Summer Stories: A (wildly) Wonderful Wedding by Krista Phillips

Interview with Krista Phillips about A (wildly) Wonderful Wedding:

Alexis: What inspired you to write this story?

Krista: I was having a conversation with friends about weddings, marriages, and boyfriends. One of us was single but dating and some were giving advice not to rush, take your time and I was like, well, I agree with that. But at the same time, I had only seen my future husband three times before he proposed, we got married four months later and we had met online. We have been married for almost 19 years now. So going quick isn’t always a bad thing. The whole conversation sparked a story in my head for these characters that were already tip-toeing around in there, and the rest is history!

Alexis: Tell us about your story’s heroine Danielle. What’s she like?

Krista: Danielle has some rough edges. She was raised in a super strict, legalistic household and had done some serious rebelling as a teenager that almost killed her. She came to Jesus in college, but still struggles as old habits aren’t easy to break, but is also working on forgiving her parents and the boy who broke her heart five years ago.

Alexis: Tell us about your story’s hero Drake. What’s he like?

Krista: Drake is a pretty easy-going guy. He co-owns an audio-visual company with his best friend. His work consumes him much of the time. He got serious about his faith a few years ago and has one pretty big regret in life—how he left his fiancée in the dust—via text message five years ago. What a jerk he’d been!

Alexis: Five years prior to the start of this story, Danielle and Drake were a hot item. What went wrong?

Krista: I’m not sure anything really went “wrong” per say. Drake got cold feet and decided that he wasn’t quite ready for marriage. But he dumped Danielle in a pretty jerk-ish way. But in hindsight, they weren’t ready for marriage, and both had some serious growing up to do.

Alexis: Now that Danielle and Drake are reunited (five years later, at the start of your story) as the maid of honor and best man at their best friend’s upcoming nuptials, how do they feel? 

Krista: They are still pretty steamed at each other—at first.

Alexis: Why do Drake and Danielle believe that they have to team up to prevent their best friends’ wedding?

Krista: Drake isn’t convinced at first, but Danielle wants to prevent her friend from making the same mistake she almost made five years ago.

Alexis: Is there a real-life lesson that you hope to teach your readers in this fiction story? Explain.

Krista: Honestly, when I write my stories, I don’t think necessarily in “lessons” my readers will learn. I believe God can use stories to encourage us in our walk with Him, and I hope that same thing for this book. That will look different for each person, as a story can impact people differently. I guess if I had to give a specific answer, I’d say that readers will see that no one is beyond God’s grace, that God can use our fumbling mistakes for good, and that just because God calls us to something doesn’t mean he calls everyone around you to the same thing.

Alexis: What role does the faith of your main characters play in this story?

Krista: Both Drake and Danielle are fairly new to their faith after having rekindled their love for Jesus a few years prior. Their new faith allows them to see how God has used the disaster five years ago to bring Him glory.

Alexis: How does your viewpoint as a woman of faith affect your storytelling?

Krista: I love Jesus. Pretty simple as that. I aim to write my stories to bring him glory, just as I aim to do so in all facets of my life to do that, whether it is my day job or simply going to the grocery store and being kind to those around me and showing them Jesus’ love. I think if you are a born-again believer, that can’t help but influence our storytelling, as we are a “new creation” in Christ and don’t think as we did before, therefore don’t tell stories as we did before. That looks different for everyone.

Alexis: If you could grab coffee with Danielle, what would you order and what would you as a married woman advise her as she considers giving Drake a second chance?

Krista: Summer = something strawberry, non-coffee and cold. Winter= hot chocolate! My advice? I’d tell her that forgiveness is fabulous, and that they are both two new people now since they’ve found Christ. Take it slow, date, get to know the new Drake, and see where God takes you.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Krista! Do you have any closing comments?

Krista: Thanks for hosting A (wildly) Wonderful Wedding that is in the Once Upon a Laugh box set! I really appreciate it!

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Author Bio:

Krista Phillips writes contemporary romance sprinkled with two of her favorite things, laughter, and Jesus. And sometimes chocolate for kicks and giggles. 

She lives in Middle Tennessee with her husband and their four beautiful daughters, and is an advocate for congenital heart defect and organ donation awareness. 

Visit her online at www.kristaphillips.com. 

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Book Blurb:

They may be the worst maid of honor and best man in the history of weddings… 

Five years ago, Drake and Danielle had a whirlwind summer romance—but on the day they were going to elope, Drake got cold feet and took the coward’s way out. Now a successful business owner, Drake is more than a little concerned when his best friend announces his upcoming nuptials—to the woman he’s only dated a little over a month.

Danielle is shocked when her best friend announces she’s getting married—in two months—to her boyfriend of a while whoppin’ month. And then she meets the best man. Drake? Her friend is marrying the best friend of her ex-fiancé? She has to do something to help her friend see that this hasty wedding is a mistake. But she can’t do it alone.

Will Drake and Danielle be able to work together to stop this crazy, wild wedding, or will they lose their hearts again in the process?

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Buy Krista's book on Amazon

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Connect with Krista:
Blog/Website – www.kristaphillips.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorkristaphillips
Twitter – www.twitter.com/kristaphillips

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