FILMMAKER | SPEAKER | AUTHOR
"Life as Usual" Book Event Tour 2026
Proposal for
Book Stores and Libraries
Touched by Hannah (Memoir)
A man with cancer. His one-pound newborn. And their fight for life.
Why Chris and Hannah would be great guests?
Last month, my memoir launch in Woodland drew a standing-room-only crowd with nearly 100 book signings. Now I'm looking to bring that same energy to your store in 2026.
I'm Chris Hennessy, an author based in Woodland, CA. My memoir Touched by Hannah, tells the story of our simultaneous medical crises that nearly took both my life and my daughter's.
What makes our presentation different:
My daughter Hannah—now 16 and the former one-pound preemie at the heart of the story—joins me as co-presenter. Audiences are captivated seeing the tiny fighter from the book transformed into a confident young woman. We've built a proven format combining storytelling, an award-winning film trailer, and an authentic father-daughter connection that moves people deeply.
Chris Hennessy Promoted, Marketed, and Produced 1500 Professional Videos from 1990 until retiring in 2018.
Hennessy will promote, market, and publicize his book events to recreate what he did for his Nov 2025 Book Launch..
Direct Audience Reach:
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HennSchtick newsletter (1,600 subscribers)
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Facebook (11,000 followers)
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Facebook Groups
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LinkedIn (5,234 connections)
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YouTube (873 subscribers)
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Instagram (467 followers)
Additional Promotion:
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Local writer groups and organizations
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Media outreach: TV, radio, and newspaper coverage
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Cross-promotion with event sponsors
Proposed Program Format
Style: On Off Broadway Duration: 90-120 minutes (flexible)
Proposed Program Flow:
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Welcome and book signing
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Chris's talk on the memoir writing journey (5 min)
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Hannah's reading from Touched by Hannah (5 min)
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Award-winning documentary trailer film screening (3 min)
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Chris's reading from Touched by Hannah (5 min)
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Hannah's motivational talk (5 min)
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Audience Q&A
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Book signing and personal connections
Touched by Hannah Synopsis
When a father's prostate cancer fight collides with his one-pound preemie's fight for life—a gripping medical memoir of faith and resilience during an unimaginable family crisis.
What started with a chance encounter at Whole Foods blossomed into a love soon facing the ultimate test.
Chris Hennessy received an aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis at age 52. After three years of fertility struggles, he and his wife Betsy had finally conceived Hannah, only to face his sudden diagnosis and radical prostatectomy cancer surgery. Then shockingly, Hannah arrived at 26 weeks, weighing less than a quart of milk.
Nothing prepared them for the relentless dual battle: Chris enduring life-threatening post-surgical complications while watching his one-pound, nine-ounce daughter cling to life in her NICU incubator.
Wires connected her to machines, bandages wrapped her tiny limbs, but his giant finger remained clasped in her micro-preemie grip as he sang improvised songs—"She's my little banana. My little Hannah banana. I love her, I need her"—and whispered prayers.
This transcends typical medical crisis memoirs—it's an inspirational testament to marriage forged in crisis. Chris reveals the hidden world of NICU life through agonizing decisions, small victories, and profound connections forged in hospital hallways.
Touched by Hannah is an extraordinary tale of struggle and grace that provides a roadmap for anyone facing life's most significant challenges. It demonstrates how we can choose positivity over despair, draw strength from prayer, and discover that hope and laughter are our greatest guides to healing.
About Chris Hennessy
An award-winning filmmaker, author, and speaker whose creative output has only intensified since his 2020 stage IV prostate cancer diagnosis. A member of California Writers Club, Sacramento and Elk Grove Writers Guild, he's a Rice University graduate who spent nearly three decades (1990-2018) at the forefront of the San Francisco Bay Area independent filmmaking scene, producing over 1,500 professional films for clients including Google, eBay, Office Max, Deloitte, The American Cancer Society, and the SF 49ers.
Since retiring from filmmaking in 2018, Hennessy has achieved remarkable success across multiple platforms. His Hennflix YouTube channel has garnered 4.2 million views. His monthly HennSchtick newsletter on Substack delivers raw, personal essays blending humor and unflinching honesty.
Hennessy's television series Yolo YoYo's won Best New TV Cable Series 2020 (Access Sacramento) and reached nearly 125,000 viewers on Facebook across twelve episodes aired on DCTV Channel 15 and Sacramento 18. His season two premiere, Miracles on College Street—a short documentary written, directed, and produced to promote Touched by Hannah—won the prestigious Film Heals award at the 2022 Manhattan Film Festival for using cinema to promote peace and inspiration. The film also earned top five Best Documentary at Manhattan and runner-up Best Episode West Coast at the 2022 ACM Western Region WAVE Cable TV Awards.
Please contact Chris Hennessy for more information and to book and event
Chris Hennessy
Author, Filmmaker, Speaker
408-568-9330