About Me

Raised in a bilingual and bicultural family, Mara left an early marketing career to pursue her love of acting. After roles on stage and screen, and a stint producing films, her journey led to the nonprofit world. Inspired by many fundraising gala adventures over the years, Mara returned to her creative roots with her debut novel, Charity Ball. She resides in Austin with her husband and their two rescue dogs.

As a big fan of romantic comedies, I courageously (or naively) set out to write one years ago. As a professional fundraiser, I set my story in a world I know well from planning over 15 galas and counting. Charity Ball has been a labor of love—and a love letter to many friends, colleagues, and charity volunteers who I've had the great fortune of working with over the years.

Thanks to invaluable feedback from dear friends with immense writing talent, and lots of patience, I quickly realized writing is the beginning. Rewriting is key, over countless drafts and many years, much like preparing for a charity ball where every detail counts. So, I guess you could say, I learned by doing, with my writing angels guiding me every step of the way. I made every mistake there is to make, and will surely make more along my journey. Fortunately, I embrace the process and love the creative outlet writing has become. I will stick with rom coms, knowing how happy they make me and so many fellow readers who share my passion for this genre.