Interview With Author Anthony Ordille
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in southern New Jersey, surrounded by agricultural farms in the beautiful town of Hammonton. There are many cultures with a good number of people and different types of fruit, berries, and vegetables. Hammonton has the largest single-grower blueberry farm, where I spent many summers working and even worked full-time after graduating high school. They also have Jersey tomatoes, which are the best I have tasted.
As I grew up, I had difficulty coping with the lack of friends and the emptiness I felt inside, which led me on the wrong path of drugs and a destructive lifestyle that almost cost me my life. Because I found hope through my relationship with Jesus after a sixteen-year battle, I have been given the opportunity to share my story through my writings and speaker platform.
My story as a writer is unique because I did not do so well in English class back in school. If I were standing in front of you, you would see a massive smile on my face. I never imagined myself as a writer, so to be an author of now four books, I am blown away with what one can do when God calls. In 2010, I woke up from a dream that I was to write a book telling my story. I dismissed it, thinking that there was no way that was for me. Then a few nights later, I woke up again with the same impression, but this time I believed it was from God telling me to write. I picked up a pen and a pad and started writing the chapters’ titles. After working on the manuscript for three years, it made it to print in the spring of 2013. That work changed my life forever and has given me a whole new outlook on life.
To date, I have five published books and plan on rewriting my autobiography.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Over the twenty-some-odd years of being a Christian, I have heard many say they did not know how to read the Bible entirely in a year. That got me wondering if there were a way to rectify the problem. I started researching and planning to develop something that would give folks a step-by-step, book-by-book way to read the Bible cover-to-cover in 365 days. Sitting with the Bible, I started calculating the number of books, chapters, and verses to break them down into a daily reading plan.
I took the Book of Psalms as a daily song and the Book of Proverbs as daily wisdom from the Old Testament to include each as part of the reading plan. Then I took the remaining books of the Old Testament (will be seen as OT}) and divided them into 365 days. Lastly, I took the New Testament (will be seen as NT}) and divided it into 365 days. Some of the chapters will be read whole, and some will be read over multiple days. You will see scriptures on each day starting from January 1 to December 31 in four parts: Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Because I am a Christian I have to put the Bible at the top of the list. There are a number of authors over the years that have influenced me as a writer so it is hard to name them. I will say Robert Morris has the most books on my shelve.
What are you working on now?
I am just finishing up an eBook to introduce the 12-step program called Addictive Free Life, AFL for short. It lists the types of addictions in three areas: Substance, Impulse Control Disorders, and Behavioral. It answers some of the questions about addiction and some of the myths about addiction and recovery. I also give a comparison between the 12-steps that are found in most of the programs and the Bible. In short, it helps guide someone struggling with any addiction to a life of freedom. I have followed the same plan for over twenty-three years with great success. Outside of the drugs and alcohol, I no longer smoke or desire caffeine.
After completing this with the marketing and all that comes with it, I will rewrite my autobiography to have a complete story of my life, not just about addiction. Over the years, I have received responses to An Injection of Faith that I should expand on some of the stories found in the book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
When it comes to writing, the main thing that I have learned is to never give up. It is hard to be an author today with the type of marketing that is required, and if you throw your hands up too early it can affect the outcome of the writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep going, my friend!
Author Websites and Profiles
Anthony Ordille Amazon Profile
Anthony Ordille Author Profile on Smashwords
Anthony Ordille’s Social Media Links