Mining everyday moments: stories waiting to be told

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash.

I’ve always enjoyed learning how other writers develop their story ideas. Which inspired me to start paying closer attention to the…[read more]

Another trip around the sun: gifting grace

Photo by Greg Weaver on Unsplash.

Wasn’t it just yesterday I blogged about my birthday—living with intention, dreaming new dreams, stepping outside of my comfort zone? Life looks vastly different today than it did last year…[read more]

One size fits all: the gift of kindness

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash.

As you reflect on the past year, does a gift of kindness stand out to you—one that you either received or extended? For my husband and me, the story begins…[read more]

After the leap: beginning a new journey

If you follow my weekly blog posts and receive my Always the Write Time emails, you’re privy to a fresh leap of faith my husband and I recently took. Rather than live with a retirement mentality, we prayerfully chose to retire “early”…[read more]

The truest thing I can tell you: the gift of today

Photo by Knuth Waltenberg on Unsplash.

While I believe it’s always the write time for hope, humor & heart, oftentimes grief shows up at our doors without invitation. An emotion that follows no rules—no “how to” manual—I’ve heard grief described as a “sucker punch” by one, and as a wake-up call by another. In my own life, grief…[read more]

That little extra push: remembering your why

What’s one thing that motivates you to get out of bed each morning? For me, it’s a call to sprinkle hope, humor & heart through my writing. But whatever our “why,” it can prove hard to keep pressing forward when results remain elusive. For instance, last year I submitted six stories to…[read more]

A big or little thing called perspective: it’s all in how you look at it

Welcome to my inaugural blog post! Although it actually marks my 959th entry (you can access previous posts at Always The Write Time Blog), I’m excited to hang out with you at my new home—where today’s topic focuses on perspective, brought to you by a recent hike in the mountains. While my surroundings changed from [click here to continue reading]…

More growing pains = reasons to celebrate!

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

I’ve finally reconciled the pruning process—aka growing pains—is not going away anytime soon. In fact, I recently mentioned to a girlfriend that every time I understand a concept I need to address in my life, another layer (like the skin on an onion) peels away to reveal even greater (and oftentimes more painful) insights. One thing could not be clearer to me: these growing pains represent forward momentum, the latter of which deserves to be celebrated. Speaking of growing pains: as I continue “growing” my email list, I invite followers of Always The Write Time blog to visit my new home: chrismadayschmidt.com. And please note that on June 1, fresh posts will be hosted on my website only. If you enjoy what you read, I encourage you to sign up to receive my free monthly emails to keep current on exclusive content—like previews of my upcoming real-life “fairytales”—free giveaways, special promotions for subscribers and more.

What growing pain do you need to work through?

Oh, what a knight: a sweet romance with a touch of sass

On the heels of my recent blog in which I shared news about my Valentine’s short story published in Woman’s World magazine, I’m excited to promote my latest 5-minute sweet romance, “Oh, what a knight,” on sale now in stores and online. The story opens with the heroine trapped between floors in an elevator alongside an Armani-clad stranger who holds the key to Sutton’s immediate predicament—and her financial future—both of which depend on an advertising campaign pitch that she cannot afford to miss. If you love a modern-day damsel in distress fairytale (swap out the horse with a limousine) paired with a touch of sass that is guaranteed to make you smile, then pick up your April 12 copy of Woman’s World today. If you cannot find the issue for purchase, I heard from one of my readers and dear friend that her library carries an online version. Which brings me to my weekly question:

Do you prefer to buy books or visit your local library?

Love is in the air: a sweet romance

Honest truth? I’m still learning I have a lot more to learn about author brand and identity, content marketing, web development and self-promotion; in other words: #allthethings. Consequently, when—not if—I miss the mark [just last week I pulled “Starting out strong…” and revised after posting], means I get to practice what I preach here: that it’s #alwaysthewritetime to learn something new. With that said, happy inaugural self-promo day. While my novel remains in all its rough-draft glory, I’d like to share news that my first published fiction piece—a 5-minute sweet romance—will run in the Valentine’s Day issue of Woman’s World magazine. To read this story, you can order the digital issue here, or pick up your copy on sale at grocery and retail stores and booksellers Feb. 4-10. I hope readers enjoy “A special sign on Valentine’s Day” and how a botched order from the florist delivers a promising invitation to the lonely widow’s heart.

Let me know your thoughts about this “budding” romance.