A friendly chat with Sarah Rayner, plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

Not all authors start out as prolific writers. Sarah Rayner studied English at Leeds University, but translated that into a short-lived career in fashion PR, until her boss told her she was better at writing than at schmoozing clients. That put her on the road to writing, through working for various London agencies, some freelance work, and eventually getting some short stories published in Woman’s Own. She juggled life as both an author and a copywriter for many years. “The Two Week Wait” is Sarah’s fourth novel, following “The Other Half” (2001), “Getting Even” (2002), and “One Moment, One Morning” (2010), which has now sold almost 250,000 copies in the UK alone, and was the success that Sarah needed to pursue writing fiction full time. We’re so glad that she did!

Thanks to Picador, we have FIVE copies of "The Two Week Wait" for some lucky readers anywhere in the world!

Visit Sarah at her website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Favorite movie about friendship:
The Shawshank Redemption

Favorite book about friendship:
"The Help"

How did you meet your best friend?
I’ve got so many friends I couldn’t possibly pick one as my best friend. There’s Jules, my running mate (we met at work); Hilary, my oldest friend, (we’ve known each other since babyhood so I can’t remember when we first encountered one another – probably in our prams!); Clare, my gay best friend (she was my personal trainer); Daney, my eccentric friend (we met at college); Alex, my commuting companion (we met on the train); Sarah, my most stylish friend and shopping buddy (we met dog walking); Diane, my fellow writer who celebrate successes and commiserate failures with me (again, we met at work); Jane, my saviour, who gets me out of scrapes (we met through our boyfriends thirty years ago); and Aiden and John, my lovely man friends (who were once colleagues too).

Friend you've known the longest without meeting in person:
I’ve got several Facebook friends I’ve never met – people who’ve written to me about my books and we’ve struck up a correspondence. But recently I met to two of them face-to-face – I invited them to my book launch for "The Two Week Wait" and they both came.

Funniest thing you did with a friend:
My friends and I filled the school pond with bubble bath and frothed it up with our hockey sticks when the teachers’ backs were turned. We thought it funny – the caretaker didn’t!

Who would play your best friend in the movie of your life:
Tricky, given I’ve so many friends, it had better be someone very adaptable! I’ll say Laura Linney. I like her – compared to a lot of actresses she seems very real.

Other chick lit author you'd want to be best friends with:
Lisa Jewell. I love her books – they’re like having a big slice of cake without the calories!

The nicest thing your best friend has ever done for you:
When I left a long-term relationship several years ago, my friend Daney offered to have me to stay with her and her family for as long as I wanted. Their house is not big, and they had no time to prepare for me. That was extremely kind and I appreciate it to this day.

What is something about a friend that surprised you?
Some of my friends’ taste in men has surprised me over the years. But I’m not going to say which ones in public...

Character from "Friends" you'd be best friends with?
Chandler. He’s got the driest sense of humour. The women aren’t as lovely as my own dear friends, and Joey and Ross are a bit dorky.

Special thanks to Sarah for chatting with us and to Picador for sharing "The Two Week Wait" with our readers.

How to win "The Two Week Wait":
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is your favorite movie about friendship?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends March 27th at midnight EST.