Category Archives: memoirs

Public Opinion beats Self-Promotion

Posted by Rich Tola on

Of course I believe my life’s journey is worth reading about and my new memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, will entertain and enlighten you with an assortment of interesting lifestyles, careers, and cultures – not to mention women – or else why write it? Plus, sales of my book also support my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.10% of all book and DVD sales go to the foundation.

But don’t take my word for it. I received this from a gal in NYC:

“I just finished reading your book. I ordered it last Tuesday and it came on Friday and I finished reading it Saturday night! I want you to know I have NEVER in my 36 years of life read a book that fast! Your book was witty, funny, charismatic, intriguing and extremely heartfelt. You had me in tears a few times throughout the book. It was a real page turner.”

What makes my 386 pages of adventures from Wall Street to Hollywood – and everything in between – fly by is the 69 bite-size Chapters that creatively detail delightfully true stories along my life’s timeline. So there’s lots of stories and lots of sex. Yes, well, what can I say. I’m certainly comfortable with my colorful (and oftentimes wild) past and my evolution to a retired “player”. So my memoirs are sexy and they’re also thoughtfully written “to protect the innocent”, as another happy reader said.

Check it out on AMAZON – click the Logos or CLICK HERE

And don’t forget to get your workout in! Enjoy – R

Available in paperback ($15.99) or ebook ($9.99)

Memoir – Simply – In Stores Now!

Posted by Rich Tola on

Thanks again to all those who bought my book, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. Post your comments below or on Facebook – love to hear them! And if you find yourself in San Francisco, you can buy a copy at Books Inc. in Opera Plaza, located at 601 Van Ness, and Browser Books in Pacific Heights, located at 2195 Fillmore St. With In-Store events coming in May!

You can also buy the paperback on Amazon.com for $15.99 or download on Kindle.com for $9.99

Here’s what readers are calling it thus far: enjoyable, inspiring, a great coast-to-coast read on a direct flight, fantastic, a real page-turner, and, wow, a well-written book with so many women. Well, what can I say, but there’s a really good chapter in there explaining the “cute-boy syndrome” and my retirement from “playing” aptly called, The Player Gets Played. And tons more stories that’ll humor you for a good 4 hours, or longer, if you get caught up on my multi-generational timeline of pictures – all 48 of them – from the early 1960′s to 2011.

So maybe you don’t want your 13-year old reading this, but if YOU do, you’ll learn something new about all sorts of places and things. Not to mention the plethora of businesses you’ll experience, including Wall Street and making movies. For sure you’ll be inspired to get up and try something new, or at least acknowledge that you could do something new, if you just believed in yourself and tried. Like a daily fitness program. Of course that’s in there too, in one of my favorite chapters, Self-Correct.

10% of all sales donated to my charity. Thanks for reading! Enjoy – R

COMING SOON on AudioBook

My Memoir Helps Women and Children of Domestic Violence

Posted by Rich Tola on

Hi Everyone,

I’m happy to announce my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, is available for purchase at www.Amazon.com. There’s 386 pages worth – featuring 69 short chapters of wild and inspiring true stories for $15.99.

10% of all sales donated to The Boulevard Zen Foundation, where we teach yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

For more information about the book, read all about it on Amazon or my website, www.RichTola.com

5 Years Goes By Quick!

Posted by Rich Tola on

Exactly 5 years ago today I purchased a one-way ticket and boarded a plane to Hollywood. Of course, I had a “Five Year Plan”, which you’ll read all about in Chapter 3 of my soon-to-be-released memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. But when does anything go according to plan, right? Nevertheless, it’s been an amazing 5 years and I’m really looking forward to the next leg of my journey! Because, no matter if you’re “on-track” to meet your pre-determined plan, life always throws you a curve ball. And just like a batter expecting the fastball but gets the curve – relax, stay focused, keep you eye on the ball, and go with the pitch. And always remember, wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Here’s my Top Ten highlights of the past 5 years:

1) Produced, directed and starred in my first feature film, Boulevard Zen
2) Created and produced a video encyclopedia of 100 yoga poses, Yoga Survival Guide
3) Created and produced a yoga/fitness video for 7 days a week, 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts
4) Created and produced 100 consecutive days of free yoga/fitness videos, 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts: 100 Workouts in 100 Days
5) Founded a charity teaching yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters, The Boulevard Zen Foundation
6) Launched the Fat Burn America Tour: 100 Cities in 100 Days (albeit, I didn’t procure the necessary funding)
7) Quit drinking and my “player” ways (OK, that’s 2 but they go together)
8) Lived in paradise (Hawaii) for 3 months
9) Wrote my first book, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood
10) Moved to the most lovable and unique city in the country: San Francisco

Oh, did I mention I worked out every day for the past 5 years. I guess that goes without saying, because anyone can commit to a daily fitness program, if you set your sights and try. So for those of you not currently trying to fight Father Time on a daily basis, here’s another 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout to get you started. Enjoy – R

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood

Posted by Rich Tola on

As I get ready to publish my rather colorful memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, I like to give a shout out to my team at CreateSpace – thanks so much for all your hard work and for doing such a timely and professional job! It’s been a blast finishing my book in Hawaii, and come this Valentine’s Day you’ll have a chance to read my “fun and inspiring page-turner” as described by my psychic, Jeanie MacDonald (who appears in Chapter 64 – The Glass Tower). Because what’s an aspiring best-selling author without a vote of confidence from one of the world’s best psychics!

And if you need a little help restoring your body – and your daily fitness routine – today, here’s another 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout to put a spark in your day! Enjoy – R

Memoirs – Coming Soon!

Posted by Rich Tola on

After two months of trying to attract the right publisher – or any publisher for that matter – I’ve decided to take the plunge! That is, take the plunge into self-publishing my memoirs with Amazon’s independent publishing company, CreateSpace. And I must say, thus far I’m quite pleased with the process and my CreateSpace team. By the looks of it, the book will be available in late January, and to say the least, I’m really looking forward to it. And for anyone not familiar with my 45 years of rather colorful stories, here’s a preview of Chapters 11-20 in, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood.

At age nine I watched the 1969 classic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. From that point on, I became fascinated with Hollywood’s “world of make-believe”. So Chapter 11, Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, is aptly named after Robert Redford’s gang of bank robbers, and sets the stage for my dreams of becoming “the Sundance Kid”. Chapter 12, The Belt, touches upon the cycle of domestic violence and the abusive grandfather I never knew and met only once, while Chapters 13 – 15, All-Stars, Going to PENN, and Just Say No, explain my early teenage years and how baseball and my parents’ “Sicilian parenting” impacted my life and set the stage for the next 30 years. In Chapter 16, Sweet 16, I unofficially become of legal drinking age and recall my not-so-virginal romance with a gal stricken with Anorexia Nervosa – a horrible disorder that rears its nasty head time and time again (as well as in my film, Boulevard Zen). Chapter 17, Jersey Shore, is quite amusing with tales of adolescent debauchery that I’m sure you’ve seen on the popular reality show of the same name, albeit, without the scripts and cameras! In Chapter 18, The Game, you’ll experience the best High School baseball game of all-time – all 20 innings worth, while Chapter 19, Dear Olde PENN, introduces you to one of the best colleges in the world, The University of Pennsylvania, as well as the gritty bars of Philadelphia in the early 80′s. As for Chapter 20, Two Minute Drill, no, it’s not about the final two minutes of a football game. Rather, imagine what it’s like drinking 8 beers in 2 minutes, and then imagine what it’s like seeing 400+ wild and crazy gals hooting it up at the hottest Ladies Club in town – with your best friend as the lead attraction!

Good stuff that makes for some fun reading! So, like I said earlier, I’m really looking forward to self-publishing my colorful memoirs in the coming months. I hope you are too. Have a wonderful day – and don’t forget to get your workout in! – R

Simply Between Millions: Chapters 6 – 10

Posted by Rich Tola on

It’s November 1st and New Year’s Day is fast approaching. You may ask yourself, where did 2011 go? It’s interesting how time seems to pass more quickly as the years pile on. Just the other day I was this six year-old boy learning Sicilian cultures and meeting all sorts of storybook characters you’ll find in my colorful memoirs, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. Like Goobata Sal and the myriad of essentials that “fell off his truck”. There’s also my love of learning and fitness with Baseball, Push-Ups & Math Games, and my understanding of the Sicilian concept and tradition of “Representing the Family”. In Chapter 9, I explain Acceptable Behaviors and why we make the choices we make, then recount some exciting times at the YMCA.

So take a moment to remember your childhood today, and don’t forget your daily workout. Because before you know it, you’ll be making that resolution to lose that 10 pounds you’ll gain in the next two months. And if you’re new to a daily fitness program, then start with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #85 – Chair Twists. Enjoy – R

Simply Between Millions – Preface

Posted by Rich Tola on

Over the past three years, the only business school friend I keep up with, George Graffy, has been telling me that he lives vicariously through me and that I should write my colorful memoirs because my multi-careered and multi-storied journey is worth documenting. He also said I was an “actor with a brain”, and that people like to read books. Thus, I should write one. Yeah right, just go ahead a write a book. Easy enough in concept, but who has 500 hours to write 75,000 words and proof it a couple of times? Well, if you’re an actor in Hollywood like I am, then you do. So I did.

Not to mention the support and encouragement of my dear friend and albeit, transexual roommate, Angelae Le’Chastaignier. Because without her daily reinforcement to keep my memoirs “honest and kind”, I may have defaulted to a less tactful version of the not so pleasant truth. Nonetheless, my memoirs are completely honest with X-rated subjects, but written so my 12 year-old nieces can read it. Just like my film, Boulevard Zen, and yoga and fitness DVDs – my book is inspiring and entertaining and suitable for all ages.

Between now and Christmas Day, I’ll post a short description about the Preface and the Appendix and the 69 Chapters in between. And for those of you who have requested it now, please be patient – if I haven’t found the right publisher along the way, I may self-publish with the help of Lulu or CreateSpace. Just like Benjamin Franklin, Deepak Chopra, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, Mark Twain and many others did.

In the meantime, don’t let the holidays fatten you up without doing something fitness related every day. At the very least, start with 5 minutes a day, everyday, and before you know it you’ll be loving life with a daily fitness program. And for anyone not sure where to start, how about with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout # 87 – Dancing Warrior. Enjoy – R

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood

Posted by Rich Tola on

COMING SOON! I just finished writing my memoirs, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, filled with 45 years of colorful and poignant stories about Sicilian funerals, Goombata Sal, the Jersey Shore, Wall Street, NYC strippers, lots of married women, Ivy League romances, Goth gals, bachelor parties, Interventions, my dot-com crash and burn, The Trump Organization, the real estate crash, sobriety, Hollywood “babes”, booty calls, auditions, transsexuals, sex-filled yoga retreats, making a film in two days and for $50,000, and my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation.

Today, I start the search for the right book publisher – hopefully I’ll have a release date soon, and a book tour to follow. Just like my other works, 10% of all sales go to the foundation.

As for the Fat Burn America Tour, we continue to seek corporate sponsorship, however challenging in a US recession. In the meantime, make sure you keep up with your daily fitness program, and enjoy the arrival of Autumn with our Hollywood Sneak Peek – R