Author Spotlight: Chris Maday Schmidt
Today it’s my pleasure to welcome Chris Maday Schmidt, as she tells us about her newest release. Welcome, Chris! I can’t wait to hear more about the llama and alpaca.
Tell us about your latest release: A FATHER’S VOW—my debut novel with Love Inspired that released on March 26—is a contemporary inspirational romance about a veterinarian and a single dad who work together to catch vandals at a wildlife preserve in Northern Arizona’s fictional smalltown Sweetwater, while trying to overcome their pasts and falling in love.
Share an interesting tidbit about your story: The Sweetwater Preserve & Sanctuary in A FATHER’S VOW was based off a real-life wildlife preserve in Prescott, Arizona. And the llama and alpaca duo featured in my story came to fruition after attending “goat yoga” in Phoenix a few years ago where I met another wily llama and alpaca.
What are you working on now? I recently submitted revisions for a book that picks up where I left off in A FATHER’S VOW with the same characters, as well as a few new ones. The story revolves around similar themes found in the first book—like grief, loss and shame. In a nutshell, when the eligible firefighter gains custody of his brother’s baby, legal issues force him to collaborate with the no-nonsense baker and risk burning his heart.. Also, the legend of Sweetwater, which I reveal in A FATHER’S VOW—that there’s something in the “sweet” water and that true love always prevails—is included in my next book.
What is your greatest struggle as a writer? As a full-time writer, my greatest struggle is probably time management—the elusive life-writing balance.
What inspired you to start writing? Have you always written? I’ve always loved reading and making up stories with my imaginary friends, but a few of my grade school teachers inspired me to start writing by requiring journaling assignments outside of the classroom. And the rest is history.
What common themes do you write about? Why? While many of my stories, both fictional and nonfictional, delve into tough topics woven throughout many of our own life stories like loss and grief, my desire is that they deliver hope for new beginnings, humor in the messy middle & heart for happy endings. And a reminder to place our trust in God—the author and finisher of our faith.
What do you enjoy doing to relax? Hiking is my go-to for relaxation and to spend quiet time with the Lord, as well as to brainstorm new story ideas and work through plot points. I also enjoy reading, playing games, and watching a good rom-com or suspense.
Bio:
A self-prescribed princess, Chris Maday Schmidt believes it’s always the write time for hope for new beginnings, humor in the messy middle & heart for happy endings. She lives in Northern Arizona with her real-life hero of 35 years and writes clean & wholesome stories about family, friendship and faith.
Buy Links:
Social Media Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/40342648.Chris_Maday_Schmidt
Website: https://chrismadayschmidt.com/
Author page link: https://www.amazon.com/author/chris-maday-schmidt
BookBubs: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chris-maday-schmidt
Newsletter signup: https://chrismadayschmidt.com/index.php/newsletter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisMadaySchmidtAuthor/
Twitter/X handle: @AlwaysWriteTime
Twitter/X link: https://twitter.com/AlwaysWriteTime