A few of Joe's Favorite Things . . .

Well, it's the last Friday in October, so here's the final prize addition - a big dog gift basket from Good Things Green Things, which is one of my favorite shops!

Here's the description:

This gift basket is perfect for your medium to large dog. We've packed up our favorite toy the Hurley from West Paw Design. It is super durable - survives lawnmowers & two years of chewing from a lab, and is completely recyclable. The Planet Dog Orbee Ball is recyclable & can be stuffed with treats. And we can't forget the treats! Handmade Molasses Explosion treats from Max & Ruffy's are organic & vegan.

And, okay, maybe you're all like, but I entered and I don't even have a dog! But here's a little secret, the Hurley may be one of the most indestructible dog toys ever (and I know, because my dogs DESTROY toys and there isn't even a dent on their Hurley), but it's also a fantastic foot massager. When Argo & Stella aren't paying attention, I may or may not steal it from them and put it under my desk so I can roll my feet around on it while I'm working . . .

Hey, don't look at me like that! They have plenty of toys! And Lady told me to use a tennis ball to work out the tight muscles in my feet, but we can't have tennis balls in this house, because Argo is like that dog in that really sappy Adam Sandler movie where Téa Leoni cried a lot, and once you even touch a tennis ball, you'll be playing fetch for the rest of your natural born days.

So, if you don't have a dog, you could always gift the basket to a friend who does, or a shelter, or, you know, massage your feet.

Anyway, the contest ends on Sunday - 10/31, and I'll announce the winner next week! Don't forget to enter! eReader versions of STAY totally count too!

And yes, I have had too much Halloween candy. . .

Book Club!

Last night I have the pleasure of hanging out with the lovely ladies of the Holy Trinity Church Book Club in Webster, NY.* They've been together for about three years and have an impressive list of books they've read and discussed. They're insightful, warm, and welcoming, and I am thrilled that they chose to read STAY and invite me to their book discussion. It was my first book club visit and it was so much fun!

We had such a great chat, and it means so much to me to have had the chance to talk with them. They asked about my writing process, and what my day to day life looks like. We talked about what it feels like to have a girlfriend who always seems just a little more perfect than you are, why Van felt the way she did about Diane, and what Peter was really about to say when he was interrupted. One of the ladies said she enjoyed watching Van grow as a person. Then another chimed in to say that she felt like she grew as a person reading STAY. She said that she had instant opinions about Diane, Janie, and Peter, and as she read further and learned more about the whys of who they are, it changed how she felt about them. This made her think about how sometimes we're too quick to judge people without trying to figure out where they're coming from.

I am honored by what she said, and everyone's kind words about STAY. I think the biggest gift of being a writer is to hear that what I wrote means something to readers, and I am so thankful for this.

It was a wonderful way to spend an evening! And they sent me home with treats for all of my furry friends and a lovely plant that is brighting up my office so much on this dark and dreary day! So sweet!

Thank you so much, Holy Trinity Book Club!

*Fun trivia: The "tagline" for the town of Webster, NY (which is, admittedly, quite lovely) is "Where Life is Worth Living," and it has always amused me. Apparently, it's not worth it elsewhere. I guess we'll have to move. :)

I swear I don't need a refresher on the days of the week

I know, I know, I missed a Friday again. It's not that I don't know what day is which, it's that I was so completely and totally exhausted on Friday that the idea of posting felt ridiculously involved and difficult. Ah, the joys of ADD. I swear the tagline for ADD (you know, if we were to all start promoting it) should be "Making molehills seem like mountains since 1798.*"

So, here's the final Friday prize - In addition to all the other fun stuff you'll get if you win, I'm throwing a signed ARC of STAY into the prize pack. ARCs are printed as review copies before the book comes out. There's only a small batch printed and once they're gone, they're gone, so they become something of a rarity. Submit your STAY photo before 10/31 to enter!

The reading at Fisher on Thursday was wonderful. I got to have dinner with faculty and a great group of students before the main event. When I got to the reading, I was stunned by how packed the room was! I had a blast. I read from the writing exercise that started STAY and the short story I wrote from the exercise, before I read a few selections from STAY. The students asked a bunch of questions no one has asked me before, I got to meet Steph (on the left) finally, and one of the students asked me to write "Mrs. X can suck it" in his book when I signed it. It was awesome.

And the day before that, I visited M. J. Iuppa's fiction class. STAY was actually course-adopted, and it was so much fun to be able to talk about the book with the class, knowing everyone had read it. Usually, when I talk with a group about STAY there's so much I have to avoid talking about so I don't spoil anything for the people who haven't read it yet. It was neat to talk in-depth about the ending and how I got there, and hear their ideas on the Van/Janie/Diane/Natalie dynamic.

This week I'm going to a book club! STAY was their pick for this month. It'll be my first book club chat and I'm really looking forward to it.

And, today I'm doing laundry, paying bills, answering e-mail, listening to Toad, wallowing in the icky grey weather, drinking absurd amounts of pumpkin spice tea, and possibly catching up on Desperate Housewives later while I eat lunch. It always amazes me how real life sneaks back in after a crazy whirlwind week.

What's on your agenda?

*The year Sir Alexander Crichton used the term "mental restlessness" to describe what we now call ADD. And, of course, I do realize that ADD existed before anyone was writing stuff about it. In fact, there may actually be a reason some of us evolved this way.

You can't take me anywhere!

I made an appearance on 13 WHAM News this Morning on Rochester's CW, and had so much fun doing it. Evan Dawson is wonderful and everyone at 13 WHAM is so nice!

Before the interview, I had a little anxiety. What if I get the hiccups? What if I fall off the interview chair in the middle of the interview? What if I trip on the way to the interview chair and break my nose just in time for the cameras to start rolling? What if I take a few cameras out on the way down? You know, the usual things normal people worry about. Right?

But Evan is so gracious and everyone was very friendly and I really did feel comfortable. I checked myself in the full length mirror just outside the studio door to make sure I didn't have any dog slobber on my sleeve or lipstick on my teeth. I was good to go and I didn't even feel nervous. It was a blast to see Argo's photos on the big screen behind me. And it was surprisingly easy to focus on just having a chat with Evan about the book, instead of thinking "Oh my goodness! Live TV!"

No broken noses. No broken cameras. No hiccups. I didn't even fall off the chair.

We finished the segment. I shook hands with Evan and his co-host after the show went to commercial. A man wearing an earpiece came up and put his hand out. I shook it. Turns out, he was actually asking for the wireless mic back. So, I felt a little silly, but we laughed about it.

When I went to unhook said mic from my pants, I noticed that my fly was open, and realized that it had been for the entire interview. And then I felt really silly. So, of course, I said to the nice man with the earpiece "Oh my gosh, my fly is open. That's really horrible." The words just fell right out of my mouth. Because, you know, it's important to call attention to things like that when they happen. No one notices if you don't.

The man with the earpiece kindly assured me that no one could tell. From now on, I'm adding fly to my pre-appearance check list. No dog slobber - check. Lipstick-free teeth - check. Fly . . .

But hey, an open fly no one can see anyway is way better than a broken nose, and I can't help but feel like Van would be proud. Or at least very very sympathetic.

All sorts of things

• In the summer, it was fun to work from my lawn chair while the dogs frolicked in the yard. Now, when it's 52 degrees and breezy, it's not as much fun. Actually, it's kind of painful in the fingers. But my co-dependant canine friends will not play outside if I'm inside, so I'm still trying to sit outside with them a few times a day.
• I want to clear out the basement and install astroturf before winter. I'm only sort of joking.
• I am so excited about this week, I can barely sit still (or maybe that's the shivering).
• Tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 10/19) I'm going to be on 13-WHAM News This Morning on Rochester's CW during the 8:00 hour.
• Wednesday I'm visiting a fiction writing class at my alma mater, St. John Fisher College, to talk about writing.
• And Thursday at 7:30 PM, I'll be reading from STAY and the writing exercise that got me started, answering questions, and signing books at SJFC as part of the Father Cavanaugh Reading Series, which is such an honor.
• In a "how to" I read on TV appearances "wear your work clothes" was one of the tips. I won't be. Rochester does not need to see my winning yoga pants/writing sweater/hot pink fuzzy socks combo.
• One of my favorite couples got married recently, and they have the most adorable wedding video ever to prove it. I've seen it a bunch of times now. And yes, I did the sappy crying thing every single time.
• We didn't do our CSA this year, because I was barely home this summer. During zucchini season I didn't miss it much, but now that it's squash season, I am experiencing desperate longings for the smell of fresh picked acorn squash baking in the oven.
• I downloaded the first season of Life Unexpected on iTunes and I'm so impressed with how flawed and complex the characters are. Oh, the drama! I love it. Plus, Shiri Appleby is awesome.
• I love FREEFALL so much that I'm doing the thing where I read super slow because I don't want it to end.
• Yesterday, Stella and I went to Petsmart to buy cat food and then for a walk by the canal and she acted like a normal, happy dog. She was still aloof with strangers, but she sniffed things and was more curious than she was afraid. She didn't bark more than once or twice at other dogs, even when they yapped at her continuously. She wagged her tail and sat next to me to let bikers pass us on the path like a perfect little angel. She wasn't fearful or aggressive. And she actually had fun. It was one of my proudest moments.
• Oh, and don't forget to enter the STAY photo contest, okay?

Brown paper packages . . .

Yesterday, I added a few of Van's favorite things to the STAY prize pack, so today I'm adding a few of mine. Mind you, these are not mutually exclusive categories. I enjoy the occasional gum drop, my love for coffee knows no bounds, and I don't think Van would turn her nose up at this collection of goodies.

• A cotton tote bag from TheGreenists.com
• Valdosta Orange Black Pepper Pecans
• Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Blackout Fair Trade Organic Chocolate
• Zhena's Gypsy Tea Coconut Chai
• Badger Balm Lavender Lip Balm
• Ginger Mint Foam Bath
• And, lest you start thinking I'm classy or something - True Lemon Lemonade packets. Just add a little water and your own tequila for a low-cal, low-rent margarita. Salt optional.

Add your STAY photos here to enter! Contest ends October 31st!

In other news, GalleyCat thinks authors should be represented on Dancing with the Stars, and is running a contest. The author with the most votes will be featured in a GalleyCat campaign to get her/him on the show. The brilliant and amazing Claire Cook is in the lead, but still needs votes to make it happen. Go show her some support! All you have to do is "Like" GalleyCat on Facebook (which really, if you're a writer or a book lover you should anyway, because they are a wonderful source of industry info) and post a comment with Claire's name in it on this post.

Let's pretend it's last Friday, okay?

Alright, so remember when I said I was going to be posting new additions to the STAY prize pack every Friday until the end of October when I'd announce the winner? What I should have said was that I had good intentions of posting every Friday, but if something got in the way, I'd post later. Because I totally didn't get around to posting last Friday, and then I've had one of those weeks where the alarm clock feels a lot like a starting pistol.

So, you're going to get a prize pack addition today, and another one tomorrow, and I can promise that, because I'm setting up both posts right now to lessen the risk that I'll be distracted by shiny objects and new story ideas and forget to post tomorrow.

This little care package is a collection of some of Van's favorite things.

• Pop Rocks!
• Grape Kool-Aid! (just add your own vodka . . . or don't, maybe, which is probably the better idea)
• Wegman's Pumpkin Pie Coffee
• Rocky Road Cookies (since ice cream would be hard to mail)
• Gum drops (But please don't throw them out the window while driving. Give a hoot, people!)
• A big bad grape-themed reusable shopping bag

To enter, post your STAY photos here! And remember that the photos have to include a copy of STAY. I've gotten some absolutely adorable pet photos, but those don't qualify for this giveaway.