Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Romasanta.
Mary, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in San Antonio and raised just across the street from the city’s largest cemetery, San Fernando Cemetery #2. The shadows of that cemetery stretched into my childhood, steeping me in a world where the mystical and the spiritual felt as real as the ground beneath my feet. I was shaped by the dual influence of my parents: my father, a pastor and my mother, a florist. I was raised at the intersection of faith and mystery—where sermons met silence, and grief walked hand in hand with hope.
The youngest of six and the first in my family to leave home for college, I earned a full scholarship to UT Austin, where I pursued dual degrees in Public Relations and Communication Studies, along with a minor in Business. When I crossed the stage at graduation, I carried both ambition and optimism, convinced that my internships and education had prepared me to build a career rooted in my passion for writing. But the job market told a different story.
Over the next twenty years, I was incredibly fortunate to build a successful career as a technologist—climbing the ranks to VP while earning my MBA in Technology Management at night and working full-time by day. But after two decades in tech, the spark that once fueled me began to dim. It never disappeared; it merely quieted, slipping into the background, waiting. Then something deep within me stirred—a persistent whisper that there was more. More to say. More of myself to uncover. More to create.
That “more” showed up at the end of long days as vivid, plot-driven dreams I couldn’t shake. When I shared them with my husband, he encouraged me to write. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Still, I struggled. I had three young children, a lucrative career, and every practical reason to stay the course. Pursuing writing full-time felt selfish, even reckless. So I stayed, and I wrote.
In 2023, I released my debut novel, Avīci Sagga—a dark psychological thriller and the first book in the Infestation series—and the response was overwhelming. By 2024, I made the bold decision to fully commit to my passion, not only as a writer but also as a storyteller and speaker. I immersed myself in my craft, refining my voice while drawing deeply from the unique influences of my upbringing—growing up as a pastor’s kid, living across from a cemetery, and even encountering hauntings. These experiences, steeped in the mystique of the supernatural, continue to shape the stories I tell.
With a unique blend of genres and an unwavering dedication to exploring cultural and spiritual dimensions, I invite readers to confront the thin veil between reality and the supernatural. My stories challenge perceptions, provoke thought, and guide readers into the depths of both terror and transformation.
I have also:
• Released the final installments of the Infestation series: The Eternal Secret, Infestation, and Oscar (launches 10/1/2025)
• Have had my work been featured in billboards in New York Times Square.
• Founded Sagga Publishing House, a publishing company dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and bringing powerful, authentic stories to life.
• Established a partnership with award-winning filmmaker, director, and producer Lisa France, who brings her voice and vision to the Infestation series. Together, we are developing a terrifying trilogy for the big screen based on my novels—Infestation, Oscar, and Avīci Sagga.
Though we are still in the early stages and development does not guarantee a deal, I am truly honored that Lisa sees the potential in this trilogy and thrilled to bring these stories to life in a new medium.
• Co-authored and released a children’s book titled Pinguino The Brave Little Pinata, in English and Spanish
• Released my first non-fiction book. Deliver Us: True Stories of Possession, Oppression and spiritual warfare, which pulls back the veil between story and reality to reveal the true supernatural encounters that shaped her most chilling works.
• Been featured in a Masterclass on thriller writing by InkWell Academy
I’m also excited to share that I will be releasing a fresh take on a story deeply rooted in the hearts of many San Antonians—La Llorona. My novel, La Llorona – The Awakening, is set to launch in Spring 2026.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Despite the comfortable perks of my career as a technologist, the truth became inescapable: my job was no longer serving me. I kept pushing forward, but my health began to deteriorate. During the pandemic, I became pregnant with my youngest child and faced unforeseen complications, including a rare and more often than not fatal heart condition—endocarditis. How I, a young and otherwise healthy woman, developed this illness was inexplicable to my team of doctors. I was forced to take a year of medical leave, enduring countless appointments with different specialists in the process.
Fortunately, my son was born healthy, and in time, I recovered. Yet through it all, I reached a sobering realization: staying—whether out of fear, obligation, or comfort—was the truest form of selfishness. The soul, after all, protests when confined to a space that no longer nourishes it.
So, I took the leap and pursued writing full-time.
After countless failed attempts to secure a literary agent, I dusted off my PR skills and went to work. I crafted press releases, built media kits from scratch, and reached out to anyone willing to listen—determined to place my novels into the world.
I committed myself to growth—not only as a writer, but as a storyteller and speaker. I studied my craft, honed my voice, and even earned a certification in Modern World Literature through Harvard.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
A product of both failure and ambition—a powerful combination—I founded Sagga Publishing House, a company dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and bringing authentic stories to life. The name Sagga is derived from Sanskrit, meaning heaven—a reflection of our belief that storytelling is a transcendent space where all voices, cultures, and experiences belong. Though still a young company, Sagga has already signed six authors and is on track to publish twenty books by the end of the year.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is sharing my journey with my children—not as passive observers, but as active participants in the life I’m building. I love bringing them to book signings and watching their eyes light up as they see the impact of storytelling firsthand. We have real, meaningful conversations about some of the themes in my books, and I’m often moved by how deeply they engage with those ideas. Nothing compares to seeing the pride in their faces, or hearing their own imaginative suggestions for stories I might one day write. For me, it’s not just about writing—it’s about creating a legacy of curiosity, creativity, and courage that my kids can carry forward in their own lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saggapublishing.com
- Instagram: @authormaryromasanta
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-romasanta
