Down at the Golden Coin

The second release by Eckhartz Press is being readied for release. It will officially come out on March 20th, but will be available for pre-order beginning March 1.

Here's more information about "Down at the Golden Coin" and it's author, Kim Strickland, at the Eckhartz Press website.

Rick and Brendan on video

This is a video sample of Rick and Brendan's event a few weeks ago at the Catalyst Ranch. They discuss how the book came to be...

The Book Cellar

Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer will be appearing tonight at Local Author Night at the Book Cellar in Chicago.

It's their last scheduled book signing, so if you've been putting off coming out to see them, and/or you'd like to get an autographed copy of the book, this may be your last chance.

All of the details are here at the Book Cellar website.

Rick and Brendan on WGN

The audio of Rick and Brendan's appearance last night on Bill Leff's show on WGN.

You can listen to the interview here.

Rick and Brendan on the Radio

Attention third shifters and night owls! Rick and Brendan will be appearing on Bill Leff's show on WGN radio at 12:30 AM tonight/tomorrow morning to discuss "The Living Wills" and their upcoming appearance at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square.

Though they are very excited to be on Bill's show, expect the fellas to sound a little groggy. They aren't getting any younger, you know.

More Reader Reviews for "The Living Wills"

These first two were from amazon, where the e-book is available. It now has 5 ratings and an average of 5 stars out of 5...

Do not over think your decision to read this book - make the modest investment and read it now! It will not disappoint you; it will delight you on several fronts. I could go on about the many benefits of reading this book (highly entertaining, wildly thought provoking, blah, blah, blah) but that would take precious time away from you actually clicking the "buy" button and sinking your teeth into this fabulous read. What are you waiting for? Go, now, press the button! Seriously.
--Cheryl Joy

The engaging characters captured my interest immediately, as did the plot. I love books that have seemingly unrelated storylines that keep you wondering how they will intersect. The characters and their lives were very real. One of the best qualities of the novel is the attention that the authors give to the everyday details that seem unimportant, such as the familiarity of your favorite coffee shop or those quirky neighbors we all have. At times comedic, at times heartbreaking, the story kept me interested from the first page to the last. Of course, being a Chicagoan, I appreciated all the local references. I would love to see another novel by these authors!
--Sarah Diaz

This one was from GoodReads, where there are now 19 ratings, and an average score of 4.95 out of 5

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. The story of its creation--two authors alternating the writing of chapters of a book with multiple themes which ultimately converge--is interesting, but the book was so engaging that I couldn't stop until I knew how it all ended. In practice, this meant that my original intention to read about the first fifty pages or so went out the window and I read the entire thing on a Saturday. Very clever, and additional fun for Chicagoans with the many local references. Unusual book, unusually good!
--Marty Berg

Some more pub for "The Living Wills"

The Center Square Journal, a local Chicago publication, has another nice piece about "The Living Wills" in their most recent issue.

You can read it here.

The article features several pictures of co-author Brendan Sullivan in his natural habitat; including one in front of Waveland Bowl.

Rick & Brendan at the Book Cellar

Next Wednesday, February 15th, Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer will be appearing at Local Author Night at the Book Cellar in Chicago.

It's their last scheduled book signing, so if you've been putting off coming out to see them, and/or you'd like to get an autographed copy of the book, this may be your last chance.

All of the details are here at the Book Cellar website.

Brendan Sullivan at the iO

This Monday night at 8:30, Eckhartz Press author Brendan Sullivan will be doing a monologue about "The Living Wills" at the iO (formerly Improv Olympic) at the Del Close Theater (3541 N. Clark St.) as part of their on-going "Armando Diaz Experience".

So, what is "The Armando Diaz Experience"? According to iO's website:

"The Armando Diaz Experience is long-form improvisation in which a monologist tells personal stories that provides the inspiration for the resulting scenes. The cast is a group of iO’s most accomplished performers and alumni, making this show a Monday-night smash for years! “The Armando Diaz Experience” is frequently joined by guests from MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Second City and more!

Founded by Adam McKay (SNL, Anchorman, Talladega Nights), Dave Koechner (Anchorman, Thank You For Smoking, SNL) and Armando Diaz (iO alumnus & founder of The Magnet Theater in New York), The Armando Diaz Experience is iO’s longest running show and landmark of comedy in Chicago.

For tickets, call (773) 880-0199.

Book Clubs

We're proud to say that "The Living Wills" has been chosen by several Chicago area book clubs. Thank you!

For those of you considering "The Living Wills" for your book club, keep in mind that Brendan and/or Rick would happily come to your book club to join in the discussion (schedules permitting). Brendan is already going to a book club on the North Side of Chicago, Rick is going to one in Des Plaines, and both of them will be going to another one in Beverly.

There is no additional cost involved. (Although, both of them will not reject your free alcoholic beverages, if offered). If you'd like more information, you can e-mail Rick at rick@eckhartzpress.com.