If you're downtown that Tuesday, please swing by after work.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Thanks Chicagoland Radio & Media!
The moderator of Chicagoland Radio & Media gave us another plug yesterday. Thanks so much to Larz for posting the following on his influential site...
"Authors Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan, both former Chicago radio people, will be discussing how they created their new book "The Living Wills" in front of an audience at a special session at the innovative meeting/events space, The Catalyst Ranch (656 W Randolph St, Chicago). The two authors often met and brainstormed at this location during the formation of the new novel, so it made sense to have this gathering here this month. The event will take place on January 24th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The Catalyst Ranch asks that attendees donate two children's books for Open Books or $15. For those who have not yet picked up a copy of "The Living Wills," the book will be sold at the event and the authors would be happy to autograph it. More information on this evening can be found HERE."
If you're downtown that Tuesday, please swing by after work.
If you're downtown that Tuesday, please swing by after work.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Brendan and Rick at the Beverly Arts Center
Rick and Brendan have another author event coming up on the South Side of Chicago...
Date: January 29, 2012
Time: 2pm
Place: Beverly Arts Center
Address: 2407 W. 111th St
Cost: $5 (or $4 for BAC members)
Books are available to purchase at event to have signed by the authors.
Description of Event: Author Afternoon, starring Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer, co-authors of "The Living Wills". "Two former Chicago radio producers, Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan, have co-written The Living Wills, a novel about “a split-second decision made 30 years ago and the ripple effects it caused.”
Author Afternoons is a monthly interview series featuring Chicago authors discussing their works. Facilitated by Penny Golden, the series has welcomed Jonathan Eig (Get Capone), Dave Reidy (Captive Audience), Arnie Bernstein (Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing), Kevin Guilfoile (The Thousand), Hilary Wagner (author of the children’s fantasy novel Nightshade City) and more.
More info and box office here.
Date: January 29, 2012
Time: 2pm
Place: Beverly Arts Center
Address: 2407 W. 111th St
Cost: $5 (or $4 for BAC members)
Books are available to purchase at event to have signed by the authors.
Author Afternoons is a monthly interview series featuring Chicago authors discussing their works. Facilitated by Penny Golden, the series has welcomed Jonathan Eig (Get Capone), Dave Reidy (Captive Audience), Arnie Bernstein (Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing), Kevin Guilfoile (The Thousand), Hilary Wagner (author of the children’s fantasy novel Nightshade City) and more.
More info and box office here.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
"The Living Wills" e-book
Apple's iBookstore
Barnes & Noble's Nook Store
The Sony Reader Store
The retail price for the e-book is only $3.99.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Pat Colander Reviews "The Living Wills"
We're very appreciative of Shore Magazine's Associate Publisher and Editor Pat Colander's review of "The Living Wills". She named the book one of her favorite holiday gifts this year.
"If the data that suggests people are reading more now that e-readers and tablets have come along, I am living proof. Read any good books lately? I sure have. Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan's The Living Wills, a saga of life, death, fractured relationships,lies and families. If you don't think people can keep big secrets for many years, you are about to meet some pretty complex characters. I loved this book despite how sentimental I am. It doesn't end happily for everyone; but it does for some of the characters --- just like in real life."
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Catalyst Ranch Interviews Rick & Brendan
The following is re-printed from the Catalyst Ranch website. Rick and Brendan are really looking forward to this event...
Join us here at Catalyst Ranch, Tuesday, January 24th at 6pm when we welcome Brendan and Rick for the next installment of our Match Books series. For the Match Books event, creativity coach Brendan Sullivan wants to show you, not tell you! He has used the same techniques he brings to clients like Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, GE and Harley-Davidson (improv, mind mapping, other ideation processes) to create a just-published novel with a co-author, Rick Kaempfer. Much of the work was done during sessions at the Catalyst Ranch.
Cost is $15 or two children’s books to be donated to Open Books, check out Catalyst Ranch’s Happenings Page for all the info!
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Catalyst Ranch, 656 W Randolph St, Chicago
Cost: $15/person or 2 new children's books (all proceeds & books will be donated to Open Books). Light refreshments will be served.
If you are bringing books please RSVP to amber@catalystranch.com.
REGISTER HERE
"The Living Wills" will be available for purchase the night of the event.
About the Authors:
Brendan Sullivan is a creativity coach, helping organizational teams, leaders and individuals to realize their potential to be creative, innovative and collaborative. His clients include Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, Harley-Davidson and many others. He is a renowned keynote speaker on the topic of collaborative creativity. He’d be happy to talk to your company, association, school, writer’s conference, organization, etc. This novel is a living, tangible example of the power of collaborative creativity. Don’t tell them, show them.
Rick Kaempfer has written for magazines, newspapers, radio, television, advertising agencies, websites, and/or blogs, in addition to his two previously published books: the satirical novel "$everance" (2007), and “The Radio Producers Handbook” (2004). Rick also contributed to the book “Cubbie Blues” (2008). He currently writes a weekly parenting column (“Father Knows Nothing”), a humor column for Shore Magazine (“A Fine Mess”), a daily blog ("Rick Kaempfer") and is editor-in-chief of the Cubs history website, Just One Bad Century.
What prompted you to write the book as a collaborative novel?
Rick: Actually, this book was Brendan’s idea. He called me up one day and asked me to lunch. He had read my previous novel and thought that we had similar writing styles. His idea was to write this novel together as a tangible example of collaborative creativity. It’s always better to show people what is possible, rather than just tell them.
Brendan: Yes…and… .I thought the collaborative creation of a novel would be a tangible way to apply the ideation processes I use every day with my corporate clients. We used improv, brainstorming, mind mapping and other ideation techniques to generate characters, plot lines, and the flow of the novel.
What sparks your creativity?
Rick: Just about any and every thing. I’m always looking for creative sparks, and when you do that, you notice that they are all around you. Your wife, your kids, a trip to the store, a drive; you name it.
Brendan: Any opportunity to shake things up is a spark for me. I try to find new ways to do something. If someone tells me ‘that’s not how we do things around here,’ then I want to know why. Like Rick, I also find creative sparks in everyday things, not necessarily the extraordinary. Once you get going, and you’re having fun, it’s hard to stop.
What recently sparked your curiosity and how did you satisfy it?
Rick: The other night I had a dream about how to convert a children’s book I wrote into a young adult’s novel. I got out bed and wrote it all down. If I hadn’t done that, it would have either drifted away into the ether, or kept me awake forever. Now that it’s on paper I can get back to it whenever it’s convenient…instead of during the middle of the night.
Brendan: Lately, I’ve been curious about how the teenage brain works. I’ve been reading a lot about it, and I’ve been observing two of those brains as they operate under my roof. I haven’t come to any satisfying conclusions yet.
What’s one big thing you want people to take away from your book?
Rick: For me, it’s that everything is connected. We’re all connected to each other and every decision we make has an impact on everyone around us. When you think about things that way, it gives your life some purpose and meaning.
Brendan: There’s also the idea of the quiet hero. Our main protagonist did one very gallant thing long ago. It affected everything, yet he doesn’t talk about it, which is both noble and sad. I think there are a lot of quiet heroes out there that don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Share one of your trade secrets for keeping the energy and enthusiasm flowing when working through the creative writing process.
Rick: The trick is to just keep reminding yourself to look for inspiration around you. We all have a tendency to sleepwalk through life. It’s a totally natural and normal thing to do. My wife reads my weekly columns about our family (“Father Knows Nothing” at NWI Parent) and often says “I actually saw that happen and didn’t think it was profound or funny until you mentioned it.” But it was right there all along.
Brendan: Walk away. When I spend too much time focusing closely on a project and I hit a wall, I step away. I find that my subconscious continues to work on the challenge while I’m sleeping, exercising, playing with my kids. And when I go back to the project, the answer is often clear.
What fuels your creativity?
Rick: Super Unleaded. It’s a little more expensive, but so worth it.
Brendan: Guinness. It’s a little more expensive, but so worth it.
Cost is $15 or two children’s books to be donated to Open Books, check out Catalyst Ranch’s Happenings Page for all the info!
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Catalyst Ranch, 656 W Randolph St, Chicago
Cost: $15/person or 2 new children's books (all proceeds & books will be donated to Open Books). Light refreshments will be served.
If you are bringing books please RSVP to amber@catalystranch.com.
REGISTER HERE
"The Living Wills" will be available for purchase the night of the event.
About the Authors:
What prompted you to write the book as a collaborative novel?
Rick: Actually, this book was Brendan’s idea. He called me up one day and asked me to lunch. He had read my previous novel and thought that we had similar writing styles. His idea was to write this novel together as a tangible example of collaborative creativity. It’s always better to show people what is possible, rather than just tell them.
Brendan: Yes…and… .I thought the collaborative creation of a novel would be a tangible way to apply the ideation processes I use every day with my corporate clients. We used improv, brainstorming, mind mapping and other ideation techniques to generate characters, plot lines, and the flow of the novel.
What sparks your creativity?
Rick: Just about any and every thing. I’m always looking for creative sparks, and when you do that, you notice that they are all around you. Your wife, your kids, a trip to the store, a drive; you name it.
Brendan: Any opportunity to shake things up is a spark for me. I try to find new ways to do something. If someone tells me ‘that’s not how we do things around here,’ then I want to know why. Like Rick, I also find creative sparks in everyday things, not necessarily the extraordinary. Once you get going, and you’re having fun, it’s hard to stop.
What recently sparked your curiosity and how did you satisfy it?
Rick: The other night I had a dream about how to convert a children’s book I wrote into a young adult’s novel. I got out bed and wrote it all down. If I hadn’t done that, it would have either drifted away into the ether, or kept me awake forever. Now that it’s on paper I can get back to it whenever it’s convenient…instead of during the middle of the night.
Brendan: Lately, I’ve been curious about how the teenage brain works. I’ve been reading a lot about it, and I’ve been observing two of those brains as they operate under my roof. I haven’t come to any satisfying conclusions yet.
What’s one big thing you want people to take away from your book?
Rick: For me, it’s that everything is connected. We’re all connected to each other and every decision we make has an impact on everyone around us. When you think about things that way, it gives your life some purpose and meaning.
Brendan: There’s also the idea of the quiet hero. Our main protagonist did one very gallant thing long ago. It affected everything, yet he doesn’t talk about it, which is both noble and sad. I think there are a lot of quiet heroes out there that don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Share one of your trade secrets for keeping the energy and enthusiasm flowing when working through the creative writing process.
Rick: The trick is to just keep reminding yourself to look for inspiration around you. We all have a tendency to sleepwalk through life. It’s a totally natural and normal thing to do. My wife reads my weekly columns about our family (“Father Knows Nothing” at NWI Parent) and often says “I actually saw that happen and didn’t think it was profound or funny until you mentioned it.” But it was right there all along.
Brendan: Walk away. When I spend too much time focusing closely on a project and I hit a wall, I step away. I find that my subconscious continues to work on the challenge while I’m sleeping, exercising, playing with my kids. And when I go back to the project, the answer is often clear.
What fuels your creativity?
Rick: Super Unleaded. It’s a little more expensive, but so worth it.
Brendan: Guinness. It’s a little more expensive, but so worth it.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Reader Reviews for "The Living Wills"
We've also been keeping track of the comments on the site GoodReads. Here are a few of the comments posted on the page, all of them giving "The Living Wills" five stars...
"It's a page-turner with enough comedy, mystery, romance, and emotion to appeal to all audiences and at the end left me begging for the next book. To make me completely identify with every character, regardless of age, gender, or belief system is a feat that only talented writers can stage. The Chicago references brought about a familiarity that heightened my love for the story. Bring on the next one!"
--Stacy S.
"Great Read! I liked the way the characters' story lines were intertwined. It was poignant, yet with humor. (I laughed, I cried!) It was also well crafted, and the authors did a good job of not telegraphing where they were going next. I was able to follow the story where it led me, with a few surprises along the way."
--Doug
"'The Living Wills' is out and we should shout from the Chicago rooftops what a great story(stories) this is! I couldn't put it down. The characters and their stories are so true to life. A great book from 2 very talented authors! Don't miss this one."
--Linda J.
Is it still available? Why yes of course it is.
Where is the best place to get this five star book? Right here.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
City Mom, Suburban Dad, Father Knows Nothing, Cubs 365
Here are their latest efforts...
Father Knows Nothing: "Proof of Santa's Existence"
A City Mom: "Search Me"
A City Mom: "Knowledge is good, but spellcheck might be better"
A City Mom: "The End is Here"
A Suburban Dad: "A Twenty Five Year Bet"
A Suburban Dad: "LOUD!"
Rick is also a Cubs blogger/writer, and this year his Just One Bad Century blog has unveiled a new feature called "Cubs 365". Every day he has a Cubs story from this day in history. You can keep up with that here.
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