And the winner is . . .

The winner of the STAY photo contest is The Wander, who submitting this photo from Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Congratulations!!!! And a huge huge thank you to everyone who entered! It's been so much fun to see your fabulous photos!

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. . .

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.

New Addition to the Prize Pack

Orvis sent me a press release about their 2011 Dog Photo Contest Calendar:

"Great news, dog lovers! The Orvis Company’s 2010 customer dog photo contest was so successful that they designed their new calendar around the best shots. Each month features full- color images of adorable, happy dogs swimming, lounging, and jumping together in the great outdoors. In January, one dog peeks out from behind a spray of winter flowers in a snowy field; in July, another leaps playfully off a wooden dock into a crystal-clear lake. Orvis has collaborated with the Morris Animal Foundation to help fight canine cancer; Dylan, the golden retriever on the front cover, is a cancer survivor himself, and an important inspiration to the Canine Cancer Campaign. The generous donations they’ve received have helped fund research and treatments aimed at curing canine cancer within the next 10 to 20 years.

Warm your heart all year long with this gorgeous hanging calendar, knowing that the proceeds are benefitting a company that is working hard to help the animals you love. To find out more about the campaign, donate, or enter your own doggy photo in the next contest, visit orvis.com/coverdog."

The calendar is adorable, and I love that the proceeds are going to help fight canine cancer, especially after what we went through with Argo a few years ago.

Orvis was kind enough to send along a calendar for me to give away, and I'm adding it to the STAY prize pack! The contest will close on October 31st, and I'll be adding a new prize every Friday from now until then, so get your photos in soon!

STAY on vacation!

You guys are wonderful! I've been getting lots of pictures of STAY on the shelves in your local stores, with your pets, with your friends, and out and about in your home towns. So, we decided it would be fun to do a giveaway with your photos as the entries, and we're giving away a $50 iTunes gift card to one lucky STAY reader!

Here's the deal:

Take STAY with you when you travel this summer, and snap a picture (like the ones my fabulous editor sent me)!

Tweet the photos of STAY on Twitter with the location and the tag #STAYnovel in the text.

Or add your photos to the "Fan Photos" section of the Allie Larkin Writes page. Include the location of the photo in the caption.

If you're not traveling this summer, feel free to do the same with photos of STAY in your hometown.

We're hoping to get at least one photo from all 50 states, and if we do, we'll add a surprise bonus prize.

If you've already sent me a photo, please feel free to tweet it or add it to the Facebook page following giveaway rules. Please only post each photo once, either on Twitter OR Facebook. We're only going to count each photo once, even if there are duplicates.

We'll be collecting photos all summer, and will announce a winner in September.

Good luck & safe travels!