Lydia Howe's Blog, page 54

Up, Up, and Away! Celebrating Over at Splash of Ink

Yea! Welcome to day two of the blog tour! Today I'm posting over at Splash of Ink . Y'all should really check it out because I've got some exciting news to share with you. *cue happy dance*
Check this post out for your chance to win a $50 gift card and  this post to see the prize for the quote puzzle and comments game. You can get more entry points each day. *grinning like a cheshire cat*
Find Action Kids' Club here (e-version) and here  (paperback)! 

This morning I realized that I didn't get any pictures of myself with the book yesterday which is a bummer. I did take a picture of me working on the blog tour, though, so I thought I'd share it with y'all. 
Yesterday was a rather crazy day with the release of Action Kids' Club, lots of excitement, a busy day at work and checking up on my comments every time I could snatch a second so I could keep up with the thrilling buzz of a new book release.  
And just because I'm a happy author to another bright and new book, here's another look at the cover. :)

What did you do yesterday? I sometimes forget that the whole world isn't rejoicing with me at this wonderful new addition to my bookshelf (after I can force myself to stop carrying it everywhere I go) and holding their breath as they check Noveltea again for any new comments or updates. Did you get to do anything extra fun? I'd be delighted to hear. :) 

Giveaway for Quote Puzzle Game

Hey! This is your chance to win this amazing Action Kids Kit:
* A signed copy of Action Kids' Club* Action Kids notepad* Action Kids bookmark* Little notebooks* Pens* Buddy Davis CD* Snacks in case you get hungry while reading* Gum

How to get entered into the prize:

*Every day during the blog tour there's a quote puzzle at the end of the post. Figure it out and leave your answers in the comment section and you'll automatically be entered to win with five points

*Leave a comment about the blog tour in any of the blog tour posts and you'll get one point

A winner will be drawn at random and announced at the end of the blog tour. (Prize will only be sent to USA addresses, sorry!) 

$50 Amazon GiftCard Giveaway - Action Kids' Club Celebration

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Help celebrate this book for your chance to win a $50 GiftCard! 
Giveaway open Internationally! 

Action Kids Blog Tour - Cover Reveal

Good Morning!!! 
Ok, so this is a very amazing, wonderful, lovely, bright, exciting, happy, exhilarating, long-dreamed of day for me. Today is THE day. The day that I get to launch Action Kids' Club into the big wide world and watch it get welcomed with loving arms.
Without further ado, here, my friends, is the beautiful, perfect, just-what-I-imagined cover for the book you'll have a chance to get to know the illustrator better a on this blog tour :  

Isn't it stupendous? It's seriously JUST what I wanted. It captures the setting of the book SO well! (And, a HUGE thank-you goes to my all-around-amazing-brother who designed the cover for me and helped me with tons and tons of stuff to get this book ready. Thank you, Logan!)

Check out the full cover here:


Getting to share this with y'all is SO wonderful. Thank you to everyone who has been following along in the journey with me, it's been great!

Buy Action Kids' Club as an e-book here or paperback here ! 

Each day of the blog tour y'all will get a quote puzzle you can solve for a chance to win this giveaway. Check out this blog tomorrow for the answer to the puzzle and the next stop on the blog tour!  

Answer Key:

A B C D E F G H I  J   K L M N O P Q R  S T  U V W X Y Z D E F G H I  J  K L M N O P Q  R S T  U V W X Y Z  A B C 
Quote Puzzle: Wxh hylghgfh lv rxhuzkhoplqj wkdw brx fdggrw ehjlq wr dfklhyh brxu ehvw xqohvv brx vhw vrph dlp lq olih. -Henry J Kasier 
Check this post out to see how YOU could win a $50 gift-card! 

Action Kids Blog Tour Schedule

It's HERE!!!
Everyone, welcome to November 10th, 2014. The official release date of my book, 
Action Kids' Club 
This is quite the thrilling day. 
After working on it for four years, having a countdown for two weeks and passing out Action Kids business cards to random people at Wal-Mart and church, the day has finally arrived to start getting this book out into y'alls hands, and to celebrate, we're going to kick off with a blog tour! I'm first up, so check back soon for the first post in the tour. (If you'd like to do an author interview/guest post on your blog, just let me know!)
Hold on tight, y'all, and get ready for some amazing giveaways (lots and lots of them!), never-before-told stories, fun surprises and a very exciting next two weeks! Action Kids Blog Tour Schedule 
1. November 10th - Me at Noveltea 
2. November 11th - Sunny at Splash-of-Ink 
3. November 12th - Willa at Willa Nicole Scribblings 
4. November 13th - Leah at Apassionata
5. November 14th- Rosie at Writings of Rosie 
6. November 15th - Sam at Sam's Blog  
November 16th - Break for Sunday 
7. November 17th - Sylvia at Writing in Wonderland  
8. November 18th - Michelle at Bookworm Blather 
9. November 19th - Emily at Mrs. Mommy Booknerd's Book Reviews  
10. November 20th - Nayu at Nayu's Reading Corner  
11. November 21st - Tarissa at In the Bookcase 
12. November 22nd - Me at Noveltea 

1 - Action Kids Book Release

My post from Sunday since I try not to do Internet or computer on Sunday.

2 - Action Kids Book Release

2 Days!!!
I dreamed last night that I actually put a whole piece of gum in my mouth all at once instead of tearing it in half like I normally do. Some people would consider me stingy. That is until they see the books I gobble up. At around one-something this morning I finished my fifth book of the month. There are two reasons for that and it's kinda cool cause it's only two days until my book is going to be released!:
1. I haven't been feeling the best and so therefore I've been taking more time to rest because I had a big several days at work this week and next week is going to be even more busy, so I need to be rested up. I'm head chef. We're having a retreat. That means I'll be doing a lot of cooking. 

2. Forget normal life and going to bed at a reasonable time. My mind is so full of craziness regarding a certain event that's happening on November 10th cue the singing and fireworks that I've found the best way to remain rational is to get lost in exciting books. It works. 
Other than reading I've also been: 
* Staring happily at my book, carrying it around with me and shoving it in everyone's face so they can smile at it too
* Nicely hugging my new business cards
* Planning a shopping trip for the remaining things I need to buy for my giveaways 
* Trying to participate in normal life
* Finishing up my goals for the week
* Listening to gobs of the Bible dramatized (nothing calms me down so well)
* Being thoroughly thrilled that I'm an author

Since it's only 2 days until the release of my new book, here are two things I would be if I could live two more lifetimes: 
1. The owner of a little restaurant/bookstore/cute store  2. Professional traveler 
Who knows though, maybe I'll some day figure those ^ things into my current life, and if not, I can always write a book and experience it through that... 
* * *
Now it's YOUR turn. Just leave your list of 2 things you would like to be if you could live two extra lifetimes and you'll be automatically entered into a giveaway for one of the first copies of my new book coming out on November 10th!

When Life Hands You Lymes #45

Alright, folks. Let's just say that with the delight of it being only three more days until my book gets released and the happiness of getting a proof copy in the mail, I totally, and I do mean totally, forgot about posting a segment of my fictional story, When Life Hands You Lymes on here today. Until a few minutes ago. Since I'd already posted all that I've written of the story (this whole week I've been using my 100 words a night that I write for character development, not the actual story) I sat down and wrote this post for y'all. I hope y'all enjoy the 45th segment of When Life Hands You Lymes:
That night I just wanted to cry myself to sleep. I wasn’t even sure why. Dad’s little pep talk had done me worlds of good, but then once the house was dark and I was lying in my bed, the world felt like it was crashing down on me again. There was a serious thunderstorm pounding on the window and I had a weird feeling that watching the rain, lightening and listening to the thunder was like a peek inside my head.  Jason was hanging out with friends, Julia was at a sleepover and Abbie always went to bed early so I was stuck with no one to talk to and nothing to do. Especially since crying myself to sleep wasn’t an option. Sure, I could cry... But to sleep? Ha. Since when did sleep come at natural hours?   I began to feel like a freak of some sort. My waking night hours were beginning to take over my waking day time hours and as a morning bird, that was just plain not cool. After watching the rain for what seemed like an eternity, I climbed out of my now thoroughly-thrashed bed and slipping on a robe headed out to my balcony. I’m not really into sitting outside by myself at night, but tonight I was at a loss of what to do and I thought maybe a change of scenery would do me some good.   “Ok God.” I watched the lightening in the distance and folded my arms across my chest. “This is not cool at all.” I sighed at the irony. “Alright, so yes, the storm has cooled everything off. What I meant is that it’s-” I glanced at my iPhone, “it’s almost two in the morning, my family has been in bed for a couple of hours and little ol’ me is still awake. Wide awake. And this has become my reality. No one around. No one to hang out with. No one to talk to. I like people. Or I did like people. I don’t like this hermit stunt I’ve been pulling recently, nor my late night parties I’ve been having with myself. Isn’t there anyway I can go back to being normal? All I’m asking is for me to wake up and have this whole summer to have been a dream.”  I rubbed my face vigorously with both hands. “By the way, that last doctor we went to was just plain creepy.” It was the forth doctor we’d tried during the summer and the worst by far. “I read a Hardy Boys book once where there was a doctor just like that one we visited.” I gave a shudder, then shook my shoulders as if that would get rid of the memory. “God, could you please help Mom not want to go back to him? I think I might just have a little lapses of judgment regarding how to act as a sixteen-year-old if I’m stuck in his office again.”  It wasn’t like the doctor had been intentionally freaky, I was just fairly convinced he was a criminal in hiding. His eyes were huge, magnified by large, thick glasses and his fingers were the longest, skinniest fingers I’d ever seen on a human. When he felt my thyroid glands on my neck, I’m pretty sure I about lost it. I literally had to squeeze my hands together to keep from slapping his fingers away from me. He spoke in a whispery voice that was probably meant to calm me down but only succeeded in making me feel like I was about to be used as a guinea pig. I even tried to study his framed doctor’s certificate when he left the room to determine if they were real or not, but Mom made me sit back down.  “God, it would be really nice if I didn’t have to keep going to doctors. I used to like them, but now...” I let my voice trail off, happy with the thought that God knew how I felt about doctor’s without me having to describe the feeling to Him.  An extra bright flash of lightening lit up the world around me, making me gasp with the beauty. The sky was filled with dark, layered clouds of various hues and the trees were bending in the wind. The field below me was rippling with uncut hay and the rain was coming down in sheets, blowing past at a fast rate.  “Wow.” My complaining got stuck in my throat as I took in the sight. “God, You’re so powerful.” I thought about how God could calm the storm with a command. How He created the world in the first place. “And here I am complaining to You.” I grimaced. “Ok, thank You for all the good things that You’ve given to me. Thank You for my family that cares about me. That there are doctors that can help make me better. That, that, that I still have music.” The words came out slowly, then I stopped and threw up my hands. “I feel like that’s slipping away from me, too, though. I can’t tell for sure, but I’m pretty convinced that I’m not playing as well as I was at the beginning of the summer.” I grabbed huge handfuls of hair and gently pulled it, trying to release some of the pressure that was building up in my head, providing me with a horrible headache. “So much has been taken away from me, can I at least keep my music?”  After a few more minutes, I went back inside and slowly took my robe off. Then I hung it up in the closet, prepared myself a cup of sleepy time tea and sipped it until I began to relax. After making my bed again, I climbed into it and settled down with the pillows all around me. Turning on my playlist of soothing classical music I willed myself to go to sleep. The last time I looked at my iPhone it was almost 4:30. 

3 - Action Kids Book Release

3 Days!
Let's just say this one more time: 
Only three more days! Today is a happy day. A very happy day. I may or may not be running around the house in-between cooking and cleaning while showing my family the proof copy of my Action Kids book. 
YES! Y'all heard that right. I received the proof copy of the book today. Not of the inside, of course, that was months ago, but the cover took us longer than we thought. 
Holding the completed copy of the book in my hands makes me oh so very, very happy. I kinda feel like going up to my office and just sitting there while nicely holding the book and staring at it and petting it and putting it in various places around the room just to see how it looks. The book, THE BOOK is here. And everyone sang and rejoiced. 

Since it's only 3 days until the release of my book, here are 3 of my favorite verses: 
1.Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, -Eph. 3:20 
2. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13
3. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. - John 14:27* * * 
Now it's YOUR turn! If you feel so inclined, you can either write a post (and link it back to this one) where you tell us 3 of your favorite verses and leave a link in the comments section. Or, just leave your list in the comment section. Everyone who participates during the next two weeks will be entered into a drawing for their chance to receive one of the very first signed copies of the Action Kids book!

4 - Action Kids Book Release

4 Days!
And the countdown continues. 
I like countdowns a lot. And lists. And numbers. And patterns. And statistics it's a wonder I don't like math more. So these posts have been a lot of fun. I would regale you with round after round of ambiguous patterns I've discovered in life, lists that ultimately hold little to no intrinsic value in the grand scheme of things and minute detailed statistics in which I compare my blog stats from one day, week, and month to the next, but I'm afraid most of y'all would find it rather tedious. 
So, now we'll just talk about a book that I read that pretty much blew my mind. 
Last night when I got home from work I was stressed out most likely because I'm having a hard time focusing because of my upcoming book release. Seriously people, it's doing strange things to my brain. I can't even function properly. And I don't even understand why. and I decided to look for a Middle Grade book to read on my kindle cause I'm trying to inundate my life with reading MG books right now since that's what I write. 
I downloaded some rather ehh-looking free books and one that seemed rather promising. Of course I started reading the promising-looking one. PEOPLE. It's one of those books that if I had read the blurb I probably never would have opened it because it's not my style. It was a si-fi book. Or at least I think it was. I've never read those kind of books because I've started them and haven't liked them at all. But I read this book. All the way through. In four hours. Without really stopping. And I liked it. Maybe a lot, but I'm not even sure. 
Mostly I'm just kinda in shock. Because I read a si-fi book. For real. All the way through. And I enjoyed it. I didn't know this could happen to me. It's so weird. It would be like someone who loves classical music and plays it for a living suddenly discovering great delight in rap music. Mind blowing. 
Ok, moving on now. 

Since it's only 4 more days until the release of the first book in the Action Kids series, here are four people who inspire me with my writing:
1. Aubrey - My cousin. Very seriously inspiring 2. Catherine Farnes - One of my favorite authors. I read her books a lot 3. My adopted dad - He's walked in my shoes not really, his feet are way bigger than mine and he's encouraging, successful and helpful 4. My family - Yep. They're amazing. And I'm counting the whole huge group of them as one. Aubrey says I'm cheating. And I say it's my blog so I can cheat if I want to
Of course this isn't an all-encompassing list by any means. But it's a good start. Inspiration is good.
* * *
Now it's YOUR turn! If you feel so inclined, you can either write a post (and link it back to this one) where you talk about 4 people who inspire you and leave a link in the comments section. Or, just leave your list in the comment section. Everyone who participates during the next two weeks will be entered into a drawing for their chance to receive one of the very first signed copies of the Action Kids book!