(The uniquely phenomenal Michael Phelps doing my least favorite stroke.)My best stroke was always breaststroke--although my high school coach made me swim the 500m free all freshman year (what a nightmare). I never had the knack for backstroke--it takes a special kind of person to be a backstroker. I did okay in free. Not great, but okay.
And, although it pains me to say this, I was also pretty good in butterfly. (My first coach wanted to train me for the Olympics in fly.) If you've ever wondered what it feels like to wish you were dead--because your lungs, your gums, and every single muscle in your body is on fire--then try racing the 200m fly. No thank you. Moving on now.
Well, I told you this contest was going to be big, and it just keeps getting even bigger every day. Today we have a first in the COOP. We have not one, not two, but three fabulous bonus prizes! How awesome is that?
Prize #1: THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN by Wendy Toliver.
Roxy's about to turn sixteen, but life isn't so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She thought sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.
There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about being a siren, and don't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?
Prize #2: BRALESS IN WONDERLAND by Debbie Reed Fischer.
Allee Rosen is a lot of things: high school senior, overachiever, brain. The one thing Allee is not is supermodel material—at least that’s what she thinks until modeling scouts spot her and she moves to Miami to work with an elite modeling agency. Suddenly Allee is swept up?p in a whirlwind of designer labels, photo shoots, go-sees and some seriously backstabbing models. Will this fabulous new life go to her head? New author Debbie Reed Fischer offers readers a fresh, fun, and honest peek into the crazy and glamorous world of professional modeling.
Prize #3: SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS by Debbie Reed Fischer.
Five-foot eleven. Freckled. Flat as a surfboard. Peyton Grady sees her role on the varsity cheer squad as the only thing keeping her off the social sidelines at wealthy Beachwood Preparatory Academy. It's her umbilical cord to cool—and it's constantly in danger of getting cut.
As a base, it's Peyton's duty to be stepped on—literally—by cheer queen Lexie Court. So when Lexie hatches a fierce hazing campaign against the frumpy new girl, Peyton has no choice but to support her flier. Soon the pranks become sadistically cruel, even criminal. Suddenly, Peyton has more to lose than her new-found Alpha celebrity. Will she gamble her entire future for "the good of the squad"?
Do you sense a distinct water them in today's contest? Well, that continues with the entry question. I want you to describe your favorite body of water. Is it a small pond in your backyard? Your best friend's pool? A rushing river with Class IV rapids? The Pacific at sunset?
Mine is a toss-up.
It might be the outdoor pool where my club team swam during the summers (on the campus of Missouri State University). I always tried to be the last one out of the pool, so I could peacefully sink to the bottom and soak up the filtered sun like a mermaid on the ocean floor.
Or it could be the Gulf of Mexico in Naples, Florida. I spent the summer there two years ago and just fell in love. The water is so calm and peaceful most of the time (so clear I could see tiny fish swimming near shore) but my favorite times were just before approaching storms. When the water would darken and the waves kicked up. There is just something elemental about standing in surf as rain starts to fall. Makes me wish I was in Florida right now (hurricane Fay quickly disabuses me of that notion).
SWIMMING CONTEST
Answer this question: What is your favorite body of water?
PRIZES
(1) copy of OH. MY. GODS. or teaser of GODDESS BOOT CAMP
(1) copy of THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN by Wendy Toliver
(1) copy of BRALESS IN WONDERLAND by Debbie Reed Fischer
(1) copy of SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS by Debbie Reed Fischer
Enter below and check back tomorrow (and the day after that--but then it's over!) for a new contest. Winners of all contests will be posted on August 25th.
And don't forget the other contests:
Gold Medal Contest
COOP 1 I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE by Stephanie Kuenhert
COOP 2 CRUEL SUMMER by Alyson Noel
COOP 3 HOW TO HOOK A HOTTIE by Tina Ferraro
COOP 4 REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN and TWISTED SISTERS by Stephanie Hale
COOP 5 SHRINK TO FIT by Dona Sarkar and VIOLET IN PRIVATE by Melissa Walker
COOP 6 LULU DARK CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS by Bennett Madison
COOP 7 ZETA OR OMEGA? and THE NEW SISTERS by Marley Gibson (writing as Kate Harmon)
COOP 8 YOU HAD ME AT HALO by Amanda Ashby
COOP 9 THE SPECIALISTS: MODEL SPY by Shannon Greenland
COOP 10 SLEEPLESS by Terri Clark and INVISIBLE TOUCH by Kelly Parra
COOP 11 HELL WEEK by Rosemary Clement-Moore
COOP 12 Reader's Choice from Simone Elkeles
COOP 13 GIRLS THAT GROWL by Mari Mancusi and EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer
COOP 14 FRENEMIES by Alexa Young
Hugs,
TLC
42 comments:
Erm, I don't really have a favorite body of water...haven't seen many and I am kind of, sort of, afraid of deep waters. More like, afraid of the fish that live in the waters.
Lol.
Kate
Hmm well, I haven't seen many bodies of water. I do like the Gulf of Mexico :) Not too wavy, and it's usually not too cold. As the Atlantic has been when I've tried to get in it. I also like the Hillsborough River where we go kayaking.
One?
...
One?
Must I really pick only one?
..too hard, pick a whole bunch.
That beach that I visited in Bermuda with the pink sand.
Maui, in Hawaii with its beautiful surf and cool blue blue waters...
And the darkest waters in Alaska... when I was on the cruise and it was zipping by in the water.... when I looked down the water was this dark dark blue so deep, soooo far down.... and it intrigued me so much.... so I just had to watch it and watch it.... until someone pulled me away.
I just love water, fascinated by how it can be so many colors, so different... and yet essentially the same.
;}
I don't have a favourite body of water. But I do prefer pools. I'm not much of an outdoor person so I don't like lakes or oceans or anything like that. I do prefer the pools at the resorts when I go on vacation. They're always soo big and pretty. And the swim up bar doesn't hurt. :)
Definitely the ocean - any ocean.
Something about the waves.. I'm instantly relaxed. And swimming, surfing, and belly boarding - Pure bliss.
A close second - a swimming pool with a diving board and slides. :)
my favorite body of water is beaver creek, located in beaver creek, Colorado. Its small and simple but i love the character it gives to the village around it.
my favorite is probably the Gulf of Mexico, not that i live anywhere near it, because it is always so warm!
I love the Atlantic Ocean, I've dipped myself into it every summer since birth and though it may not be as blue as the Caribbean it sure does it for me!
wait! i just realized i have all these books (minus Oh.My.Gods.) so dont enter me for this one :D
Oceans! I love everything about beaches and ocean waves (well, at least when there isn't a storm). Oceans are full of beautiful fish, shells, and you can feel soft sand at your feel (not hard concrete or mud.) But pools are good too.
My favorite would have to be this waterfall I saw on a trip to Yosemite. It was really noisy but calm at the bottom (with the pool of water). I forgot the name but I remember it was absolutely beautiful.
Grace L
The bathtub! I miss taking baths. My bathtub isn't made for it because it takes FOREVER to fill, but it's definitely the bathtub for me. With plenty of ocean scented bubbles and a good book.
I love the ocean! My favorite's got to be the waters in Hawaii, but on a crystal clear day, the Pacific looks just beautiful off the Southern California coast.
Well, I don't like a certain one in particular but I do love the ocean. Some down in the Caribbeans are simply gorgeous! Amazing tropical fishes and beautiful clear water!
faked_sugartone at hotmail.com
my favorite body of water is ice!! i love ice soo darn much, hmmm but i also love pools, wish i had my own, i just love floating around on a pool instead of swimming haha i especially love doing it at night and if the sky is clear i can see the moon and the stars--that is just beautiful : )
lc_intocable at yahoo.com
All of them are nice but If I have to pick it would probably be the Gulf Of Mexico because the water is so clear and warm. Oh, and the tropical fish which are really cool to see.
TLC, I was a competitive swimmer, too, although by no means on the level of Olympic contention. I loved what they are now calling the Splash and Dash--the 50 free.
I like the, um, Pacific Ocean. I can see it from my window. Tis pretty, but cold.
I've been waiting for swimming day. =] I love swimming and hearing from fellow swimmers. I'e been swimming for about 6 years now. The only stroke I'm really good at is breaststroke. =] My favorite. I'm really slow at back, and free isn't all that great either. I'm lucky enough to have a back problem that keeps me away from fly. It's the only thing that actually makes it somewhat worth all the frustration. It was interesting hearing your swimming experience. =]
Oh gosh...any body of water I guess. I love the pools and the ocean. Any great scenery has water in it. It takes my breath away to see the sunset on the water just right or the moon or just seeing it when everything looks perfect. It's hard to pick just one place so I'm picking all of them. =] Great question!
I actually prefer hotel pools to deep waters. Cause I like being able to see the bottom. I'm an awful swimmer.
The Pacific Ocean, I'm a California girl born and raised.
The Caribbean Sea. It's beautiful. Really clean water.
Where is Capri?
The Mediterrean or some other sub body of water there?
Anyway... never seen water so blue!
Ah I love water. I'm a Cancer, a total water sign. I've been swimming since I was 9 months old and just looking at water comforts me. My fave body of water is Elliot Bay in Seattle. It's the most soothing place for me to just sit and watch the water.
Umm.... hard, for river, in my town in VT, oceans: cape cod (Atlantic ocean) and gulf of Mexico.
I've only really seen the Pacific Ocean, I have seen the Atlantic, but only on a plane, I think. But the waters off of Hawaii are gorgeous. I loved them. But I'm more of a pool person, I lived in a place in CA where it got to 110 F average during the summer and we had a pool in the back yard. I did not spend a day out of the pool during the summer. I also like the hotel pools. So yeah.
PS. I've already read Swimming With The Sharks and LOVED it. It's such a fabulous book. I can't wait to get my hands on Braless in Wonderland!
Growing up in Kentucky and spending much of my time in Louisville, I grew to love the Ohio River. While there are no waves or exciting watersports going on, it is the most relaxing place imaginable. It has served as the setting for many of my favorite photos and has calmed me through many of my frightening or anxious times. It truly is a beautiful place.
Lol, that would probably be Piha beach which is well-known around here. It has this gorgeous black sand and it's a popular surf destination.
~Lucy D =)
Hmmm, good question. Definitely oceans.
I've been to both Miami and the Bahamas and absolutely love the Atlantic Ocean. The water was blue, more like, azure, in both places. In the Bahamas, the water was so clear, that we could see the school of miniature fish swim by. The Pacific Ocean in Acapulco was beautiful too, although not as clear blue as Miami/Bahamas. The water's darker in Acapulco.
BTW, I've never seen black sand, but have heard so much about it. Must see it!
My favorite body of water is Grand Lake. We have a boat and a house there. It's fun.
My fave would be the swimming pool because it's not salty. But oceans are beautiful!
My favorite body of water has to be the Atlantic Ocean because it's beautiful... and its the only one I've been in... haha.
Hmmm...I'm not sure what my favorite body of water is. I've never seen any major bodies of water. I'd love to see the Atlantic. Pacific would be nice too, but I would prefer to go east for other things as well. ;)
I love the Atlantic Ocean (at least this Southern part of it)...but I'm also rather fond of Lake Michigan and the Caribbean Sea is gorgeous :)
I'd love to see some more...Mediterranean, Pacific Ocean, etc to compare, though ;)
My fav body of water is this beach called Pochomil in Nicaragua. It's just amazing.
my favorite body of water is a waterfall they are pretty and peaceful looking
tink122595 at hotmail.com
i've been waiting for the swimming day! yay! swimming is thheee best! anyway, my favorite body of water, and the only one i really spend time in, is the pool. i even have a specific pool: The college where all of the champ's i've ever dreamed of going to were at that pool, so its the pool of my dreams :)
btw, GO BREASTSTROKERRRRS!! i hate backstroke too, but my opinion on butterfly is that if i had the endurance/strength to finish more than a 25 of it i would love it.
Yep, a breakstroker here, too.
Favorite body of water:
1. A tub filled with hot, silky water. And my hubby to share it!
Okay, okay, I'll choose something else if I have to . . .
2. California coastline or snorkeling in Hawaii.
The Pacific Ocean. Love the California Beaches and Hawaiian beaches.
My favorite bodies of water are off the beaches of the North Shore in Oahu,HI and Santa Cruz,CA. I grew up swimming in the ocean ery chance I got and haven't stopped since.
Hugs, Danette
My favorite body of water would have to be a lake. Why? Because it is fresh water and usually surrounded by natural beauty! It's the only water that I can usually open my eyes in (I hate opening my eyes in water, lol)!
Check out my blog, Bibliophile Support group (bibliophilesupportgroup.blogspot.com)! :)
Thanks for the contest! It's AWESOME!
I like Crater Lake in Oregon. Gorgeous!
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