Many of you know that we have been praying for Krista Phillips and her family since earlier this year when they learned their newest addition to the family, Annabelle, would be born with a heart defect. This interview was conducted before Annabelle’s birth in mid-July.

What do you like best about being a writer?

Having an outlet for my crazy imagination. Before I wrote, I’d be bombarded with scenes and visuals in my head, but I didn’t know what to do with them. I thought I was really weird, because no one ELSE had a strange brain like mine. When I started to write, it was like, AHA! THAT is what I do with them!

What do you like least about being a writer?

Others’ reactions. “Oh, are you published?” “Where can I buy your book?” “Oh, what do you write?” —then the smirks when I say contemporary romance. Then there are those that don’t understand why I can’t get my books published… if you write one… you just, you know, send it to a publisher and they publish it right? As we all know, the answer is WRONG!

Pop, Soda, or Coke? What do you call it, and what’s your favorite variety?

Pop. Soda is the last part of baking soda… Coke is a brand name… A cold Coke or Pepsi suits me just fine!

Describe your favorite pair of shoes.

My tennis shoes. They are gray with a wee bit of pink on them to make them girly but not too much that I’m froufrou, and are super comfortable. Gotta love a good pair of tennies!

What’s the most fun/interesting/crazy/scary/unique hands-on research you’ve done for a book?

I’m afraid my answer will be kinda lame on this one. I need to stretch myself and do a little better! There was a time when I e-mailed a foster/adoption agency in IL to ask if my situation was plausible. I had NO clue where to start, and was so afraid I’d bother someone or annoy them. I thought my e-mail was very nice and professional, but they wrote back, “We can’t help, but I can forward you to someone who can. What is the compensation for this project?” Um, compensation??? Really??? I wrote back and said there was none, however if the book was published, the helpful person would be in the credits if they so wished. I received no response.

Candles. We all have them. But do you burn them? What scents are your favorite?

I have them, but they are mostly for decoration. I have some fun Christmas ones I burn during that season, pumpkin or cinnamon, depending on my mood. Other than that, we save candles for when the lights go off! I guess I fear my children knocking them over and our house going up in smoke.

Have you ever re-gifted something someone’s given you?

VERY rarely. I did one wedding gift because we got two of the same thing and had no receipts/place to return one. So I re-gifted as a wedding gift a year later. I didn’t feel bad though… we never used it or opened it, and it wasn’t like I was giving away something I didn’t WANT… I just had no use for two of them:-). I DID however, get a re-gifted gift for our wedding. We knew it was because the box was taped, and there were food crumbs left on said appliance. Hubby and I got a huge kick out of it!

If you were to write a novel about what your life would have been like if you’d become what you wanted to be at eight years old, what kind of character would the story be about?

I believe that was my pediatrician stage. My character would be the WORST doctor every because she hates needles and has to practice deep breathing when dealing with blood. In fact, I think that would make a GREAT conflict… a doctor who can’t stand the site of blood and somehow still gets through medical school… wow, I can totally see the possibilities!

What makes you happy?

Seeing my children giggle. They can try my patience so much, but their giggles and hugs and kisses make it totally worth it.

What makes you nervous?

Writing contests. I love them… I’m dumb, I know. However, those days before results are announced… I’m nervous as all get out! My carpet has holes from my pacing!

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

Write what you know. This actually isn’t advice I’d give most people, however I’d heard it a long time ago and in the summer of 2007 when I was feeling God’s tug to write again, I couldn’t get the phrase out of my head. I realized shortly after that my problem is that I was writing deep dramatic fiction, when what I KNOW right now is fun, upbeat, romance that makes people laugh.

What’s your biggest dream for the future?

Can I plead the 5th? Really my dream is to write, get published, and be able to stay at home with my kiddos. Now, if somehow someone from my day job sees this, please notate the word DREAM here. I also have a dream of winning the lottery (even though I don’t play it…) and you know the chances of THAT too:-).

Tell us about what you’re currently writing (or your newest release, or both).

I’m currently editing my newly finished contemporary romance all about sandwiches, literally and figuratively. However, my barely started WIP is about a elementary school teacher who was humiliated in front of millions of people when she participated in a Reality TV show. When the guy who threw her under the bus blows back into her life, almost literally, sparks fly, especially when the press gets wind of it. They battle rumors, bad press, and broken hearts in a quest to put their lives back together again. (Keep in mind: I’m a HUGE SOTP writer… I anticipate the blurb of this story being MUCH better once I’m done!)

Where can people find out more about you/connect with you online?

I blog on Monday and Friday at http://reflectionsbykrista.blogspot.com and can be followed on twitter at www.twitter.com/kristaphillips.

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Krista Phillips always loved to write and started her first full-length novel when she was eighteen. She never completed the novel due to a variety of reasons, mostly her beautiful kiddos who were born! But in 2007, God nudged her heart and told her it was time to start again. Krista is married to with four beautiful little girls and lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Her biggest blessing is her loving, supportive family.