Our October Tomato book picks include a motivational book and two novels. In “What If It Were Easy,” author Sonia Satra takes the readers through the steps to get unstuck in your life. And the two novels, “Malone Ridge” and “Hello Beautiful” have similar themes of resilience, overcoming obstacles, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Feeling Stuck? Sonia Satra Makes It Easy to Find What You Love

If you have ever been in the presence of Sonia Satra, you will immediately be uplifted by her positive energy, and beautiful smile. Sonia has wowed audiences at several The Three Tomatoes events, and we’ve interviewed her on our podcast too. A mind-body expert and former soap opera star, Sonia created an award-wining program called “Moticise”, a revolutionary approach that combines cardio exercise with mindset tools, like visualization, goal setting, and affirmation to help you achieve what you want it life. Hundreds and hundreds of women have benefited from her revolutionary approach and now everyone can get in the “secret.”

In her new book, What If It Were Easy, she takes the reader through easy-to-follow steps along the process of building up strengths and eliminating barriers. Satra draws from her experiences as a life coach, actress, and entrepreneur as she shares how mindset tools and physical movement can lead to greater motivation and progress. Her approach gives readers the tools they need to break out of feeling “stuck” and

If you’re in a rut or feeling stuck in your life, Sonia’s book can help you listen to your heart and find a life you really, truly love. GET THE BOOK.

~Cheryl Benton, the Head Tomato

A Wonderful Story of Resilience and Overcoming Obstacles

Malone Ridge by James K. Dill is about a young woman facing the hardships of life.  Her name is Eve Malone, and she has just recently graduated high school.  While in high school Eve was the star cross country runner and her dream is to run in college. She is working as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home and saving her money for college.  Eve is also taking care of her mother, who is in out-patient rehab, they are living in a dilapidated trailer in Nitro, West Virginia. She learns her father will soon be released from prison.  She is very concerned that if her father shows up again, this may cause her mother to relapse.

Her father shows up at their trailer to see her and her mother.  He also brings along a son that he says is Eve’s half-brother.  Eve’s mother is very upset to hear about this son.    The mother, father and new son begin to party every night.  Eve is asked to clean up after their parties at night, she quickly learns that drugs and alcohol are involved.  She does try to get her mother to leave, but to no avail.

After coming home one night to find her mother dead, Eve knows she must leave the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia behind.  She goes to talk to one of her two friends in the community, Marcy that she has decided to leave.  She tells Marcy she is going to Alexandria, VA.  Her only other friend in town is Bigun.  He is a tatoo artist.  She is sad to say goodbye to them, but she knows this is the right decision for her if she ever wants to make anything out of her life.

Once in Alexandria, VA Eve finds herself homeless and panhandling on the streets.  An artist named Baker takes her in on his boat.  He wants her to work with him helping sell his art.  He also introduces her to Cora who owns a restaurant.  She is working both jobs, saving money with her college dream still in her thoughts and plans.  Eventually Baker and Eve have a romantic relationship.  She does follow her dream to college while she is able to purse running.

Malone Ridge is such a captivating story that explores the challenges and hardships Eve has and is facing.  It is also a wonderful story of resilience and the obstacles one can overcome when they are determined to make something out of their own life.  You will be cheering for Eve from the very first page of this beautifully written story.  I think a lot of us can relate to this story, I know I sure did.  I really loved this story and the writing.  James K. Dill is another one of our local fabulous authors here in Richmond, VA.  I highly recommend this book.  It was a five- star book for me.  GET THE BOOK.

~Francene Katzen, Richmond, Virginia, advocate for parents who have children with drug addictions.

A Triumph of The Human Spirit

In her new best-seller, Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano chronicles a rich and complex family saga over a period of several decades, following the disruption of the close knit Padavano sisters by an outsider whom they welcome into their fold.

The four girls live with their parents, affable Charlie and disgruntled Rose, in a low-income Italian neighborhood outside Chicago. Julia, the eldest, plans and orchestrates for her younger siblings. Sylvie is next youngest by not quite a year, a dreamer, a reader, and a willing second to Julie in charge. Then the twins, Cecelia (free spirit) and Emeline (loving spirit) make up the wholesome four.

Enter William Waters, a troubled young man whose parents lost his little sister to illness at the time of William’s birth. Ignored, unwanted, unloved, William grows up a lonely child whose only joy and escape is a neighborhood basketball court where the boys invite him to join because of his unusual height. Basketball becomes his salvation and reason for being.

Until Julia…who meets him on campus and sets her sights on him, planning for a relationship, a marriage, a family, and a future of teaching for William. She invites him into their loving home, and he welcomes their warm embrace. However, the best-laid plans go awry, and William goes missing.

The whole family starts to become unstrung. Julia marries William and then rejects him, dismayed by his disregard for the future she had planned and his lack of connection to the daughter he fathered. Sylvie is concerned by his disappearance and organizes a search for him. Cecelia and Emeline each share a shocking secret. Charlie dies and Rose sells the house and moves to Florida. And here the real story starts!

The story evolves with themes of true love, family relationships, sisterhood, scholarly pursuit, basketball, loss, and grief. It’s a story that reflects on our humanity and our struggles to overcome adversity with a triumph of the human spirit. GET THE BOOK.

~Joan Pagano, NYC, Joan Pagano Fitness