In an effort to support authors from Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View, many self-published, Book Buzz will spotlight their books and offer information on where they may be purchased.
Local authors are encouraged to submit brief summaries of their books, a sentence or two about themselves and details on how their books may be purchased. Email information to [email protected].
The House on Harrigan’s Hill” by C.J. Noonan
“The House on Harrigan’s Hill” (Sea Hill Press, 2011) opens in 1910 at the Sierra Nevada railroad outpost in Truckee and follows Mary Edwards and her family as they struggle to survive in the harsh mountains.
The heart of the novel is the family’s stubborn determination to triumph over fear, anger and aching sadness.
As the story unfolds, the book includes detailed descriptions of the people of Truckee and Sacramento, with dramatic action as events play out in the high Sierra and verdant valley.
The story sweeps across time from the days of the first cars to California’s women’s suffrage campaign, Prohibition in the ’20s, the Depression, two World Wars and the change from rural to modern-day California.
According to Alice Medrich, author of “Bittersweet,” “The House on Harrigan’s Hill” brings “enlightenment and compassion to readers of Mary Edwards’ long life in the turbulent 20th century.”
Noonan, known to friends and relatives as Claire, has lived in Los Altos for 32 years. She is married with two grown daughters.
“The House on Harrigan’s Hill” is available at Amazon.com, www.seahillpress.com, Books Inc. in Mountain View and Kepler’s in Menlo Park.
For more information, visit www.cjnoonan.com.
“Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: 25 Techniques for Confident, Calm, and Competent Presenting” by Matt Abrahams
Jerry Seinfeld jokes that people’s fear of public speaking is so great, that at a funeral they would rather be in the casket than deliver the eulogy.
Many of us are uneasy about speaking in public, but much of our personal and professional lives require precisely this type of communication. “Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: 25 Techniques for Confident, Calm, and Competent Presenting” (Kendall Hunt, 2010) is an easy-to-read pocket book containing practical public-speaking anxiety-management techniques based on scientifically supported theory and evidence.
Readers are encouraged to explore the anxiety-management tools through specific “Try This” guidance provided for each technique. After reading the book, readers will be calmer, more confident and more competent speakers.
Abrahams, a Los Altos resident, is a member of the Los Altos Educational Foundation Board of Directors and a full-time professor of speech communication at De Anza College in Cupertino. He also teaches at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Continuing Studies program. When not teaching, he runs Bold Echo Communication Solutions, a presentation skills and media training firm.
“Speaking Up” is available at Amazon.com and kendallhunt.com/abrahams.
“Ancestors and Clouds: Book One of the Second Coming of Moses” by Stephen Astor
In mid-19th century Russia, an anti-Semitic Russian government decides to decimate the Jewish race by marking every Jewish boy for death. A brave mother embarks on a bold plan to save her son. Her plan is sacrilegious and her Orthodox husband refuses to help. Determined to have her way, the mother enlists the help of her daughter and a family friend. The daughter knows her mother’s scheme is wrong, but she has her own reason for helping. The friend is drawn by financial gain.
“Ancestors and Clouds: Book One of The Second Coming of Moses” (LuLu, 2011) is the story of a family in turmoil. The surprise ending brings the family together in unforeseen ways. The narrative evokes powerful emotions in a well-paced story.
A Boston transplant, Astor has lived in Los Altos for more than 40 years.
“Ancestors and Clouds” is available at www.lulu.com (search for “Ancestors and Clouds” and/or “Stephen Astor”). Look for the 15-20 percent discount coupon code on the website.
