Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Christmas Wedding Crashers by Amy Vastine

Book Description

’Tis the season…
To prevent a wedding!

Holly Hayward is shocked when she learns that her great-uncle is planning to marry Jonah Drake’s grandmother. Have they forgotten about the bitter generations-old Hayward-Drake feud? Now Holly is determined to thwart the disastrous Christmas wedding—even if it means teaming up with her nemesis, handsome and way-too-perfect Jonah. But crashing one forbidden romance might just be the beginning of a completely new one…

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Christmas Wedding Crashers by Amy Vastine is a great holiday read.  People should refererence to the McCoy-Hatfield feud that involved two rural families.

In this story two elderly people, Randall Hayward and Clarissa Drake announce their intention to get married.  The problem is that the Haywards and Drakes have a major family feud.  The Drakes come off as superior, the haves, while the Haywards are the have nots who have struggled to succeed. When the families hear about the Christmas wedding, they decide to do all in their power to break up the couple.

Great niece Holly Hayward is enlisted along with grandson Jonah Drake to have the wedding canceled. They first try to show the elders how incompatible they are with each other.  After all, Randall likes rodeo stuff, being rough and tumble, while Clarissa likes to volunteer at all the Christmas trimmings. But, instead of seeing each other as mismatched they realize each is willing to do a give and take.

Instead of succeeding at their plan, Holly and Jonah realize that they also have a lot in common and their assumptions from the high school years are unfounded.  Holly begins to see that Jonah is caring, kind, and funny, while Jonah sees that Holly is spirited, intelligent, and daring.

Although there are some scenes that are heartbreaking, most of the story will put a smile on readers’ faces.  The banter is fabulous, allowing people to take the journey with the characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Did the McCoys and Hatfields influence the story?

Amy Vastine: Right.  I like the idea of family rivals.  This is the second to last book in the “Stop the Wedding series.”This one had an older generation getting married, somebody’s grandma with the family not happy about it. The rival family had an elder who was an uncle.

EC:  The rivalry?

AV:  The Haywards are considered vandals and thieves, while the Drakes were arrogant, liars, and rescinded a land plot. The Drakes are the wealthy rancher family, and the Haywards are the workers. It stemmed from the Drake great-great-grandfather who promised land for work to the Haywards.  After he died the family did not follow through to give the land, making the Haywards feeling cheated. This created hard feelings throughout generations. Oliver Drake is the epitome of the arrogance who had a cushy upbringing.

EC: How would you describe the grandson, Jonah Drake?

AV:  Scholarly, book smart, but not totally relationship smart. He is not aware of how he came across.  He is very black and white.  If someone said something incorrect, he would correct them.  He did not think about how that person called out would feel. He is a rule follower, compassionate, protective, honest, and patient.

EC:  How would you describe Holly?

AV: She is street smart, sassy, and sarcastic. She is loyal to her family to a fault. She is funny, interesting, a hard worker, creative, and savvy.  Holly is also direct, competitive, tough, and confident.

EC: What about the relationship?

AV:  In high school, Holly felt Jonah intentionally made her feel stupid. She assumed it was because Jonah always felt superior. The family feud gets in the way. Initially, they think they are so different, but when they spend time together their assumptions go out the door.  Both think oil and water will never mix but end up as a delicious salad dressing. They realize they have more in common than they thought.  As they work together, they drop their guard. The older couple noticed that there was a connection between Holly and Jonah, before the younger couple did.

EC:  What about the older couple Clarissa and Randall?

AV:  They met at the little local diner. Both lived long lives and found someone who made them happy.  They realize it is causing some drama, but they do not let it get in the way of something good.  Clarissa is very kind, gentle, and accepting.  Randall makes her feel like a Queen. He is a charmer. They enjoyed the fact that they were not the only crossovers who could see that there does not have to be this forever long family feud.

EC:  What about Holly’s sister Maisey?

AV:  She did not even know what the family drama was, living her own life.  She did not realize who is mad at who and why.  She is not burdened by other people’s old hang-ups.  She was left out of the nonsense.  Maisey does not live in the past and only cares about what is happening in her world.

EC:  Why those events?

AV:  I spent one whole day brainstorming as many Christmas activities as I could, writing my own Hallmark Christmas movie. There had to be a Christmas Tree Lighting, a gingerbread contest, an ice-skating rink, and the Frontier Freeze based on the Polar Bear Plunge in Chicago. I thought of events that strongly represented Randall and other events that strongly represented Clarissa.

EC: Next book?

AV:  It is the last one in my “Stop the Wedding series,” titled Texas Runaway Bride coming out in August.  The heroine is a people pleaser. After canceling her wedding day, she decides to visit this little town in Texas that her grandmother talked about. She runs into a widowed Sherriff with a four-year-old boy.  She is offered the job of live-in nanny.

THANK YOU!!

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