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Jolt Survival Trilogy #1
Jolt: A Rural Noir
Dirty bombs, arson, and a nuclear meltdown cause the lovers Natalie and Thaw to rethink their relationship, the displaced Matters boys to take to the road alone, and the residents of the tiny mountain village of Locklee in an imaginary part of the northern United States to seek informed and creative answers as they struggle to survive severe overcrowding and respond to the needs of a mass of forced emigrants Newcomers. These Newcomers arrive needing decontamination, clothing, food, water, shelter, and medical care.
215 pages, ebook
First published August 20, 2011
6 people are currently reading
1344 people want to read
About the author
Roberta M. Roy
8 books43 followersRoberta M Roy’s Jolt Survival Trilogy includes the 2021 Gold Medal Winner in the Jenkins International eLit Awards for Current Events and the Silver Medalist for Multicultural Fiction, Home Again 2020 (Jolt Survival Trilogy Book 3) as well as the winner of a Jenkins Living Now Inspirational Fiction Award, Jolt: a rural noir, revised (Jolt Survival Trilogy Book I), and its sequel, Two Close (Jolt Survival Trilogy Book 3). They are available at alvapressinc.com, BN.com, Amazon.com, and BookBaby.com. Most recently Roy has authored the pilot and nine hour long episodes of the Jolt Survival Series which is based on her three award winning novels.
Book 1 Jolt: a rural noir - It is said that after a nuclear meltdown, if one can walk away, one will live. Jolt a rural noirtells the story of residents thirty or more miles from a meltdown who survive. Escaping the threat of radiation fallout causes many to flee. Estranged lovers Natalie and Thaw accommodate to the needs of the forced emigrants that flood a small mountain village. Winter is coming. Decontamination, radiation sickness, and lack of food, housing, and proper sanitation threaten Newees and Townies alike. Epic in expanse, Jolt, a rural noir, revised, describes a community determined to survive. Extremely well-researched, informative, and poignant.
Book 2 Two Close: a story of survival, the sequel to Jolt: a rural noir, follows the paths of the Matters family, Mary, Lou, and their sons, Jason and Marty. Separated by circumstances following terrorism and a nuclear meltdown, Mary, at home, recuperates from radiation sickness. Lou, brain injured in a dirty bomb explosion, recovers from amnesia and right-side brain damage. Their sons have fled and survive alone in the woods. Two Close is a tale of courage and the human will to survive.
Book 3 Home Again 2020 the sequel to Too Close, is the story of Jason, Marty, and their mother, Mary Matters, reunited in their home in Ariana. Right hemisphere brain injury has caused Lou Matters, the father, to suffer left side neglect and vision loss. The story of their individual and joint struggles and efforts to heal are blind-sided by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in an environment where answers elude a government that is itself overwhelmed. Home Again 2020 is the story of the search to heal and survive in an increasingly complex world.
Roy’s book Slivers: Poems by Roberta M Roy, medaled in the 2020 Jenkins International eLit Awards in Poetry. Roy is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who resides in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York State where she is the creative lead and owner operator of alvapressinc.com.
Book 1 Jolt: a rural noir - It is said that after a nuclear meltdown, if one can walk away, one will live. Jolt a rural noirtells the story of residents thirty or more miles from a meltdown who survive. Escaping the threat of radiation fallout causes many to flee. Estranged lovers Natalie and Thaw accommodate to the needs of the forced emigrants that flood a small mountain village. Winter is coming. Decontamination, radiation sickness, and lack of food, housing, and proper sanitation threaten Newees and Townies alike. Epic in expanse, Jolt, a rural noir, revised, describes a community determined to survive. Extremely well-researched, informative, and poignant.
Book 2 Two Close: a story of survival, the sequel to Jolt: a rural noir, follows the paths of the Matters family, Mary, Lou, and their sons, Jason and Marty. Separated by circumstances following terrorism and a nuclear meltdown, Mary, at home, recuperates from radiation sickness. Lou, brain injured in a dirty bomb explosion, recovers from amnesia and right-side brain damage. Their sons have fled and survive alone in the woods. Two Close is a tale of courage and the human will to survive.
Book 3 Home Again 2020 the sequel to Too Close, is the story of Jason, Marty, and their mother, Mary Matters, reunited in their home in Ariana. Right hemisphere brain injury has caused Lou Matters, the father, to suffer left side neglect and vision loss. The story of their individual and joint struggles and efforts to heal are blind-sided by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in an environment where answers elude a government that is itself overwhelmed. Home Again 2020 is the story of the search to heal and survive in an increasingly complex world.
Roy’s book Slivers: Poems by Roberta M Roy, medaled in the 2020 Jenkins International eLit Awards in Poetry. Roy is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who resides in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York State where she is the creative lead and owner operator of alvapressinc.com.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 22, 2021
Medalist in Inspirational Fiction in the Jenkins Living Now Awards, Jolt: a rural noir is available as an eBook on Amazon.com and in book form at http://alvapressinc.com
November 18, 2015
An interesting read, but at best a “fairly good book.” I’m certain that I was more disappointed by the vast differences in what the cover description led me to believe versus what actually happened in the novel. With phrases such as “forced immigrants overrun even the village of Locklee,” and “winter is coming and the infrastructure is not prepared to support this influx of families and lost souls,” I really expected an action-packed adventure that dealt with human survival on a primal level. Alas! Refugees showed up at a small town, and everyone was like “okay, here’s some food and shelter, please make sure you obey our rules.” I expected better descriptions of mass hysteria, people dying of starvation, graphic accounts of the horrifying effects of dying of radiation poisoning or, even worse, of the initial blast. Practically none of the story took place at “ground zero,” and it was conveniently waved away by the assertion that it was so bad no one could go there to find out and report back. I was definitely disappointed by the lack of action and detail – very little “noir” about it.
That being said, I do feel that this story did a lot to explore the humility of the human spirit. All of the refugees were essentially welcomed into the small town, and as long as certain rules were obeyed by all everyone could stay. There was some degree of “us versus them,” but generally the townsfolk were receptive of the sacrifices they all had to make for the good of the newcomers and their new way of life. It was nice to see a peaceful and organized community form within a dystopian society where all worked for what they were given. I say “humility of the human spirit” because almost everyone was reduced to a common goal, and few objected. This seems almost utopian to me, so it was a nice juxtaposition given the supposed chaos that ensued following the disaster. Perhaps if we could all see each other as simply human, we’d all get along a lot better.
Although the book read a lot like a science novel à la Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone, I found several passages to be quite poignant and, truthfully, very lovely. While the dialogue toward the beginning of the novel was very awkward, most of the narration was delightful and well-written – of course, as an aspiring author myself, I often find the dialogue to be the most difficult part to write, so I can commiserate to some degree. I would certainly consider the writer, Roberta M. Roy to be a very talented writer who is quite capable of conveying the story to her readers through some truly fine examples of American prose, and I would consider reading more of her work in the future. Despite my ultimate disappointment, I did find it interesting and enjoyable.
Rant: as with a lot of the small-time publishers I’ve read over the years, a new editor absolutely must be hired as the grammar errors border on the absurd – anyone with a high school education should know the difference between “peddling” and “pedaling.” There is a pervasive and blatant misuse of “your and you’re (for shame!)” and “there, their, and they’re,” not to mention several examples of “too and to”: these are some of the most common spelling/grammar errors in the English language, so every writer and editor ought to know to search diligently for them! I personally find these errors to be unforgiveable. I had a very difficult time working around the linguistic flaws, but I’m considered to be a “grammar nazi” by all of my friends and colleagues…
While I would recommend this book to someone who is simply interested in reading something new, I would definitely not classify it as a “must read.”
However, for those of you who do choose to read “JOLT: a rural noir,” I would be extremely delighted to discuss it with you, specifically the role of water throughout the novel. Look at names of people and places, and think about what they may signify, as I have some ideas I’d love to run by another reader!
That being said, I do feel that this story did a lot to explore the humility of the human spirit. All of the refugees were essentially welcomed into the small town, and as long as certain rules were obeyed by all everyone could stay. There was some degree of “us versus them,” but generally the townsfolk were receptive of the sacrifices they all had to make for the good of the newcomers and their new way of life. It was nice to see a peaceful and organized community form within a dystopian society where all worked for what they were given. I say “humility of the human spirit” because almost everyone was reduced to a common goal, and few objected. This seems almost utopian to me, so it was a nice juxtaposition given the supposed chaos that ensued following the disaster. Perhaps if we could all see each other as simply human, we’d all get along a lot better.
Although the book read a lot like a science novel à la Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone, I found several passages to be quite poignant and, truthfully, very lovely. While the dialogue toward the beginning of the novel was very awkward, most of the narration was delightful and well-written – of course, as an aspiring author myself, I often find the dialogue to be the most difficult part to write, so I can commiserate to some degree. I would certainly consider the writer, Roberta M. Roy to be a very talented writer who is quite capable of conveying the story to her readers through some truly fine examples of American prose, and I would consider reading more of her work in the future. Despite my ultimate disappointment, I did find it interesting and enjoyable.
Rant: as with a lot of the small-time publishers I’ve read over the years, a new editor absolutely must be hired as the grammar errors border on the absurd – anyone with a high school education should know the difference between “peddling” and “pedaling.” There is a pervasive and blatant misuse of “your and you’re (for shame!)” and “there, their, and they’re,” not to mention several examples of “too and to”: these are some of the most common spelling/grammar errors in the English language, so every writer and editor ought to know to search diligently for them! I personally find these errors to be unforgiveable. I had a very difficult time working around the linguistic flaws, but I’m considered to be a “grammar nazi” by all of my friends and colleagues…
While I would recommend this book to someone who is simply interested in reading something new, I would definitely not classify it as a “must read.”
However, for those of you who do choose to read “JOLT: a rural noir,” I would be extremely delighted to discuss it with you, specifically the role of water throughout the novel. Look at names of people and places, and think about what they may signify, as I have some ideas I’d love to run by another reader!
August 24, 2015
Roberta M. Roy's, Jolt: A Rural Noir, is one of the best researched novels I have read in a long time. This is a book that you would want with you in any emergency situation, even though the story is fiction based. The information and the writing are so educational that you can see this as being a realistic event being told by the survivors for future civilians. I will admit, I got a tad side tracked by some of the flash backs, but that was such a minor issue it probable wasn't even worth mentioning.
Roy has a very unique writing style that some may find wordy, but I found to be quite enjoyable once you get into the thick of the action. Roy creates a world that seems so realistic to the society we are currently living in, that the events that take place could certainly strike at any moment in the here and now. The information and the organization with which Roy has the survivors display is fascinating and it works!
As I stated, this is so much more than a work of fiction, it is a story full of educational information and could be quite useful in any real life emergency events. The characters are all well developed and you find yourself connecting on a deep and emotional level as the novel progresses. I am hoping for maybe a novella to summarize the current state of things and just to see how the characters are doing, that is how well Roy lures you into the story and the lives of each character. I'd highly recommend this novel to any doomsday prepper, as it provides fantastic insight and useable information!
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
Roy has a very unique writing style that some may find wordy, but I found to be quite enjoyable once you get into the thick of the action. Roy creates a world that seems so realistic to the society we are currently living in, that the events that take place could certainly strike at any moment in the here and now. The information and the organization with which Roy has the survivors display is fascinating and it works!
As I stated, this is so much more than a work of fiction, it is a story full of educational information and could be quite useful in any real life emergency events. The characters are all well developed and you find yourself connecting on a deep and emotional level as the novel progresses. I am hoping for maybe a novella to summarize the current state of things and just to see how the characters are doing, that is how well Roy lures you into the story and the lives of each character. I'd highly recommend this novel to any doomsday prepper, as it provides fantastic insight and useable information!
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
January 22, 2016
I received this book free in exchange for a review but despite that I'll be completely candid about it as will quickly become evident.
The nutshell on this book is exactly what the back cover would have you believe. A disaster ensues and the pages take you carefully and ploddingly through every minute detail of what comes thereafter.
To the positive, it is obvious that the writer really knows her material. She is an expert in how such a situation would play out and she spends a painstaking amount of time telling us all about it. The writing is also pretty solid for a book of this sort. A few typographical issues haunt its pages but fewer than the average self-published book.
To the negative, all this detail reads like a government report. One can read 10 pages only to realize that nothing has actually happened. This would be perfectly fine in the right context but the jarring single-word title, aggressive cover and the book's milieu set the reader up to expect a story with some level of action. Instead we get a work with all the energy of the 6 am farm report.
In summary, the writer has written what could be restyled as a helpful book but wrapped it in a container that spoils it and sets readers off on the wrong path in thinking about what is to come. Perhaps if were to be retitled as "The sociological fallout of non-conventional weapons attacks on daily American life" then it would set a better precedent for itself. As it stands, it just plods on and the reader constantly keeps waiting for the key to change and for the tune to pick up. Sadly, it never does.
The nutshell on this book is exactly what the back cover would have you believe. A disaster ensues and the pages take you carefully and ploddingly through every minute detail of what comes thereafter.
To the positive, it is obvious that the writer really knows her material. She is an expert in how such a situation would play out and she spends a painstaking amount of time telling us all about it. The writing is also pretty solid for a book of this sort. A few typographical issues haunt its pages but fewer than the average self-published book.
To the negative, all this detail reads like a government report. One can read 10 pages only to realize that nothing has actually happened. This would be perfectly fine in the right context but the jarring single-word title, aggressive cover and the book's milieu set the reader up to expect a story with some level of action. Instead we get a work with all the energy of the 6 am farm report.
In summary, the writer has written what could be restyled as a helpful book but wrapped it in a container that spoils it and sets readers off on the wrong path in thinking about what is to come. Perhaps if were to be retitled as "The sociological fallout of non-conventional weapons attacks on daily American life" then it would set a better precedent for itself. As it stands, it just plods on and the reader constantly keeps waiting for the key to change and for the tune to pick up. Sadly, it never does.
July 9, 2011
This book, Jolt: a rural noir, was an interesting and fascinating carpet ride into the future possibility, or likelihood, of a radiation disaster, clearly accurate and well researched. But more than that, I think it is a story about community and bravery, the social and emotional commitment to the structural well-being of the community as a whole and its response to terror. It is about the selflessness, the (often unspoken) communication, the coordination, the sacrifice, the cooperation and efforts and challenges and transitions of each person in that community, the ability to evolve from comfort to necessity....
I absolutely recommend this book. You will wish, or maybe even believe, you know these people. Enjoy.
I absolutely recommend this book. You will wish, or maybe even believe, you know these people. Enjoy.
September 15, 2011
This book illustrates how life as we know it can be changed in an instant by a single event. Upon reading, I was immediately transported into the lives of characters who found themselves facing extraordinary challenges in order to survive. The descriptive and detailed writing style made me feel that I was one of them, caught up in their struggles and small victories. More importantly, the book brings to light an issue which has often been ignored - the dangers of nuclear power. While seeing the characters in the book work together in an inspiring display of community and self-sacrifice for the common good, I could not help but think about how my own community might cope with a similar disaster. I found this book to be thought-provoking, realistic, and above all, a pleasure to read.
November 1, 2015
I won Jolt: A Rural Noir from Goodreads giveaways. Although it is a work of fiction I found it well researched and a kind of study guide as to what to expect after a disaster, nuclear or otherwise or even a terrorist attack. There were things mentioned in it that I had never even given a thought to...like how to decontaminate people and safely get rid of their clothes, etc. Provide emergency housing, clothing and food for people who were forced away from their homes. Getting a supply of potassium iodide to protect your family in case of radioactive fallout and setting up communication centers. The only downside for me is the book didn't really spend much time on what happens closer to the epicenter of the disasters and how the survivors reacted immediately after the event.
January 14, 2016
This quick read takes you to a disaster you’d never want to experience… waiting out a nuclear fallout, in a place you’d never think would exist – a fully functioning, caring and sharing community. How these people manage the unthinkable lifts the heart and lets us see the better side of man. The information feels accurate, the characters are flawed and lovely and life goes on. Ultimately, a feel good drama to help escape your boring day of not wanting to clean house.
An advanced copy of this book was provided for an honest review.
An advanced copy of this book was provided for an honest review.
August 8, 2015
Jolt: a rural noir is an exciting combination of a compelling fictional love story and riveting science fiction account of a nuclear meltdown. The book looks at some of the individual and community aspects of surviving a nuclear meltdown while simultaneously interweaving the character's stories of personal growth and love.
July 16, 2015
This book was a timely reminder of the threats we face today. It deals with multiple acts of terrorism, and the people who have to deal with it. Good dialogue and much information about what people in this kind of danger have to deal with. Having open borders makes me all the more nervous, having read this.
August 8, 2015
Jolt: a rural noir is an exciting combination of a compelling fictional love story and riveting science fiction account of a nuclear meltdown. The book looks at some of the individual and community aspects of surviving a nuclear meltdown while simultaneously interweaving the character's stories of personal growth and love.
August 25, 2015
great story of an apocalyptic post-nuclear event. gives the reader insight into the medical and societal horrors of nuclear disaster through well built lives of the characters.. thanks GOODREADS FOR ANOTHER FREE READ
July 20, 2015
Well thought out. Informative. Characters believable. A truly good read.
April 28, 2021
Jolt, A Living Now Book Award, promised to be a novel that detailed an apocalyptic aftermath of a nuclear plant and terrorist dirty bomb scenario> Calling itself a must-read for the unimaginable consequences after such an event, has left me a very confused reader. The central story is about an artist named Theodore Wamp. or
Thaw, and his struggles with his girl who has mixed feelings for him. The story occurs in the State of Carlton, as evacuations move from the threat of nuclear fallout over a two-year period. Well, such agencies as FEMA, the RED CROSS, and the US Government are referred to, we see no continued help arriving as a small town struggles to help, and find it's community overwhelmed by these events.
The book is very choppy in back and forth segments in Thaw's quest to become a regarded artist and leader of this town's community. We even experience a bear attack on him, but then bounce from a serious life or death hospital scene to another year without a mention down the timeline. I can find little help in any insights to help prepare any community to an event in dealing in such a seceniro from this book
Thaw, and his struggles with his girl who has mixed feelings for him. The story occurs in the State of Carlton, as evacuations move from the threat of nuclear fallout over a two-year period. Well, such agencies as FEMA, the RED CROSS, and the US Government are referred to, we see no continued help arriving as a small town struggles to help, and find it's community overwhelmed by these events.
The book is very choppy in back and forth segments in Thaw's quest to become a regarded artist and leader of this town's community. We even experience a bear attack on him, but then bounce from a serious life or death hospital scene to another year without a mention down the timeline. I can find little help in any insights to help prepare any community to an event in dealing in such a seceniro from this book
June 23, 2018
While the author appears to know her stuff about a nuclear attack and to care deeply about this issue (much appreciated), the book is burdened by innumerable grammatical errors, an amateur writing style and a ridiculous love story.
February 20, 2016
Disclaimer: I won this book on Goodreads.
Overall, I liked this book. The plot and the characters were mostly enjoyable. I appreciated the details of the characters building a new society. The timeline was a little hard to follow with the chapters bouncing between current time and flashbacks. The dates listed at the beginning of the chapters sometimes helped. Unfortunately, many chapters did not have dates. Some even had dates that had to be incorrect based on events in previous chapters. The listed dates did not always match the dates of the sections in which the chapters were located. The day and date of the nuclear incident changed at least once (I think it was twice.) depending on the chapter's main character.
Note: There were some spelling, grammar, and math errors in the book.
Overall, I liked this book. The plot and the characters were mostly enjoyable. I appreciated the details of the characters building a new society. The timeline was a little hard to follow with the chapters bouncing between current time and flashbacks. The dates listed at the beginning of the chapters sometimes helped. Unfortunately, many chapters did not have dates. Some even had dates that had to be incorrect based on events in previous chapters. The listed dates did not always match the dates of the sections in which the chapters were located. The day and date of the nuclear incident changed at least once (I think it was twice.) depending on the chapter's main character.
Note: There were some spelling, grammar, and math errors in the book.
July 12, 2016
Disclaimer: I won this book on Goodreads.
Note: I read and reviewed this book months ago. I cannot find my review, and I do not remember much of it. I was confused by a few characters who appear halfway through the book, disappeared for a while, then briefly reappeared in the same place where all the other characters lived.
Note: I read and reviewed this book months ago. I cannot find my review, and I do not remember much of it. I was confused by a few characters who appear halfway through the book, disappeared for a while, then briefly reappeared in the same place where all the other characters lived.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews