Video Interview with Author, Amre Cortadino
By Deena Adams
I’m thrilled to share the Zoom interview I recored in November with my writer friend, Amre Cortadino, AKA Erma Ullrey.
Erma is currently pre-published but she’s racked up quite a few awards, and I have no doubt we’ll see her name on a published book very soon!
I hope you enjoy getting to know this up and coming author and will see her heart for the Lord shine through our conversation!
Join the conversation. What aspect of the interview did you enjoy most? Do you have any questions for Erma? Let us know in the comments.
Amre Cortadino is a follower of Jesus Christ. Married for forty years, she enjoys four wonderful children, three outlaws, and four precious grandchildren. She worked in the medical field for over twenty-five years. After completing her B.S.H.S., she became a health educator and received international credentials in childbirth education (I.C.E.A.) and lactation consulting (I.B.C.L.C.). She’s served as a women’s Bible study leader, participates in local and online writers groups and a book club, enjoys chatting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on her website (merryheartink.com), and keeps chickens.
In the past three years, Amre has written a Rom-Com/Spec. Fiction story; completed two books in a Young Adult Suspense trilogy; and has begun work on a Spec. Fiction trilogy based on Biblical gardens.
Amre is the winner of several writing awards including 1st in the ACFW 2020 First Impressions; 2nd place, 2020 ICAN; 1st place, 2020 ACFW Virginia Crown Award; 1st place, 2019 ICAN; 2019 ACFW Genesis Finalist; 1st place, 2018 OHCWC Blue Seal Award winner (tie); 2nd place, 2018 Georgia Peach.
Connect with Amre: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
If you missed the interview with Beverly Varnado last week, you can find it here.
Deena Adams
As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
16 Comments
Mary Pat Johns
So enjoyed this! Erma, I didn’t know you had chickens! Our neighbor has chickens, and I’m always telling my husband her chickens live better than a lot of people in this world. Anyway … loved the interview. So real. Engaging. Honest. Great job for both of you. Thanks for sharing.
Deena Adams
Thanks so much for watching Mary Pat! Glad you enjoyed the interview. I had so many glitches that day it was crazy. Finally just had to say, “Whatever,” and let it roll out however Erma led. Thanks for joining the conversation!
Amre Cortadino
Thank you, Deena, for this interview! Your relaxed style, thoughtful questions, and author’s heart made this a piece of cake! Praying God blesses you as you continue these interviews, that He blesses the writers you interview, and that He blesses the readers with the words we write for His glory!
Thank you one and all!!
God bless you,
Amre
merryheartink.com
Deena Adams
Thanks so much for your kind words, Erma. I really enjoyed connecting with you and sharing a little of your journey with readers. Wish we lived close!
Amre Cortadino
Thank you, Mary Pat! Deena is a wonderful interviewer! Also, I would highly recommend having chickens of your own!! 🙂
Becky M Van Vleet
Erma and Deena, I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. Erma, I’m so glad we connected with each other awhile back and I hope we can stay in touch. I really appreciated your perspective about writing coming close to being a “team sport”. May both of you experience God’s blessings to the fullest as you continue with your writing endeavors.
Deena Adams
Thanks so much for watching, Becky. And thanks for joining the conversation. I pray God blesses your writing as well. Maybe we’ll have the opportunity to meet one day.
Amre Cortadino
Hi Becky,
I am so thankful for your writing, your help, and encouragement!! I wish we lived closer so we could stay in better contact – you are a blessing!! Thank you, and God’s continued blessings on you and all you do for Him! 🙂
Dave
Hey it’s good to see AmrErma on here. She’s been a great encouragement to me.
Deena Adams
She’s a blessing for sure. Thanks for watching
Amre Cortadino
Hi Dave,
How nice to see you here too! You have blessed my life, and I’m so grateful you’re the better half of our WIP! Thank you for allowing the Lord to shine through you!! 🙂
Teresa+Moyer
It has been an eye opening learning curve for sure. And oh my i should of proof read my first post, look at all my errors, so embarrassing LOL.
Amre Cortadino
Hi Teresa,
Thanks for leaving a comment! …no worries about proofreading – it’s shocking what autocorrect and our fingers can put on the page!!
With your background and love for the Lord, you’ll succeed as a writer in no time! So good to know He is always for us!! Blessings! 🙂
Deena Adams
Thanks so much for sharing a bit of your journey with us, Teresa. It’s amazing to learn what goes into book writing and publication isn’t it? May God bless your writing as you seek His wisdom and direction for what’s next.
Deena Adams
No worries, Teresa. I can’t count the number of times I’ve posted on social media and as soon as it publishes I say, “Why didn’t I read over that first?” I’m trying to slow down and proofread my comments before I publish them but sometimes the auto correct function still messes me up. LOL
Teresa+Moyer
Great interview and I enjoyed getting to know another new author. I look forward to your book coming out. There were some things in the interview that I could relate to.
I worked with disabled adults for over 35 years and I know they taught me so much about life and love and strength and determination than I could of ever learned with them in my life. I also did some writing as a child/teen as i loved to take the Dear Abby collum in the paper and cover up Abbys responce and only read what was sent in to her and then I would write my own responce LOL. But I stopped after getting no positive support for that activity and i let my creativity die off but I still loved psychology, counseling, advice giver etc facinating. I did get a degree in Christian counseling. I also think a lot like Dr Phil with lots of Jesus tossed in. I am solution focused for sure. Right now I am writing my memoit but someday I desire to write using my psychology/counseling/help(counsel/advice) type writting.
I am an avid reader and now that I am writing a book I have an entire new appriciation to the process of writing that book Iloved when I read it.
Will be praying for you.