Vivian Arend is hosting a Cowboy Countdown Contest and she’s popped in today to ask us to join her in getting ready for her latest release, Rocky Mountain Heat, coming August 31st to Liquid Silver Books. (Damn, I’m glad she popped in. Did you see the gorgeous hunk in the bath tub she brought along with her?)
Viv has a question for us:
Have you ever swam in a swimming hole?
My answer was… ‘What the heck is a swimming hole?’
After Viv explained, my answer changed. ‘Course I have dummy. I spent my childhood weekends in the Magaliesberg. (Go on, I dare you to try and pronounce that name.) It’s a small mountain range just outside of Johannesburg. We jumped off 30 meter high rock cliffs, into the freezing rock pools below. Hey, it’s one of those precious childhood memories.’
You can share your answers and experiences in the comments section of this post. The cool part of this is that all answers will be entered to win the prize in the Cowboy Countdown. For more info you can visit Where Dreams Become Reality.
Welcome to the Six Pack Ranch, where one sweet young thing plus the Coleman boys equals trouble with a capital T.
Six Pack Ranch, Book 1
Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a blonde wearing a cowboy hat with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. Hell, he was the one that taught her to ride a horse and now all he can think about is riding her. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.
Jaxi has other plans for his hands, and his heart. She may have considered Blake a big brother once but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s just what he’s been waiting for.
Add the complication of two sexy younger brothers who have suddenly noticed Jaxi and things heat up fast. Blake’s gonna have to decide if a little trouble is worth fighting for.
Thanx for visiting, Viv,
Jess
Jess Dee's Blog 
Hiya Jess!
That was going to be my question. Never heard of it. 🙂
My answer would be no- unfortunately having a mother who is afraid of water the closest thing I have come to to swimming is sitting in about two inches of water in a tub- taking a bath.
When I got older an don my own i have never had time to do anything. Not even take a vacation.
Guess that’s why I live out of my books- god bless you for you talented authors!!
Congrats, again on your release Viv, my luv!!
Dani – uh, did you happen to notice the cowboy in the tub? You could always take a bath with him! Bet you wouldn’t even notice how much water there was.
😉
Of course, I have swum in a swimming hole!!! When I was younger, everyone did not have all these pools in their yards. Everyone would put their swimming suits on and head out for the closest river bank we could find. Alot of happy memories:) (No one thought of how dangerous it was)Maybe it was not dangerous back then!!
WOW!! I love these cowboys!!
Hello Jess, while I live in the rocky mountain area; I have to say that I have never swam in a swimming hole but have rode a horse through a creek, waded in one, and went swimming in a swimming pool where water came from the mountain or so I was told, coldest water ever stepped into. Love the title Rocky Mountain Heat for obvious reason that I live very close to the rocky mountains, in fact live in a valley below them. They are beautiful in the summer, and I spent a lot of my youth in them herding animals with my father. Thanks for the contest.
Sounds like a gorgeous place to live, Gloria
No river bank swimming holes, but in Minnesota we have quite a few lakes. We always walked down to the one of the local beaches and hung out all summer long while on summer vacation from school.
Hey Jess,
Yes, I had the experience of swimming in a swimming hole. I live in a small rural town and the huge swimming pools that “city folk” have are far and few in between. Our house wasn’t far from the swimming hole or the fishing hole. My great grandfather taught me how to swim and fish (including how to clean catfish) at an early age, not that I’m ancient. Good Times!
I can’t wait for Rocky Mountain Heat to see what Viv’s been up to with her characters.
Thanks for the contest!
I have an inkling of what Viv’s been up to with her RMH characters, J.
But my lips are sealed. I cannot say a thing!
😉
You don’t grow up in the south without swimming in a swimming hole, so my answer is yes! Jess, I love your Circle of Friends books!
VIV!!!
Can Kathy please be the winner of your contest?
She loved the Circle of Friends Series!
(No, this is not a joke, I am deadly serious.)
Hugs, Kathy.
Thank you!
Love that cowboy!!!! Can I just swim with him? He is in the calendar now….
Yes, I have been swimming in swimming hole.
Yes! I grew up in the midwest and nobody around us had a pool. We had a “pond” that was tucked away in a wooded area that all the kids in the area would swim in! This question really brings back good and fun memories!! 🙂
So what DO you call it, Jess?
And I’ve spent hours in the slough/river/crick/lake/swimming hole… a lot of them in the past couple of years!!
Rope swings are a blast, and so is cliff jumping into icy cold water. 🙂
Rock pool, lake, dam, pond, river, creek. Dunno, whatever best describes it I guess.
And about the icy water thing..
Fun when you’re a kid. As an adult. NO WAY!
No swimming holes for me. Heck, I am not even sure I know what one is. I love to swim in a pool, but that is it. No lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds…I am strange, they all gross me out. I think that I might love to swim in that little tin tub with that big hunk though!
Thanks!
Amy M
Devils Punch Bowl is rock pool along a hiking trail in the Ventura Mtns in California. It’s a great secluded spot for skinny dipping and the water is always freezing. After a 5 mile hike, I always looked forward to diving in.
No swimming holes, but does late night skinny dipping with friends in the smallest lake(mud hole?) I’ve ever seen count?
Sandie
Sandie? Skinny dipping? Oh, now there’s a story I’d like to hear.
Does Lake Ontario count as a swimming hole? I used to love to go down there as a kid when the storms were coming up to ride the big waves and get seaweed in my hair!
Miranda
mdwartistry at yahoo dot com
Lake Ontario? Oh you mean that tiny little pond up in North America.
*snort*
I dunno, Viv. Does it count?
Yes and what fun! When I was young, my father tied a big rope around a tree limb that hung over the creek and we used to grab ahold of it and swing out over the water and drop in. Of course, today that would probably be too dagerous a thing to play wth but we survived. Two or three other kids, a nice warm day, and a dog barking at us-it didn’t get any better than that.
Wonderful memories Joye. I can almost imagine being there from your description.
Oh.my.GOD! I want to be in a swimming hole with HIM! Hubba hubba!!
I don’t want to be like a broken record here, but sheesh Viv! HOW DO YOU FIND THESE GUYS!?! Rhonda, I’m so glad you added him to the calendar! We might have to move him up a little … **wicked grin**
Yes, swimming holes in abandoned quarries and bridge-jumping in rivers. I don’t have to let my daughter do what I did when I was young and stupid, do I?
Hurry up Aug 31! I want to read this one!!!!
~bella
Ah, Bella
Viv keeps them all in her campervan, and takes them out to photograph whenever the IH girls need a little… writer stimulation.
Yes I have and they’re always a bit dirty and mosquito-infested. I guess that’s why they call it a hole.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Um. Ick. Doesn’t sound like a place I’d swim in.
Now ask Viv about well, dirty holes… I bet she has lots of alternate scenarios for us.
😉
I can’t swim! I know I’m missing out on great fun, I’m a city girl and never learned how to swim. I had really bad asthma as a girl so never took gym at school, ergo I never learned how to swim. I took some lessons and can float for quite a while now, but that is the best I can do. I wouldn’t jump into a swimming hole as I am afraid I couldn’t swim my way out.
Where do you keep getting these cowboy pictures. Talk about HOT, there should be steam coming up out of that bathtub!!!
dancealert at aol dot com
Who needs to swim when you have that cowboy in a bathtub?
I’ve hung out at the swimming hole…actually going in, not so much, I can’t swim and sink like a rock!
hugs
molli
A swimming hole? I don’t think there are any around here. There’s a pool though.. I’ve been in a pool! Does that count? Haha.
However, if that handsome cowboy was in a swimming hole.. I’d definitely find it and jump in!
Morning Glow
ohmorningglow AT aol DOT com
🙂 Me too, Morning Glory. But not with you. With him.
Nope. Swimming pools (indoor and outdoor) and lakes. That’s it for me.
I did spend A LOT of time in pools though. I used to do synchronized swimming as a kid. Man I miss swimming.
*sigh*
Nope, never–guess that’s what I get for growing up in the city, without country family or friends to invite us out for a *real* swim!
OMG yes I’ll jump in the swimming hole right now with that hottie. LOL! But yep we have lots of ’em here in Ohio so I have been in many swimming holes.
If you consider the pools that form in the wide spots in rivers as swimming holes then yes, I’ve swum in the south fork of the American River in the freezing runoff from the Sierras. And I’ve got a cement pond in the back yard 🙂
I forgot to tell you about the time I was swimming in the Okavango Swamps. (Yes, Viv. We camped and peed in the bush).
There was a gorgeous little dammed up part of the river, and the weather was boiling. Could not resist the crystal clear water.
Could, however, resist the 11m croc that lay in wait just a hair’s breath away. I have never scrambled out of water so fast in my entire life. And have not swum in “swimming hole” since.
No swimming in swimming holes for me. I think the closest I came was fishing with my dad when I was younger when we would occasionally wade into the creek or river.
Yes, as a child we lived in an area with lots of quarrys and we swam in them until someone yelled at us to leave. We also had a favorite spot at a small creek that was close to our home. The great part about that, was there were always water snakes (black with yellow stripes) that were easy to catch and play with. Sounds gross, but it was fun!!!
Love the picture. I hope the water wasn’t to cold. Hehehe
mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net
Thanks for the contest!!
Mitzi
Oh, Mitzi
It all sounded so good until you mentioned the snakes…
Hi Jess,
Sorry no watering hole for me…snakes are my one biggest fear, so that kind of nature and me are NOT friends!
Sure have! That water was crystal clear. Quite an experience actually, as long as it is clear, otherwise I get the heebie jeebies if I can’t see what’s in the water.
Deidre