Meet S.A. Sterling
I'm S.A. Sterling, an Italian author, language teacher and the woman behind Women Rising Strong.
I've spent much of my life between different countries, languages and cultures. I've lived in Italy, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, and I've taught languages for more than twenty years. I speak seven languages, although some better than others.
Writing came later.
I started Women Rising Strong because I wanted a place to tell the stories of women who interest me most: women who have struggled, adapted, started again, spoken up, kept going or simply found their own way through life.
I'm interested in what makes us strong, but also in what makes us human—the doubts, changes, losses, second chances and ordinary moments that shape us.
And when I'm not writing or teaching, you'll usually find me cooking something Italian, playing the piano, reading, or going for a walk.
Why Women Rising Strong
I created Women Rising Strong because I'm fascinated by women's lives—not only the famous ones or the extraordinary ones, but the complicated, ordinary, unfinished ones too.
Here you'll find stories of women who have broken barriers, changed direction, survived difficult seasons, created something new, or quietly kept going when life didn't turn out as expected.
You'll also find reflections on the things many of us are still figuring out: identity, aging, relationships, purpose, confidence, change, and what it means to live more honestly.
I don't believe empowerment means being fearless or having everything figured out.
Sometimes it simply means knowing yourself a little better, making one different choice, or realizing you're not the only woman who has felt this way.
That's what I want Women Rising Strong to be: a place for stories, reflection, curiosity and connection.
BASTA, ÀLE
A Memoir of Body, Belonging, and Becoming
Basta, Àle is my memoir—and probably the most personal thing I've ever written.
It begins with a nine-year-old girl in northern Italy who learned very early that sometimes the easiest way to feel safe was to make herself smaller. From there, it follows me through different countries, cultures, relationships and versions of myself as I tried, for many years, to become what I thought other people needed me to be.
At its heart, this is a book about belonging. About our complicated relationship with our bodies. About the roles we learn to play, the expectations we carry, and how easy it can be to lose sight of ourselves along the way.
But it's also about what happens when we begin to notice.
When we start questioning what we've carried for years. When we stop apologizing for taking up space. When basta—enough—becomes not an ending, but the beginning of something different.
I wrote this book for women who have spent too much of their lives adjusting themselves to fit. And for anyone who has ever wondered what might happen if they stopped.
AWAKE
Notes from the Quiet Hours
AWAKE started because I kept waking up in the middle of the night.
At first, I was simply tired and frustrated. I tried the usual things—magnesium, fewer screens, better routines. Sometimes they helped. Mostly they didn't. So instead of trying to make something useful out of the sleeplessness, I started writing down what those hours actually felt like.
Over two years, those notes became sixty nights.
Some are about sleep. Many aren't.
They're about my children, my husband, my parents, getting older, my changing body, work, worry, memory, belonging, and all the ordinary things that somehow become much louder at three in the morning.
There are nights when I'm angry. Nights when I'm lonely. Nights when I make lists, steam vegetables at four in the morning, listen to church bells, think about people I love, or wonder what I'm doing with my life.
I didn't write AWAKE to explain insomnia or teach anyone how to sleep.
I wrote it because there is something strange about being awake while the rest of the world seems to be sleeping. And because sometimes what we need in those hours isn't another solution.
Sometimes we just need to know someone else has been awake too.
Ride On!
Dame Sarah Storey’s Extraordinary Journey of Triumph
Ride On! began with my fascination with Dame Sarah Storey, one of Britain's greatest Paralympians. The more I learned about her, though, the less interested I became in simply counting medals and records.
I wanted to understand the woman behind them.
I spent months researching Sarah's life—her childhood, the bullying she endured, her years as an elite swimmer, the difficult decision to leave the pool and begin again as a cyclist, her family, motherhood, and the work she has done for women and Para athletes.
Somewhere along the way, I became very fond of this woman I had never met.
What stayed with me most was her courage, both on and off the track. Sarah has spent much of her life being told, in one way or another, where the limits were supposed to be. And she has kept questioning them.
Ride On! is my attempt to tell that larger story—not only what Sarah Storey achieved, but what her life can teach us about resilience, change, ambition, self-belief, and finding the courage to keep going when the path you expected is no longer available.
You don't have to love sport to find something of yourself in her story.
Shadow and Light
Heal, Grow, and Transform Through Your Unseen Self
A 12-Week Guided Journal
I’m a woman, just like you, who knows what it’s like to carry emotions that feel too big, too messy, or too much. I’ve wrestled with self-doubt, anger, and those nagging patterns that keep repeating. So I did the work—diving deep into the research, asking hard questions, and finding real ways to break through.
And now, I’m sharing it all with you.
Shadow and Light is a 12-week guided journal designed to help you:
- Understand emotions like anger, jealousy, and fear (without shame)
- Break free from old patterns that no longer serve you
- Reconnect with yourself in a real, honest, and empowering way
This isn’t about “fixing” yourself—it’s about seeing yourself clearly, with kindness. You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s walk this journey together.
369 Manifestation:
Gratitude, Mindfulness, and Reflection Journal for Women
Are you ready to unlock your fullest potential and manifest your deepest dreams?
"Manifestation 369"is your ultimate guide to a journey of gratitude, mindfulness, and reflection, crafted especially for ambitious women seeking holistic growth.
Inspired by Nikola Tesla's powerful insights into the numbers 3, 6, and 9, this journal provides a daily framework to harness the abundant energy of intention-setting and reflection. Through its structured approach, you'll cultivate gratitude, reinforce aspirations, and uncover practical strategies to thrive in all areas of life.
Join us in celebrating the strength that resides within each of us. Together, we rise strong, reminding ourselves that we are stronger when we stand together.