Meet Monica Santana

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monica Santana. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Monica, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Driven by the magic of storytelling, whether through the pages of a book or the scenes of a movie, I found myself drawn to the art of stories since I was a little girl. Although my love of stories was always present in my childhood, at the age of eleven, it took a sharp turn.

I lost my dad and his death left a hole in my heart that became almost impossible to bear. To me, I didn’t just lose my dad. I lost my best friend. I lost the first man I ever loved. I was drowning in an ocean of grief and the waves only seemed to become bigger. Two months after his passing, “The Chronicles of Narnia” was released, and I fell in love with its narrative. But most of all, I fell in love with the idea of a world where fantasy was a reality. It was a world where the grief that held me hostage didn’t follow me. Exactly a year later, my love of lore blossomed even more when “Eragon” came out. After reading the book in three days, I remember dreaming I was a dragon rider. The thought of a dragon coming to save me was thrilling and it was a form of escapism. It’s why so many millennials like myself love Harry Potter deeply—it’s a way to escape the cruel reality of life and step into a world where magic blooms. Night after night, I looked forward to my dreams, and when I realized I probably would never dream of being a dragon rider again, I began to write them down and found myself creating my own story of a girl riding a dragon. This is when writing became my haven. Through every moment of grief, heartache, or adversities, my hand followed the keyboard and I continued to write stories and create my own world of fantasy. Writing wasn’t just a hobby; it was my lifeline.

During my early twenties, I was miserable studying veterinary technology. I do love animals, but I was choosing a ‘safe’ career path when deep down, a part of me knew my true calling was to be a writer. My purpose in this life was to be a storyteller. I realize now, as I approach my thirties, that when my father died, and as brutally painful as it was, a writer was born. The journey to finding my purpose has been shaped by loss and love, by grief and healing, and by fantasy and reality. Stories have the power to heal, inspire, and transform as they did with me when my father died. It is my dream that my story, a grieving girl meant to be a dragon rider, will give readers hope as it did with me when I wrote it.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Though my legal name is Monica Santana, I use the pen name Monica De Armas because I was raised by my mother and her family. I feel a connection to them and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the consistent love and support they’ve given me. I was born and raised in Miami, but in my home it was Cuba—my father didn’t let me speak English at home. From mornings with cafecito Cubano to snacking on croquetas and watching my grandparents play dominos and smoke cigars during family gatherings, it made me deeply rooted in my Latin culture.

Currently, I am a reading teacher at a charter school in Miami, working with at-risk students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I resonate deeply with my students, as I grew up watching my single mother work tirelessly to provide for us. Becoming an adult sooner than expected, I didn’t have the luxury to pursue writing full-time, so I became a teacher and wrote on the side. Teaching reading allows me to share the magic of storytelling and inspire my students to embrace their imagination and creativity. At my school, I initiated the first creative writing club. I took my students to the Miami Book Fair, competed in a poetry slam, and published poems with the non-profit organization O, Miami. Outside the classroom, I am a writer and soon-to-be-published author. My novel tells the story of a grieving teenager who discovers she’s a dragon rider. Writing became my refuge after my father died, and my love for YA Fantasy and magical lore has fueled my creativity ever since. I also enjoy writing poetry and have publications in my community college and through O, Miami.

I am thrilled for my book to be published and to share the story that has helped me through dark moments in my life. I plan to continue writing for the rest of my life, sharing the art of storytelling with others whether in a classroom setting or through my book. Though I do not have the official release date for my book, I will announce it on my website and social media and hope you follow me or subscribe to receive updates.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, there are a plethora of qualities and skills that have impacted my journey to becoming a writer. If I had to choose three I’d choose: passion, empathy, and vulnerability. When you define passion, it says it’s a strong and barely controllable emotion. To have passion for me means to feel and love deeply. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to write my novel. Writing is not just a hobby to me, it’s a lifeline. I poured my heart into my novel and without the passion, there would be no story. One of the things I have known to have is the ability to empathize. Everyone has a story and it’s important to acknowledge that. Sometimes life is about perspective and I believe one must learn to look at situations through the lens of other people. This quality has helped me write authentic characters in my novel- characters with strong feelings, flaws, and backgrounds. Being vulnerable comes naturally to me. It has allowed me to connect with people. I share my deepest thoughts and emotions through my writing and poetry, and I believe it makes my story authentic and resonant. I like being true to myself, even if it means I need to be vulnerable.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The biggest area of growth for me since the start of 2024 has been learning to love myself in ways I hadn’t before. My thoughts and feelings were often overwhelming and hard to endure, and I had to learn to sit with them rather than avoid them or find a distraction. I was told to try meditating and practicing yoga because it would help me with my anxiety. Through these practices, I realized I needed to find myself worthy of respect, care, and love. In doing so, I’ve learned to embrace my solitude and find joy in being alone and going out by myself. This journey has taught me that love comes when least expected, and I’ve stopped searching for it.

Learning to love myself also meant forgiving those who I felt had hurt me and confronting generational trauma to break those chains. It has been a difficult journey, but it has profoundly helped me both as a woman and as a writer. I no longer feel as angry as I used to or let resentment hold my heart hostage. I created boundaries to protect myself and my peace. I am still learning to focus and appreciate the present moment without letting the future worry me. It’s all a work of progress but it has been my biggest area of growth because I have never felt so at peace in my life. For the majority of my life, I lived in survival mode and I am learning that I don’t have to anymore because I worked so hard to make a name for myself and I have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://readmdearmas.com
• Instagram: @readmdearmas
• Other: TikTok: @monnyrox

Image Credits

Natasha Perez took professional photos of me as soon as I learned I was becoming published. She shot a photo of me wearing the cream-colored blazer and the first and fourth photos above. You can find her professional photos at https://travelwithnat.co/photography. The second photo with the Miami sign behind was taken by Chantal Lawrie. This was taken during an event by O, Miami where I recited a poem they published.