“For Sabrina, who fuels me with the urge to seek an even better version of myself every single day.”

“For Matthew, whose presence reminds me that life is filled with miracles and hidden treasures.”

“For Tommy, who has held my hand throughout an extraordinary journey full of passion, and who has shown me the true meaning of the word commitment.”

“For my mother, whose gaze alone transmitted unconditional love, a love that has transcended the grave. You will always be in my heart, in every place and thought we ever shared, forever and ever.”

“My fans and followers, especially if they are young like me in every circumstance of their lives feel as though they are someone wearing clothing that isn’t their size.”

- Thalía, Growing Stronger (Cada día más fuerte)

To all outside appearances, Thalía has it all. Happy marriage to mega producer Tommy Mottola. Two beautiful kids. Fabulous career.

But the Mexican superstar singer has had her share of knocks. She was bullied as a child. Her father died when she was 5, and she is currently battling a debilitating illness, Lyme disease.

In her new memoir, Growing Stronger (Celebra, $22.95), the singer talks about her various struggles and ultimately triumphing over them.

“I wrote this to inspire people,” she says from her home in New York. “A lot of times we keep important stories to ourselves, and they really are for telling so you can learn from them. I hope it can make others happy and give them hope.”

Thalía, 40, is all about turning negatives into positives.

“I feel like I should take advantage of my experiences. Everything happens for a reason.”

Inspiration came after she recorded her latest album, to be released next year.

“I really began exploring myself internally. I wanted to show myself without a mask.”

The process of writing Growing Stronger was cathartic. (Aside: she dedicates a chapter to local great Emilio Estefan, who introduced the Mottolas.)

“To put it all down on paper was empowering. I don’t think the word for ‘empowerment’ in Spanish exists. It was time for me as a woman to do just that.”

The disease she caught two years ago from a tick is in check; a recent test of her blood came out clean. Thalía has said she felt close to death during the height of the illness that affects the central nervous system, and it’s a tremendous relief to be well. She credits a good diet and proper maintenance.

“I take care myself,” says the sometime actress and radio personality. “I eat well and concentrate on my health. Todo bien.”

Though life in New York can be crazy, the family lives in the tranquility of the suburbs, the best of both worlds. “If we want to go into the city, we can. We are close enough to return home and have a normal life.”

The couple’s children, Sabrina, 4, and Matthew, born in June, are doing great. “They are a blessing,” she says. “The most beautiful present.”

The little one’s actually not so little. “He’s grandote!” she says, estimating the baby’s weight at about 18 pounds. “Lifting him hurts my back!”

Luckily he’s sleeping through the night. “He’s very calm, there’s no drama. He’s my superhero.” The siblings get along well. “Sabrina loves him, he’s like her big doll.”

Despite two pregnancies and a chronic health issue, Thalía still looks great. Her secret? “I try to live a life in balance. Despite hardships or your circumstances, be optimistic in your soul and spirit. Have a good attitude and love your fellow human being.”

Source: The Miami Herald

NEW YORK (AP) – It’s no secret that Thalía has savored the honey of love and success in the same way she has lived through moments of great pain. The Mexican superstar grew up under the spotlight and the press has been in charge to document everything and more about her life.

What the public does not know is what was on the mind of Thalía at age 6, when the death of her father caused her such a shock that she did not make a sound for a year. Or what harbored the feelings of guilt after the kidnapping of her sisters in 2002 and how she handled it. Or how her current husband Tommy Mottola won her heart.

In her new book Cada día más fuerte (on sale this week and available on November 1 in English as Growing Stronger), the singer and actress reveals her most personal struggles while reflecting on what she considers her greatest blessings: Mottola and their children Sabrina and Matthew.

“It’s a very intimate book, where I’m exposed to a thousand, where there is no mask, where there is no angle that remains guarded,” Thalía said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

With her long hair down, minimalist makeup without any accessories, the star spoke enthusiastically about this and other chapters of her life, putting in laughter and tears when remembering her mother, Yolanda Miranda, who died just last May a month before the birth of her son. She also explained why she thanks the La Llorona having made a girl able to face the unknown.

“My life has been wonderful,” sums Thalía. “Every moment has made me a stronger person, a gladiator.”

Following are excerpts from the interview.

The Associated Press: What led you to write this book at this point in your life?

Thalía: It’s a moment in which I am very sure of who I am, very accepted, very peaceful, happy with the things I’ve done in my life, both personally and professionally, and I thought it was an important time to share my story, my experiences both good and bad, with everyone… and treat it in some way my experiences can support the lives of others.
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Through her twitter account, the Mexican singer Thalía announced a collaboration with the famous children’s character Dora the Explorer.

In the singer’s account @Thalia wrote:

Today we recorded a video with Dora the Explorer! A duet that fills me with joy

Dora is a Latina girl (Dora Marquez) of 7 years, with her friend Boots, 5, who embarks on a trip in every episode in order to find something or help somebody. Following a format that is similar to a computer interactive game in each episode, She asks the viewers at home to help her find new ways to reach places with the help of Map, in fact, another character.

Source: Oye México
Picture: Thalía’s twitter

The time has passed and also the book Cada Día Más Fuerte, written by Thalía, which will be released this November will be the public confession of the artist how she really felt and how she lived the kidnapping of her two sisters: Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi.

“I have struggled to get rid of the guilt I felt by the kidnapping of my sisters; it were months – if not years – of many questions and internal conflicts. I felt that the abduction of my sisters, and even at the present of what they are choosing and living, it was my fault. With hard work of introspection, together with a professional psychological help, I regain my confidence, my self esteem and above all revalue forgiveness.”

Thalía addresses the difficult process she lived with her family when Ernestina (Titi as Thalía calls her) and Laura were victims of a kidnapping outside a theater in which the latter performed in Mexico City.

Thalía detailed in her book how this incident cracked her family, the “clan and matriarchy” that constituted the five sisters, mother and grandmother.

“An event of this magnitude causes internal damage to the structure of the relationship of the family living this traumatic event, and each process their your way.”

And the book tells how she started the conflict stage with Laura Zapata:

“While Titi and I, until now, still have a very close relationship, Laura and me greatly distanced since the kidnapping until we stopped talking for several years (….) Laura felt that nobody could understand her pain and as much as I would like to support her, there was nothing she could say or do to help.”

And Thalía recognizes that the death of her mother was the incident of reconciliation between the two:

“To think that my mother had to die to change everything, it makes my heart ache, as if there was a big bite, and crying, at times, with great pain.”

Thalía’s new book Cada Día Más Fuerte, which also has its English edition Growing Stronger, goes on sale in bookshops throughout the United States on November 1. The singer, actress and entrepreneur makes a journey through her life from her childhood, the death of her father until she met Tommy Mottola and the birth of their children, Sabrina and Matthew.

Source: AOL Latino