Rick Kaempfer’s New Novel

It’s called Back in the D.D.R, and it’s Rick’s sixth book (and second novel) for Eckhartz Press. What’s it about? It’s a coming-of-age spy thriller set in West Germany during the Cold War. Back in the D.D.R is available for pre-order now! It ships on December 1st.

Back in the D.D.R is a double fish out of water tale. The year is 1976. 12-year-old Rudi has had a difficult time fitting in his family’s adopted home of America, but just when he feels like he is becoming Americanized, his family moves back to West Germany. Rudi tries to navigate American Army bases, German and Austrian relatives he has never met, and Cold War political tension and violence he doesn’t fully understand. His unusual journey culminates in a visit to the other side of the Iron Curtain, where Rudi is forced to confront the real reasons his family has taken him on such a bumpy ride.

What the critics are saying…

• “Rick Kaempfer weaves a fascinating tale that jerks you back and forth between funny and scary. Having been to all of the places Rick describes, I felt like a 13-year-old reliving it. I even found myself mumbling a lot of the dialogue in German. A great read.” ~Jim Baumann, Executive Editor of the Daily Herald and author of “Grammar Moses.”

• “In BACK IN THE DDR author Rick Kaempfer takes us on what on the surface is a family trip from Chicago back to his German homeland. Its what’s between the lines that gives the reader an uneasy feeling that there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Guess what. There is. The Berlin wall. Communist East Germany. I can say no more. A great page turning read.” ~John Landecker, WGN Radio

Back in the D.D.R is Rick Kaempfer’s 8th book (6th for Eckhartz), and his third novel. This one is personal, as it is loosely based on his own unusual childhood. The book is dedicated to Rick’s fellow Army brats. Kaempfer has previously written about his favorite baseball team (EveryCubEver), his former broadcasting career (The Radio Producer’s Handbook, Records Truly is My Middle Name, and $everance), and his humorous struggles with parenting (Father Knows Nothing). Kaempfer also teamed up with improvisation guru Brendan Sullivan to co-write a novel called The Living Wills using improvisational techniques. Rick is the co-publisher of Eckhartz Press (with David Stern), the media critic for the Illinois Entertainer, and the co-host of three podcasts, Minutia Men, Minutia Men Celebrity Interview, and Free Kicks (all with the Radio Misfits Podcast Network). Before turning to writing and publishing, Rick was the executive producer of two National Radio Hall of Fame shows based in Chicago, the Steve & Garry show (WLUP AM 1000) and the John Records Landecker show (WJMK). He is the father of three sons, and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife Bridget.