This is the day you’ve been waiting for: when I finally stop blogging about baby names and get back to things that really matter. Like Halloween costumes.

Yes, it’s time to give away a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card, and we have a winner (courtesy of a free random-choice web program that I sure hope didn’t give my computer a virus). Congratulations to Melissa of Austin, TX!

What? You, gentle blog reader, didn’t win? Don’t feel bad: lots and lots of other people didn’t win, either, which is how these random choice things work. But! I have two more books to give away to the two people who sent in names that, when combined, created what I felt was the best character name . . . or, more specifically, a character name that would work in my next book (which hasn’t been announced yet but is scheduled for a Spring 2012 release).

If you haven’t received an email from me, then, um — well, you didn’t win this, either. But maybe you’ll see one of your submissions on this list of runners up. And that’s almost as good as winning, right? Right?

The Best Character Names (Honorable Mention)

GIRLS 

Zada Grace

Summer Sonora

Pemberley Reede

Penelope Todd

Jane Grayson

Audrey Rayne

Pearl Adair

Nadine Vondell

 BOYS 

Odysseus Grant

Brutus Cash

Seth Sergio

Royce Camden

Sawyer Stone

Marley Owen

Trenton Truitt

Vincent Stephanos

And the winner is . . . Allegra Trip.

Thanks to Lisa of Knoxville, TN, for the Allegra and Krystyna of Saint Cloud, MN (which has got to be the best town name), for the Trip. In her submission, Lisa made it clear that “Allegra” was inspired by Lord Byron’s daughter, not the allergy medication. Thanks, Lisa. I’ll keep that in mind.