Blog Tour: The Noise Beneath the Apple by Heather Jacks (Spotlight/Guest Post)

About the Book

Title: The Noise Beneath the Apple: A Celebration of Busking in the Bay Area
Author: Heather Jacks
Publisher: TNBTA Media
Pages: 200
Genre: Media & Performing Arts



The Noise Beneath the Apple® is a hardcover, Limited Edition Art-Style/Coffee Table book, presented in an elegant slipcase. It measures 12″ x 12″ and celebrates buskers and street music in New York City. It includes a history, evolution and culture of busking, photos, interviews and commentary with 35 of NYC’s prominent street musicians. A cherry red vinyl record, of 11 tracks of original music, mastered by Grammy and Academy Award winning Reuben Cohen, (Slumdog Millionaire, Frozen), is page 200. At the culmination of the project, 30 participants went to Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, where they covered Billy Joel's hit song, New York State of Mind. A 12 minute short film and music video were created from that day and are included with the book, making this project, truly multi-media. The project won a Book of the Year Award in the category of Performing Arts & Music.

For More Information

• The Noise Beneath the Apple: A Celebration of Busking in the Bay Area is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at her website for less!
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Author Guest Blog

Five Books Every Animal Lover Must Read

5) The Curious Incident of the Dog In Nighttime, by Mark Haddon

I like dogs. If I could have a dog in the apartment where I currently live, I would be one of those folks who keep dog biscuits in their pockets all the time, matches their furniture to the dog and whose car you couldn't see out the passenger window because of nose prints. Quite frankly, no therapist or shrink can do for me, what a puppy licking my face can. As a cheap substitute, I read any book that has a dog in it, hence, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. However, this is not a book about a dog. It is a book about love, life, heartbreak , bravery and redemption, as told from the viewpoint of the 15 year old, literal minded, narrator, Christopher, a severely autistic British boy; a boy who doesn't like to be touched and cannot interpret emotions or understand feelings. He views life within the parameters of a mathematical equation; physical laws and logic. So when Wellington, the neighbor’s poodle, is skewered to death with a pitchfork; Christopher begins a quest to unravel the mystery of the murder. Although Christopher does not understand what he is discovering, we, the reader do, and it is here, in this expertly woven tapestry of human frailty, that ordinary people, with extraordinary challenges become champions in their own lives.

The cast of characters are somewhat ordinary and this makes them easy to identify with. A middle class father who works as a laborer, an estranged mother who couldn't handle the demands of an autistic child and leaves to create a new life, a special needs teacher who is the sole voice of reason and understanding for Christopher, and Christopher himself , who acts as a `detective' to solve the mystery. Set on the backdrop of a small working class town, who do the best they can with what they know. This stripped down, real cast, shapes a very raw and powerful read. Mark Haddon's writing is simplistic and blunt-which gives it a fresh, original voice.

Although this story is short and easy to read, (you will most probably finish it over a couple of lattes...), you will find that the imprints it leaves on your heart, will last much longer.

4) Wesley The Owl, The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, by Stacy O’Brien

This is a fantastic story, period. On Valentine’s Day 1985, Stacey O’Brien, a trained biologist specializing in wild-animal behavior, adopted a baby barn owl with an injured wing. For the next 19 years, she cared for, nurtured, studied and loved him. She fed him a ‘mouse-only’ diet, which required her to buy mice in bulk, helped him grow from a ‘helpless fluff ball’ into a sentient being whom she developed communication with, their bond and affection lighting up every page, tried to date—(AAAHHH!!!), and ultimately, gave us a timeless tale of strength, compassion and understanding. We might not think of birds or owls as particularly good companions, but, if you are an animal lover of any sort, then you will want to spend some time with Wesley.

3) All Creatures, Great & Small by James Herriot

This book is a timeless classic, and I believe required high school reading—(at least in my day!) and there is a reason why: it is GREAT—(and not so small, at all). Herriot was a veterinarian, who lived in Yorkshire, a small village in the English countryside, before—(and after) World War II. We are invited along on this journey of true adventures, as he attends the ailing animals he loved so dearly; from pampered pooches to savage pigs, rubber bodysuits to his no-brake car; this book is nothing short of magic and a discovery of love, self and life. Most important, you’ll feel all the emotions tugging at your heart, from the hardened Yorkshire farmers to the humorous and warmhearted denizens of Darrowby; from the blazing fires in the drawing rooms to the shivering winter nights spent delivering precious new animal lives, you'll be drawn into this world of delight and joy. This is just a very happy book!

2) A Dog’s Purpose

Sometimes I read a book and think; "Wow, this would make a great movie;" A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron is one such story. This is a tail wagging, Kleenex blowing, delightful read; Think Tuesdays With Morrie Meets Marley & Me; except that this canine sticks around a lot longer than Marley.

Richard Bach asks in his book, Illusions; ‘How do you know if your mission on earth is finished? If you're alive, it isn't’, which is the case of Bailey, a dog, born several times over; as a mutt, a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd and a Lab.

Told from the perspective of Bailey, in the voice of the first dog, this canine shares the wisdom gained from a journey of lifetimes, the joy, heartbreak, and long and short of it. Part of the magic is in the way Bailey experiences the world underfoot; the horses, goats, cats, people, human interactions, cars; part of the magic is in the emotional joy ride that the journey takes you on; and part of the magic is in the story itself; a story of hope, inspiration, purpose and ultimately love; which, is the greatest purpose of all.

Cheers to Toby, Bailey, Ella and Buddy; one spirit in several bodies, making this book doggone amazing!

1) The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

One of the best love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading….and, spoiler alert: It’s told by a dog! How I LOVE Enzo, an old Heinz 57 sort of dog, facing his last day and telling his master’s story. Enzo, the crotchety, wise, devoted canine, is loveable and memorable. I'm not going to lie, this book is sad. You will cry, but it you will also laugh out loud, clap your hands to an empty room and leave this book with a feeling of love and unrestrained hopefulness. The spirit of Enzo will live in your heart, long after the last word has left your eyes.

About the Author

Heather Jacks was raised on Indian reservation in southeastern Oregon, until age fifteen, at which time; she was chosen to be an ‘experimental exchange student’ to Australia. She went down under, with an organization called YFU, Youth for Understanding, and spent 10.5 months turning16 in the Outback. When she returned, she attended college, and received an FCC license, followed by completing a B.A. from USF and two years of study at UC Davis.

During her twenties, she traveled extensively, worked in the music industry in various capacities; radio, production, A&R, booking and eventually, landed at a new and young company, called Starbucks, where she worked on a Star Team and opened new stores in remote markets.

Music has always been her passion and during her tenure at Starbucks, she helped launch Hear Music, which today is Starbucks Music Label. Eventually, she returned to the business side of music at a major indie label, where she had a number of roles, from concert production to glorified babysitter.

An avid TV Junkie, die-hard SF Giants fiend and unapologetic Twitter practitioner, she recently won a Book of the Year Award for her multi-media project, The Noise Beneath the Apple®; A Celebration of Busking in New York City, which was inspired by her love for street music, busking and the people who make it.

She currently hangs her hat in San Francisco and am is working on the Bay Area version of the TNBTA® busker project.

For More Information

• Visit Heather Jacks’ website.
• Connect with Heather on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Heather at Goodreads.
• Visit Heather’s blog.