Spotlight Saturday: Interview with Aspiring Author, Amre Cortadino

I’m so pleased to be hosting my good friend and aspiring author, Amre Cortadino, on the blog today! I first met Amre in a writing critique group a few years ago and was immediately impressed by the wealth of intriguing story ideas she brought to the table. I know you’ll enjoy hearing her perspectives on writing, reading, and living the creative life.

Welcome, Amre! I’m so glad to be chatting with you this morning. Let’s start off by talking about one of my favorite topics, books! What’s the last book that had a significant emotional impact on you? It might be a story that made you cry or one that had you delirious with laughter. Why do you think it had such an impact?

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I couldn’t put it down. The first time I read the book, it was a bit disorienting to think of topics from the devil/ a demon’s perspective. We have an enemy who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. Though published in 1942, Mr. Lewis depiction of our enemy’s tactics is timeless and insightful – eerily so! 

I agree. I’ve read a lot of Lewis’ work, fiction and non-fiction, and I have to say that was one of his pieces that I was most affected by. Reading The Screwtape Letters really pulls back the spiritual veil in a powerful way. Like lots of people, I was raised on The Chronicles of Narnia and am excited to start reading them to my little boys soon… which leads to my next question: what are your favorite books from childhood, and why?

I grew up on the King James Bible. I’d sneak it and a flashlight in bed with me and read until I either got caught or fell asleep. No matter how many other Bibles I read, I cannot un-memorize verses in that version. 🙂

I also enjoyed Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This probably sounds trendy, but it’s true. It’s one of the few childhood Christmas gifts that I recall with great clarity. Jo’s family swept me in, their adventures and travels, their highs and lows. We named our youngest daughter after one of the characters in this book. Can you guess which one? (You only get four chances!) 

Ha! I love that. My mom’s older sister’s middle name is Beth. I imagine there are lots of Little Women fans out there who named their daughters after Marmee’s girls. You’ve named two of my favorite authors- Lewis and Alcott- so far, so I have to ask, who would be included in your dream book club (kind of like a literary version of a fantasy football league)? Which authors, living or not, would you invite to be a member of the club, and why would you choose these individuals?

Oh my goodness!! TMTC (too many to count), but I’ll try to limit it to a handful.

Luke, because I love the way he conveys and organizes his thoughts in the books of the Bible he wrote; Louisa May Alcott, for obvious reasons; Joy Davidman Lewis, because she accomplished writing goals at a much younger age than many women of her time- ones I still have yet to achieve; J.R.R.Tolkien, because even though I cannot seem to get through The Hobbit, I’d love to talk with him about the worlds he created. Did he see them first or write them as he saw them?

Also, Truman Capote, so I could thank him for many sleepless nights and vivid nightmares; Laura Hillenbrand, because writing Unbroken had to have a significant impact on her life and I’d like to hear all about that; Lysa Terkeurst, because her writing style grips my heart. She seems like a genuine Christian, and the way she writes about her real life struggles is honest, vivid, and emotional.

What a fantastic list, and what an interesting conversation would flow if all those individuals got together in one room! I’d definitely have to include several of those names in my dream book club as well. One last question about reading: what books are on your nightstand (or in a Kindle queue) right now?

All of these books are listed in no particular order and varying stages of completion 🙂

Nightstand:

NIV Bible
Rise of the Machines by Kristen Lamb
Story Trumps Structure by Steven James
The Master’s Mind by Lance Hahn
Blow Out the Candles by Linda S. Glaz

Kindle:

Hope is Born, A Mosaic Christmas Anthology by Stacy Munson, et al
Mind Games by Nancy Mehl (Shaen: read my review of Mind Games here)
Her Toronto Tycoon by Ann Malley (Shaen: check out my interview with Ann here)

All right, let’s talk about writing now! Amre, which character in your books would you say is most like you?

I have two WIPs (works-in-progress), and I feel I’ve left a piece of my heart on each page with the lead characters in each book.

Adelaide Blue, the main character in Lifted (this manuscript is under review by an agent who represents Hallmark-type movies), is a feisty, savvy advertising and marketing executive whose tough exterior masks a deep longing to be loved.

The main character in From My Window (which has won several awards, including 2019 Genesis finalist) is an unloved adolescent, Rosaline Abard. She’s forced to spend the summer of 1939 with her Grandmum in High Bluffs, Rhode Island. She stumbles upon clues involving dark deeds and blackmail that lead to the truth about her family.

I’ve been able to read parts of both of those manuscripts, and I can attest to the fact that they are as intriguing to read as the descriptions make them sound! You have such a flare for unique ideas. Which part of the book creation process do you like best- brainstorming, writing, editing, marketing?

I love, love, love the writing process! I sit in front of my computer, strap myself in my chair, and take the bullet train to Adventureville! The hardest part is putting the characters on pause or mute– which they do not respect! The second hardest part is leaving them on the computer while I do life. I want to keep typing what they’re saying!

The creation process is really fun. It’s when you get to let loose with that imaginative, right-brain part of yourself and just talk to the blank page. Ok, one last writing question, and we’ll wrap up. This one is fun. If you could compare your latest novel to a tv show, what would it be?

Lifted is analogous to It’s a Wonderful Life, which I know is not a TV show but…

From My Window could be compared to a show about Shirley Temple meets the Wizard of Oz after she removes the curtain! 😉

I know you’ve been working really hard lately on From My Window, so can you give us an even more detailed blurb on that one?

Nice description, and a great note to end on! Amre, if readers want to find you online or find out more about your writing, where should they look?

My website is www.merryheartink.com, my email is acortadino@gmail.com, and I’m active on both Facebook (From My Window) and Instagram (Amre Cortadino).

Thanks so much for joining us today, Amre. It was great to have you on the blog, and I’m excited to see the wonderful things God has in store for you in the future!

Keep reading!

Shaen