Thursday, December 5, 2013

Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl Blog Tour

Hey everyone! Today I'm hosting Lydia Howe and her newly released book, Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl. (Sometime I'll go into the craziness of NaNo.)  I'm so excited to take part in this. I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the book due to pressing book reviews/my crazy life, but I have it upstairs in my to-read box, and I'm looking forward to it greatly! Now... on to Lydia's portion of the post!




About the book: Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl:Traveling with her parents brings Lydia, daughter of explorer and singer Buddy Davis, plenty of adventure and mystery - from hidden clues in bookstores to cave paintings deep underground.


















Answer to the True or False question from the last stop:  False. I have never believed in evolution. 





Throughout this blog tour I’ll often be talking about my adopted parents. They are a huge part of my life - plus, they co-authored Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl with me! So I figured it might be nice for y’all if I shared more about who they are and what I mean when I call them my adopted parents. ;)

Several years ago our family (the one I was born into, who, by the way, are absolutely amazing!) went to an Answers in Genesis conference. It was a pivotal point in my life, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I had recently gotten Lyme disease, although we wouldn’t figure that out for five more long years. I was therefore sick, fairly miserable and feeling horribly sorry for myself.

One of the big reasons we wanted to go to the AiG conference was because Buddy Davis was going to be there and our family loved his music. The first night after the meeting was over (including a mini concert by Buddy Davis!), a lot of people (including most of our family) went out to a pool area where a little snack bar was located and, lo, and behold - there was Buddy Davis! So we got to talk to him. (Picture one of the most exciting moments of my life.)

Now, my dad has a website called Free Bible Music, and he asked Buddy if he would be interested in singing some of the songs. They traded contact info so they could keep in touch. Throughout the rest of the week I had a blast getting to hear Buddy speak, listening to him sing (I’m pretty sure I was the happiest person in the building then!), and hoping to somehow find a reason to talk to him (which actually did happen several times). One of the coolest things was that the hotel room I was staying in was really close to the meeting room for the conference center. Often I would sit out there and write during breaks. Some of the coolest memories I have are of Buddy coming to practice for his concerts, and I would be the only person (other than the sound guys) to hear him. And yes, it rocked! I think I can say I was about giddy about it. :)

It was also around that time I began to realize that feeling sorry for myself (as I had been) was not the way to live, and the best way for me to get over it would be to start writing to people who either felt worse than me, or were in ministry - and therefore in need of encouragement. I would also pray for them. Buddy and Kay Davis were one of those people I started writing to (albeit several months later, and at the suggestion of my dad).

It was six months after the conference when we next saw the Davis family again. We went to their house for supper, and I was shocked when they immediately mentioned the cards I had been sending and how much it meant to them. They also began replying to my notes (something I had never intended on happening!).

As time progressed, our families got to know each other better, and Buddy, Kay, and I became really great friends. More time passed and one day someone said something about them being like my second family. Eventually, I realized that we were indeed turning into a family, at least in heart.

A couple of years went by and we were continually amazed at how much alike we are. We share a lot of the same personality traits, as well as tons of the same likes and dislikes. It wasn’t long before I began calling them Dad and Mom, and they began calling me their daughter. I must say, it’s quite fun for me to have one family in which I’m one of ten kids, and a "second family" where I’m an only child. For someone who's used to being around lots of people, it gives me quite a change of perspective!

I usually hesitate to share this story in writing, because it's hard to really understand how special our relationship is unless you actually see it. It really is like I have two families. Often, when my adopted parents and I are talking to others about our family, we just drop off the word ‘adopted’ because it can get really confusing. And most of the time during this blog tour, when I talk about my family it will be my adopted ones, because they’re the ones who co-authored the book with me. Plus, my other family doesn’t really enjoy being in the spotlight much. ;)

I truly feel as if God has given me two different families and I am so very, very thankful for both of them!

On my adopted dad's newest CD, he has a song he wrote about our relationship as a family and it's titled "I love you, Dad". Check out this post to see how you can win one of the CDs! 







Have any of y'all ever been caving? Did you like it?

About the author:
Whether she’s building life-sized models of dinosaurs with her adopted family, trying her hand at cooking at a private retreat, or living in a barn, author Aidyl Ewoh (aka Lydia Howe) seems to have adventures follow her wherever she goes. Check out her book, Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl and find out more about her at her BlogFacebook, and Twitter

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great blog, Lydia. I've had the chance to meet Buddy once on our first visit to the Museum. Who could ask for a better "adopted" dad? :-)

Aidyl Ewoh said...

Thanks, David! And I agree, my adopted dad is totally amazing! ;) I'm glad you've gotten to meet him.