as excellent musical accompanient. This week in 1970, one of those songs was climbing up the charts, "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations. It works best with Chapter 6.
=Sportcasting icon Dan Patrick is celebrating a birthday this week (May 15). He is a big supporter of fellow sportscaster Dan McNeil and his book I Bear Witness. Here's what he had to say...
People think what we do is easy. It’s not. Mac’s been one of those guys who makes it seem like it’s easy. I give the guys at the Score a lot of credit and Mac, Jurko & Harry too, I give them credit for staying true to that fraternity house feel, even when it became big. That’s hard to do. Mac made me laugh. Nice run. He did it for a long time.
Chicago--The Great Retirement Resource
=This week in 2023, Russ Fahrner & Bruce Bohrer released their book about retiring in Chicagoland. We got a chance to have a Q&A with them about their book.
=This week in 2021, the book City U was released. This Q&A with author Bob Boone explains that book pretty well.
=Last week you might have missed International Chameleon Day. Well, you're in luck if you did. Because there's a chameleon story in JJ Novak’s book Meta Stories called “Cathy the Chameleon” and it's always available at Eckhartz Press.
=Just a few months after the release of his book, John Landecker's former boss Paul Drew died. Drew famously asked Landecker to stop using his real name (the almost perfect radio name John Records Landecker) and go with Scott Walker. The free excerpt about that strange career moment is here.
=This week in 2015, John and his daughter Amy (a successful actress in Hollywood, married to Bradley Whitford) made the media rounds in Chicago.
=How many sportscasters do you know that interviewed Olga Korbut? Chet Coppock is one of them, and he wrote about it in his Eckhartz Press book. Can you tell it was the 1970s? Olga's birthday is this week (May 16)
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=Author Rosellen Brown (born May 12) is a big fan of Eckhartz Press author Don Evans, and gave this review to his book An Off White Christmas.
Donald Evans has a great ear and a light touch and together they lead An Off-White Christmas in unpredictable directions. Underlying what’s funny in these stories are real families, friends and lovers colliding or coming together in what promises, but doesn’t always turn out to be, the season of good cheer.
“Told with the keen insight of a veteran insider, it’s a humorous indictment of an industry that has lost all sense of purpose — except for making money, of course.”
=Two sports legends celebrating their birthdays this week get a full chapter in Randy Merkin's book. John Smoltz (May 15) and Jim Nantz (May 17).
=You want Pope news? We got Pope news. This week in 1981 (May 13), Pope John Paul II was shot. Roger Badesch was a journalist at the time and covered that story. He tells all about it in his book, The Unplanned Life.
=This week in 2018 (May 14), the authors of Mob Adjacent, the Gentile Brothers (Jeff & Michael), were interviewed by Tribune columnist and WGN+ podcaster John Kass.
=The original Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, was born in Bridgeport this week (May
15) in 1902. Hizzoner always got a kick out of being interviewed by the second most famous Daly in Chicago during the 1970s, newscaster Joel. That story is told in Joel's book The Daly News.
=This week in 2012 (May 14), the Daily Herald published an article about the first ever Eckhartz Press book, The Living Wills
=In 2015 when Brent Petersen wrote his foodie novel Truffle Hunt, synthetic truffles didn't exist. He predicted (in the novel) that they would one day, and just two years later May 18, 2017 he was proven correct.
=This week in 2018, Cubsessions co-author Randy Richardson had a book signing at the Billy Goat on lower Michigan Avenue. Among the luminaries who came out that day were former Cubs ballgirl Kathy Wolter, Ronnie WooWoo, and Dave Cihla, the creator of the Shawon-O-Meter. Randy later appeared with Cub Willson Contreras at Club 400. Willson (yes two Ls) is celebrating a birthday this week (May 13).
=This week in 2018 (May 18), Cameo author Beth Jacobelllis appeared on America's Most Haunted to talk about the haunting tale that inspired her novel.
=This week in 2019 (May 18), writer Dave Hoekstra did a heartwarming tribute to the recently deceased Eckhartz Press author Pat Colander. That tribute is still on the WGN Radio website.
=This week in 2020 (May 15), during the height of the pandemic shutdown, a group of writers and booksellers got together to help raise money and awareness of the plight of Indie bookstores, which were forced to close during the pandemic. One of the writers asked to contribute a video about what it's like to work at home was Eckhartz Press publisher, Rick Kaempfer. This is that video...
