Alva Press, Inc. continues its slow, steady expansion of services. This week it uploaded the draft copy of Jolt: a rural noir as an eBook onto Kindle with Amazon.com. The draft's first pages formatting translated poorly from the ePlatform and need some editing, but the main body of the book looks pretty good. As such, with just some minimal reformatting of the initial pages, the expectation is to make Jolt: a rural noir available to the public as an eBook this coming month.

In other, a book club in Ferrisburgh, VT, has ordered nine copies of Jolt: a rural noir and has invited its author, Roberta M Roy, to participate the club's discussion of Jolt. The motivation behind the writing of Jolt: a rural noir should be of particular interest to club members. This is because the Vermont Yankee Power Plant in southern Vermont has been leaking radioactive materials into the lands adjacent to the plant as well as into the Connecticut River. As a result, the Vermont Legislature recently decided to deny the renewal of the plant's license when it runs out in 2011. But the question as to whether or not they should wait so long is still out there, making nuclear issues a hot topic in Vermont. 

The need for an ISBN number and design questions continue to prevent the publication of Kristen Henderson's book of poetry, Drum Machine. The ISBN is expected in this coming month. As for the design, the bar code came through with a blurry image and it is likely it will require reissuance. The plan remains, however, for Drum Machine to go to press not later than the end of this September.

RMR in Po-Town, Truckin'

Yesterday began an end-of-summer break. After bill-paying, I jotted down a list of personal catch-up tasks for completion in the two weeks before school re-opens. 

Alva Press, Inc., offered me a small plethora of things to do. I list them below as a window insight into the throes a fledgeling publishing company's operations. The tasks are loosely divided among: Kristen Henderson's book; uploading of Jolt: Rural Noir as an eBook; distribution of hard copies; public appearances; bookkeeping and finances; and website(s) updates. 

Drum Machine 
          -Cover letter to accompany release for Kate to sign
          -Review copyright page and cover blurbs for accuracy
          -Work with designer regarding text to include on back
          -Check to see if clearer bar code sample and ISBN
                  have arrived
Jolt: Rural Noir 
              -Upload to:
                              Kindle with Amazon.com
                              Nook with B&N
Public Appearances
              -Set date in October for Vergennes, VT booksigning
              -Discuss possible dates for booksigning at ZenDog 
                         Rhinebeck
Finances/Distribution
              -Prep/Send invoices to booksellers 
              -Prep bulk order and send.
Website(s) 
                  -Revamp Alva Press main page
                  -Update blogs - Wr&Pub, RMRonNS, RMR
Sales Taxes
                  -Clarify with NYS Alva's were submitted
                          electronically in a timely manner

When I ask myself, Why I am doing this?" the answer comes back, "Because I feel like it." No other explanation at this point makes much sense.

RMR in Po-Town, Knittin'

In Zeitoun the place is New Orleans; in Jolt: a rural noir, it's Locklee, a small mountain village in an imaginary part of the United States in time-forward. There, Locklee's response to looting by forced emigres provides an interesting comparison with that which Eggers documents as having occurred in New Orleans after Katrina.

Both Zeitoun and Jolt: a rural noir are love stories. In the one, Zeitoun and his beloved wife, Kathy, struggle in the aftermath of Katrina in their efforts to salvage their own and their children's well-being in a post Katrina world in New Orleans. Zeitoun is a house painter; Kathy, his passionate supporter and business helpmate. 

In Jolt: a rural noir, Thaw, a struggling artist-painter and Natalie, a city planner, negotiate the differences between her cosmopolitan and his North Country approaches to life in the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown that melds their lives as they seek to harbor fleeing relatives and Newees in a small mountainous village in an imaginary part of the American North.

Both Jolt and Zeitoun discuss a community's response to mass emergencies, the one to flooding, the other to mass emigration. Great companion reads for motivated book discussion group members.
RMR in Po-Town

Jolt: a rural noir is now available for purchase on Amazon.com as well as Alva Press, Inc.

Life is good at Alva Press.

Jolt: a rural noir has been on the market for six months. To date it has had only positive reviews. Ones like that by autobiographer Joan Sheldon, author of Someone to Remember:

Wow, I finished your book "Jolt" and the nice surprise was that I got two books in one. A romance novel.... "What does he have to do to get the girl?" and a reality check on what one should know about surviving in a disaster, and so well done that there is no need to think, from the title, that it is too scary to read.... Readers of both genres can enjoy this book.'

And Kristen Henderson's heart-rendingly beautiful book of poems, Drum Machine, is ever nearer publication. Waiting now only the LCCN which should arrive by August 15. Also expected in August are two reviews Alva will probably quote from on Drum Machine's cover.

As it turns out, Alva's not the only one who appreciates Kristen's poetry content and writing style. So too do Kate Johnson and Edwin Webbley. Kate Johnson is Chair of the Department of Poetry at Sarah Lawrence. Kristen was one of her prize students. As for Ed Webbley, he's a poet and educator who has sometimes served as a member of the faculty at the world renowned Breadloaf School of English in Middlebury, VT. Very exciting!

RMR