Healed but different. More enlightened yet lacking in answers. 9/11. Living near a power plant and not really understanding about nuclear plant construction, nuclear power, and emergency nuclear power plant shutdowns, post 9/11 I began my quest to quell my fears for myself and my loved ones. Frantic for knowledge on how we might protect ourselves in the event of a meltdown in the nearby power plant, I took one course after another to learn how to respond to mass events.

My studies culminated in the week long intensive CBERN course in Bethesda, MD, which addressed effective response measures to most likely potential chemical, biological, explosive, radiological, and nuclear mass events. If nothing else was to be learned from CBERN study, it was that being informed and following researched-based procedures and protocols was the best defense.

But my concern was nuclear meltdown. I wanted us safe if the plant near us were to go down. To do that, I needed us infomed and so, presumptuous individual that I am, I set out to write books on the subject of survival that any reader might care to read. I would write Jolt: a rural noir and Too Close. 

I thought writing them would be a challenge, but I could do it. And ten years later what I thought would be a short term commitment has become my life. Yes, I continue to strive to get my book Jolt: rural noir into the hands of the readers likely to be most in need of it--the least informed.

Jolt: a rural noir was written specifically for the enlightenment and entertainment of non-military and non-medical members of out society. It has been recognized with a 2011 Living Now Award in Inspirational Fiction. Well-researched and filled with entertaining characters and sub plots, the few hundred people who have read it have enjoyed it. Still, to date the generaly population has not been exactly knocking down the door to read it. Yet those who have read it report reading it not only once, but twice!--once for the story and following the Fukushima event, once for the information on nuclear response it contains.

That said, my regrets at this time are two. First is that to get the word out is so difficult because my time is limited by my full time employment as a speech language pathologist and the task demands the use of my every free second. My second is that unless the situation changes, I doubt I shall ever have the time to write Jolt's sequel, Too Close.

Jolt: a rural noir is the story of the survival of those who lived thirty miles or further from the Magdum Heights terrorism and meltdown. Too Close is to be the story of two people in Jolt who were nearer the plant when it went down. The first survives with moderate radiation sickness; the second survives blunt trauma and is forced to live with minimum traumatic brain injury or mTBI. mTBI is what so many returning military personnel are exhibiting as a result of IED explosions. 

Too Close was started a couple of years ago and with something of an outline and several chapters written, it just sits. Very sad--for it had been my intent to invite the reader to observe the work of a speech language pathologist with a mTBI patient and to learn as they did to also review in a parallel aspect of the book, the stages and essentials to radiation sickness survival. 

So unless something magic happens and money--which could equal time--falls from the skies, I am caught between my desire to write and my need to encourage people to read Jolt: a rural noir--the latter of which has turned into my desire to expand the size and reach of Alva Press, Inc.

So how can you help? Let me say straight: Open yourself to reading my book. Support the cause by buying a copy. Or if you are an emerging and tentative writer with a book in need of editing and wanting to publish and eBook, let Alva Press do that for you, list it on its website, and prepare it for further distribution.

ALVA is looking for well-researched and thought out books for publication. And as most writers could stand a boost, ALVA will publish the first three accepted for publication as an eBook free.

Meantime, please use the ALVA website at http://alvapressinc.com to order yourself a soft cover, hard cover, or eBook copy of Jolt: a rural noir. 

Roberta in Po-Town, Reachin'out