Jane Green feels like a long lost friend...plus a book giveaway!

**Giveaway is now closed**

Does Jane Green really need an introduction? Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 11 years or so, there's no way you could miss her and her fabulous novels! (And if you really have been living under a rock, go out and get one of them today. We recommend starting with "Jemima J.") She was last here in July of 2010 to promote "Promises to Keep" (a real tearjerker and amazing tribute to her friend). Now she has come out with a wonderful new novel (reviewed here) called "Another Piece of My Heart" (or "The Patchwork Marriage" in the UK). It centers around a stepmother and stepdaughter relationship and how far they can push their limits with each other.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press we have THREE copies of "Another Piece of My Heart" to giveaway to some lucky readers anywhere in the world!

Vist Jane Green at her website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Favorite movie about friendship:

Beaches. I watched it recently with my daughter, having not seen it for years, and both of us were in tears.

Favorite best friend of a chick lit novel main character:

I always loved the friendship Cath and Si had in one of my early books, "Bookends."

Favorite book about friendship:

Years ago I read a book called "Bilgewater" by Jane Gardam. The protagonist, who is something of an ugly duckling, finds herself mesmerized by the new girl in school, lighting up when she bestows her friendship upon her. It brought back the sweetness and pain of teenage friendships.

How did you meet your best friend? 

I don't have one best friend, but a handful of "sisters", and a couple of "brothers". Two in London, who I have known since childhood, and perhaps two or three here.

Three words to describe your best friend:

My friends all seem to share the same qualities: wise, calm, comfortable in their skin, and loyal. I have had many very close friends through the different stages of my life, but know that my core friends now will never change, even if new ones are introduced.

Did you ever have those best friend necklaces that split in the middle?

No.

Favorite inside joke with a friend:

One of my best friends growing up was a girl called Anna. We both have some bizarre memory of attempting to play a ridiculous game called "Are You There, Moriarty?", which entailed hitting each other over the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Neither of us had any idea why, eventually collapsing in giggles. 

The nicest thing your best friend has ever done for you:

When my twins had their tonsils out, it was followed by 10 sleepless nights, after which I was about to collapse. My husband called two of my closest, and I came downstairs to find them in my kitchen, banishing me from the house to go get a massage while they babysat. It was exactly what I needed.

Favorite destination for a girls weekend/trip:

I would go somewhere quiet and luxurious, with great spa treatments. I'd much rather curl up and talk than go out to party.

Was there ever a time where you thought you knew a friend but it turned out you didn't know them at all?

Living in Connecticut, I got back in touch with another very close childhood friend, now living in Manhattan. We had some lovely get-togethers, reminiscing, and I considered her, if no longer my closest, certainly a good friend. She accidentally cc'd me on an email, in which she was describing me to a colleague, and I remember standing in my kitchen and gasping, shaking as I read. I wrote back, letting her know I had received this, clearly by mistake, and found it ugly, tasteless, and illuminating. I wished her nothing but the best with her life. To her credit, she wrote back and owned it. Which sadly didn't change what had happened. 

Special thanks to Jane for her lovely answers to our questions. (And we're just hearing them in our head with her beautiful voice and liking them even more that way.) Thanks again to St. Martin's Press for sharing "Another Piece of My Heart" with our readers.

How to win "Another Piece of My Heart":
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: The nicest thing your best friend has ever done for you.
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 19th at midnight EST.

For more chances to win "Another Piece of My Heart," visit Chick Lit is Not Dead. (US/Canada only. Ends 3/18.)