Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Massino.
Hi Marina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started writing with the goal to become a published author back in 2015 after my mom passed. She was only 55 years old, and while we all know the old adage “life is short”, it struck me then just how short it could be. I was in a career I wasn’t very happy with, but I always loved writing and exploring emotions and the human condition through words. I quit my full-time job and worked on writing and traveling while working in the restaurant industry. Eventually after many years trying to get traditionally published, I started to consider more seriously self-published after my currently published novel got some agent interest, but still will no offers of representation. With the confidence of that, plus a few writing awards, I officially published my debut fantasy romance novel, Steal the Sky in February 2026.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe every journey worth making is bound to have a few bumps and ruts that give you a hard time, with some that even make you question if it’s even worth it. For me, the path has been long and winding, but never at any point did I consider giving up and turning back. A lot of the roadblocks I came across were from the publishing industry itself, but with every new manuscript I wrote and attempted to get published, I grew as a writer, making my craft stronger with each story I followed. Then of course, life itself has a way of making any journey you thought would take no time at all, take much longer, and a lot happened to me in the ten years that followed my mom’s passing that led me to pursue becoming an author, including the passing of my mother-in-law, who played a very formative role in reigniting my love of reading in my adult years, becoming a mother, and the passing of my father-in-law. That’s a lot of normal (tough incredibly difficult) life things that happened in my early adult life when I was trying to establish myself and become an author.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a fantasy romance author with a focus on writing novels and series aimed for adult audiences. I most often explore themes of feminism, finding your power as a woman, and exploring real world power systems through allegory with hopeful messaging for the future of those who suffer under that corruption.
I think the thing that most sets me apart from other authors within the genre is my ability to create a theme and message that challenges what’s happening in the world, while placing the capacity for change at the center of a romance-focused piece. I create characters that may have been part of the problem, but that then recognize the being passive, or simply just not being the one to commit social atrocities, isn’t enough to create change the world needs for a true civilization.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always a quiet, introspective kind of kid. I was a big observer, and kept to myself within large groups, but really shined in close knit circle of friends and family. I was obsessed with the film The Wizard of Oz. The colors, the whimsy, the story all set a tone for me for loving the strange, unusual, and hopeful stories. I was never the fastest runner, or the most coordinated, so I spent a lot of time thinking about the world around me and the people in it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marinamassino.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinamassinoauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarinaMassinoAuthor
