Friday Five with the Fabulous Krista Phillips!

Today we have the delightfully sweet and seriously funny fellow Alley Cat, Krista, in the hot seat! Ready to dish some randomness...

1.  Do you have a writing ritual? Favorite spot, mood music or silence, kinda thing?

Krista: Favorite spot - Panera in a neighboring town, side room, back booth. I don’t go there often but it is by far my favorite spot!! 

Mood music – honestly I usually play praise and worship music, but when I wrote my Christmas novella in July, I was rockin’ some Christmas carols and with my most recent book that comes out in a novella box set next month, I was rockin’ some country music because the hero is a drummer in a country rock band :)

2. Writer’s brain food (and/or drink)… what’s your poison?

Krista: *rolls eyes* Dr Pepper. And anything sweet and chocolatey. In other words, super healthy! 

Amy: Hey, chocolate is basically a bean. Legumes are healthy, right? Perfect brain food! I comcur!

3. Juggling writing life and home/mommy duty can be a daunting task. Often times I feel like I say the same things over and over again, ad nauseum. For example: Hands to yourself! No hitting! Pick up your toys! (and yes, all of those require exclamation points as my children suffer from poor listening skills.) If you could record one phrase you use exhaustively at home and play it on repeat, what would it be? ;)

Krista: WOW. There are so many. “I know it isn’t fair. I don’t care. Life’s not fair. Get over it.” 

“What?” (this more points to MY poor listening skills since it is usually said after they have said mom 100 times and I just then heard them…)

“Do your chores.” OHHHHH. That one. I choose that one. HANDS DOWN!!!!!!

4. Top five favorite authors to read…. (Tough, I know! You can do it!)

Krista: Uh--- I mean. I’m gonna say all my alleycats but because there are more than five of us, let’s just say that is assumed so BESIDES my amazing alleycat sisters ---

(THIS IS STILL HARD)

Tamara Leigh

Jody Hedlund

Becky Wade

Francine Rivers

DeeAnne Gist

(there are so… SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo many others!!)

5. Favorite weird food combination?

I don’t really have one. I like normal, mostly not healthy food. I dip my McDonald’s chicken nuggets and fries in honey. Does that count?!?

Amy: Totally! Super weird! And while I've got you here, tell us about your upcoming books!

Krista: I’d love to! I have TWO of them, actually. My next novella, A (nearly) Normal Nanny, releases in a BOX SET along with 7 other AMAZING authors (2 of them are fellow alleycats) in March! It goes on PREORDER next week! Look for it—Love at First Laugh!

THEN my next full length releases with Barbour in November, The Engagement Plot! SO STINKIN’ EXCITED about that!!! 

The (in progress so subject to change) blurb:

Six months ago, William took Hanna’s heart and shattered it in front of millions of people. And now the big-wig CEO is back on Hanna’s home turf in Minnesota and wants her to forgive him? Fat chance of that.

But life is swirling around faster than snow in a blizzard, and despite her objections, teaming up with William seems like the only option to rescue her reputation.

William has never regretted anything more than the day he gave that ill-fated interview for the reality TV show, The Price of Love. But while he can’t change the past, he’s determined to fix the future. He just needs to convince Hanna to forgive him and—pretend to be engaged with him. Simple, right?

Despite the crazy that swirls around them, an attraction neither of them can fight off rises to the surface. Could this love run deeper than a price tag, or will old wounds tear them apart once and for all?

Amy: Love love love! Can't wait! <3

Alright Alley Pals... who has a favorite Krista Phillips book??? I'm going with A (Sorta) Southern Serenade!