Tag Archives: US History

Today is National Autism Awareness Day


autism awareness

Today is National Autism Awareness Day, but to some of us, this is every day. However, I always wear blue on this day in support of my daughter who has autism, along with a long list of other spectrum related disorders.

For the past few years, there has been a controversy going around on Autism Speaks. Whether you support them or not, I believe you should spread the awareness on autism itself. Become a voice for someone who has autism. Educate yourself and spread awareness.

autism awareness 1

Fact: 1 out of 59 kids are diagnosed with autism. There is NO cure. However, there should be acceptance and not ignorance.

Drinking Coffee and Writing to Jimmy Buffett


breakfast and writing

Being an author with ADD is quite hard. I can’t focus on just one writing project. I talked to a few co-worker’s about a few of my writing projects that I was working on and they asked me how was it that I didn’t get them mixed up? I told them that it’s like my brain has many web browsers open and that I’m unable to shut all but one off.

It’s true, though, I do have anywhere from two to four writing projects going. For some, that’s bad, but for others, it’s just the way we are. In a way, I can finish two or more writing projects at the same time.

Last year, I set a goal for myself, publish 6 titles a year for 5 years. Last summer, I switched jobs and found myself having quite a lot of time, so it was easy to use up that time to write, to focus on every one of my writing projects that I had going. I would drop my daughter off at school and head home and write until it was time to pick her up. Before I knew it, I had written three novellas, two non-fiction books, and a short story.

I ended up publishing that short story and one of my novellas last year, as well as a novel that my editor had sent back to me earlier in the year. The other two novellas that I had finished, I had published earlier this year. As for those two non-fiction books, they are set to be published this summer.

Now, the thing about having so much time on my hands and having ADD is that I find myself wanting to play video games or watch Netflix. It wasn’t too hard to find myself losing my discipline. Though I would work on my writing projects, the word count wasn’t nearly as much as it used to be.

It was time to change it up. With my laptop and notebook in my bag, I stopped by my local coffee shop, ordered a breakfast sandwich and a coffee, and then plopped myself into one of their comfy chairs and started writing. It didn’t take me long to come up with over 1100 words. I know that isn’t enough to some, but it’s a start. I also didn’t stay but a few hours.

Since yesterday went so well, I found myself repeating the process; sitting at my local coffee shop with my laptop opened to one of my works-in-progress. Today’s music is much different as it was yesterday.  As I sat down, I plugged in my earbuds, hoping to find something on Youtube that I could write to. The coffee shop owner tells Alexa to shuffle Jimmy Buffett and Cheeseburger In Paradise immediately rings out through the speakers. I didn’t bother with my earbuds and Youtube as I found myself singing along to Jimmy Buffett, while my fingers clicked across the keyboard on my laptop.

Something about listening to Jimmy Buffett helps fuel the creative juices in so many ways for me. Maybe it’s that I wish I was on the beach somewhere instead of being landlocked. With Jimmy Buffett playing, I could picture myself sitting at one of my favorite places that I frequented when I lived near the beach years ago, writing as if I was living my dream; sitting on the beach, writing full-time.

Whatever helps, right?

What inspires you? What fuels your creativity?

Interested in checking out one of my books? Visit my webpage: www.twistedcrowpress.com

 

Did Booth really die in that fire or not?


Today, in History class, we started watching a film called The Conspirator, which came out in 2010. It’s a Robert Redford film about the people conspiring to kill Lincoln, Secretary of State, and the Vice President. Seven men and one woman, Mary Surratt, was arrested after the assassination of Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth has been shot and burned in the barn owned by Garrett on 26 April 1865. Dr. Mudd, whom helped mend Booth’s broken leg, was arrested as being a conspirator for aiding John Wilkes Booth.

I’ve watched about half the movie so far and I’m currently reading the book by Bill O’Reilly called Killing Lincoln. There’s also a movie called Lincoln coming out next Friday that I’m going to go see. With my current choice of studies I’ve immersed myself in reading and watching anything to do with the US Civil War and Lincoln. But the part that has really got my attention is that not too long ago it was made public that John Wilkes Booth did not die in that barn, that it was someone else. There was a bigger conspiracy then what the History books have been teaching us.

It was on the History Channel not too long ago and was even put on the front page of several newspapers, that some government officials that worked with Lincoln were in on the assassination. Though Booth had set out to kidnap Lincoln, but his plans didn’t turn out the way he was hoping and that’s where he decided to go ahead and shoot Lincoln. But there was someone that somewhat resembled Booth placed in the barn and Booth was set free. He had fled south, changing not only his name, but also his looks. He lived a long life, marrying and raising a family. He confessed his crime on his death bed, but everyone knew Booth was dead…supposedly.

I had asked my History teacher if all of this was true and she told me no, that he had actually died in the barn. I thought what was put on the History Channel was actual fact. Not to mention it was even in the papers. One of Booth’s descendants came forward to say that her ancestor actually lived a long life and did not die in the fire that it was a cover up.

Really, who do I believe here?