Newsmax news host Alison Maloni’s inspiring book, “Rising Above: Empowering Stories of Women Overcoming Adversity,” celebrates the stories of nine women who refused to succumb to adversity. Rather, they chose to challenge and confront personal issues directly.
As she describes in every chapter, each woman profiled applied perseverance, faith, and determination in their lives. In turn, they emerged stronger and wiser because they asserted themselves despite heartbreaking circumstances.
In the last chapter, Maloni shares with readers her own personal challenges growing up. She lays out how, through therapy, self-reflection, and prayer, she emerged better, stronger, and more accepting of herself personally and professionally.
You Are Worthy
Another woman the author profiles is Amberly Lago. Lago was sexually abused by her stepfather for years beginning at age 8. She managed to put an end to the abuse as a teenager. She used athletics to distract from her unhappy home life and excelled in track and competitive dance. After high school, she became a personal fitness instructor, starting her own business coaching other trainers how to obtain their fitness certifications.
One day, while riding her Harley, she was struck by an SUV, propelling her 30 feet and shattering her right leg. After 34 surgeries and months in the hospital, she was diagnosed with an incurable nerve disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She grew dependent on alcohol to help with the pain.
Lago turned her life around by focusing on helping others, connecting with faith-filled women and writing about the power of resilience. She has since written a book and hosts a podcast. She also does workshops where she counsels women on the benefits of resilience and the importance of serving others.
Never Give Up
The author dedicated her book and included a chapter on Darlene Shortridge Mawhinney, a writer and publishing entrepreneur. Mawhinney had a tough start in life when her father abandoned their family. Her mother left the little girl to feed and change the diapers of her younger siblings. She was even forced to walk to the store to buy milk for the others when her mother refused to. Mawhinney was 4 at the time.
As an adult, Mawhinney was a devoted Christian and stay-at-home mom who wrote a novel. After her manuscript was rejected, she decided to self-publish. After an unsatisfying experience with a subsidy publisher, she and her husband procured the rights to her book.
They published it with Amazon where the book received 30,000 downloads. From that experience, the Mawhinneys created an indie publishing company which helps aspiring authors self-publish their work and retain all rights.
A few weeks after the author shared her idea for her second book, Darlene unexpectedly passed away at age 56.
You Are Enough
The last chapter shares the author’s own story of overcoming a tragic childhood. After the death of her mother, her father remarried but her stepmother had little interest in raising a young child. Her father was a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD.
After remarrying, he sold the only home she’d ever known. When she was 5 years old, it was decided Alison should live with her maternal grandparents. Three years later, her grandmother died, and her grandfather was aging rapidly. She was then taken in by her mother’s sister and husband.
Fearing abandonment again, Alison developed an eating disorder. Her aunt and uncle got her therapy that helped her explore her issues about loss, abandonment, and self-esteem.
Now 49-years-old, she has been at Newsmax six years. She launched two shows and has a better grasp on managing life’s rollercoaster. “Life is full of bumps in the road. Sometimes, massive potholes. But you find a way through. You navigate. You seek help. You pray,” she wrote.
In addition to her role at Newsmax, Alison is also the CEO of Alison May Communications.
In a grievance culture that celebrates victimhood, the uplifting stories of trials and triumphs told in ‘Rising Above’ are a breath of fresh air. Poignant and honest, the book offers mini-profiles in courage and demonstrates the wonders of resilience, persistence, and faith to those who refuse to quit.
‘Rising Above: Empowering Stories of Women Overcoming Adversity‘
By Alison Maloni
Alison May Public Relations: June 28, 2025
Hardcover, 120 pages
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