Category Archives: Military

New Book Release – Sharing Stories on Our Autism Journey


June is a great month. It official marks summer break from school, as well as the first day of Summer. It is also my birth month, which is why I decided to publish The Road I’ve Traveled on my birthday.

The Road I’ve Traveled is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Its official release date will be on the 19th of June.

I absolutely love the cover. The anchor represents my time in the Navy. The color blue represents my love of the ocean, as well as autism awareness.

The Road Ive Traveled

The Road I’ve Traveled is a compilation of poems and short stories Jennifer wrote during moments of her life where she felt the need to get it all out. She writes about being in the Navy during the tragedies of 9/11, having to deploy to New York where she and her shipmates stayed in New York’s harbor for three weeks, guarding the coastline in hopes of preventing any further attacks.

She writes about loss, love, heartbreak, family. You can see the fondness she had for her grandfather as she includes a heartfelt eulogy she had written moments after his passing.

She also writes about being a single mom, as well as a mom to a child who is on the autism spectrum. The journey they have endured together has been bumpy, but they continue to plow through life, learning about autism and sensory processing disorder as they go.

You can find all of my books, recently published and upcoming, under my name and my pen name, posted on my website: www.twistedcrowpress.com/books
Or, you can find them on Amazon:
For all books published under my name, Jennifer N. Adams on Amazon, click here.
For all books published under my pen name, J. Raven Wilde on Amazon, click here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wall


For more of this week’s photo challenge, wall, check out The Daily Post.

Below are pictures from my 2001 Navy deployment, on the USS George Washington CVN73. The locations are in the description of the picture. It starts in Crete, then Portugal, onto Naples, then to Rome.

For more of my deployment pictures that I have shared on my blog, click here.

Enjoy!

Churchcastle_pathsMVC-012SMVC-022Scols romecolsfloorsist.chapstpetesstpetes2

Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry


This weeks photo challenge is symmetry.

Symmetry comes from a Greek word meaning to ‘come together’. The definition of symmetry is, pleasingly proportionate; the quality of made up parts that are similar to one another around an axis or that are opposite of one another.

More photos from my navy deployment. Enjoy!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMVC-011FSwinging Bridge to cross SuezDefense Pyramid in SuezSuez CanalSuez Canal 3Tight SqueezecathredalInside Lisbon mallGhost Ship in LisbonLisbon ArchwaysMVC-008S1OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAColiseum Hallwaywaterfall in rome

One Word Photo Challenge: Seafoam


This One Word Photo Challenge is a bit difficult as I had to search for the specific color. I did find some pictures of the shade of green called seafoam in my navy deployment pictures. I was lucky to have a division officer who compiled everyone’s pictures of the deployment and have them put on a disk and hand them out to each person in her division. The pictures that I took myself was saved on only one computer and it crashed a few years later. I do have some negatives that I do need to have developed again and put on a disk.

When I moved in with my grandmother a few years ago, I had gone through all of my things that I had left here when I got out of the navy. In all that stuff I found all of my navy uniforms, deployment cruise book, and that CD that had my deployment pictures that my division officer had made for us.

Below are just a few of the pictures I have on that disk. Enjoy!

Statue in NaplesMVC-020SNaples Italy 3Monument

Belly dancer in Dubai, UAE

Belly dancer in Dubai, UAE

Fort Kastro in Crete, Greece

Fort Kastro in Crete, Greece

To Appomattox – A Mini-Series in the Making


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Most Americans should know of the American Civil War when asked. We learned about it in grade school from our History books. Some of us may have acted in school plays as Lincoln, reciting the Gettysburg Address. Some of us even have ancestors that fought in the civil war. There are also a few movies that could help fill in some of the blanks, Gettysburg, North and South, Lincoln, just to name a few.

On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began when Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter. For four years, both the Union (The North) and the Confederates (The South) battled against one another in twenty three different states. The majority of those battles were fought in Tennessee and Virginia.

On April 9, 1865, Lee surrenders to Grant at the Appomattox court house, the Confederates lost, the war was over. The American Civil War still remains one of the bloodiest battles in history, with over 620,000 killed from combat, disease, or starvation, and over 476,000 wounded.

A mini-series is currently being filmed called, To Appomattox. It will be the most historically accurate presentation ever to be filmed. They currently have a Kickstarter page going, where you can become involved with their project by donating. With your donations, you can receive really awesome gifts such as cast autographed items, a behind the scenes DVD, a copy of the script, an opportunity to walk on the set, or be an extra, or have an actual speaking part in the mini-series. You can even be a part of the premiere in New York City or Hollywood, as well as the post-premiere party. You could take a tour of the set, or be a part of the meet and greet at one of the screenings. There are more things to list that you will receive from your donations. To see the full list, click here.

By donating, you get to be involved in the production of the mini-series. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, not just for Civil War historians or re-enactors, but for everyone. Everyone should be involved. Click here to find out more details about the mini-series or to donate now.

To Appomattox has a cast of amazing talent: Jason O’Mara, Stephen Lang, Noah Wyle, Richard Speight, Rascal Flatts, Kim Delaney, Trace Adkins, Kix Brooks, Powers Booth, plus many more other famous talents.

Here are some important links for you to visit:

http://www.toappomattox.com

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1258300090/to-appomattox-a-civil-war-event-miniseries

www.facebook.com/ToAppomattox

I’m asking for everyone to please, re-blog this, and/or share this blog post on every media outlet. Spread the word.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Letters


We thought it was a neat thing that our soda cans we received during our replenishment while on deployment, had a different look to them. I’m not sure what language it’s written in, but I think they’re neat looking compared to seeing the usually American style soda cans.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument


The Monument to Christ in Lisbon, Portugal, was built in 1959, giving thanks to God for sparing Portugal during WWII. I had the chance to visit the monument and was quite in awe of it.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Threshold


 

A few pictures of the Vatican to share with you all. Please excuse the time stamps on the photos. At one point I was using a regular film camera until I dropped it on the ground while visiting Rome. I borrowed someone’s digital camera so that I could continue taking pictures. I’m glad I did, as I got quite a lot of great pictures.ImageImageImageImage

Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life


I went through my US Navy (2002) deployment (USS George Washington CVN73) pictures and found a few photos to post in this weeks photo challenge. Enjoy!

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Vendors in Crete

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Souda Bay, Crete

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Lisbon, Portugal

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Coliseum actors – Rome, Italy

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Venice, Italy

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Venice shops – Venice, Italy

One Word Photo Challenge – Red


 

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My daughter’s toy – firetrucks are one of her favorite things.

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Red building – Jordan’s BBQ; the best BBQ place in Arkansas (Bryant, Arkansas).

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Red stripes on old glory (1890 – 42 star flag). Hanging above the stairs at the MacArthur museum in Little Rock Arkansas.