Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom

In the powerful memoir, Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom, author and activist Deborah Santana shares her journey of spiritual awakening shaped by a rich life of family, partnership, and purpose. Born to pioneering interracial couple Jo Frances and Saunders King, Deborah learned early the strength of identity, resilience, and love. Later married to legendary musician Carlos Santana, she embraced many meaningful roles—daughter, wife, mother, and supporter—before recognizing that it was time to fully step into her own voice and calling.

Across stories of motherhood, heritage, faith, and spiritual growth, Deborah takes readers on a deeply human journey of resilience and renewal. From her work with Daraja Academy to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, she reveals how a life devoted to service can evolve into one rooted in truth, wholeness, and fulfillment.

Equal parts inspirational memoir, spiritual reflection, and women’s empowerment, Loving the Fire is for anyone standing at a crossroads—ready to honor who they’ve been and step into who they are becoming.

Deborah Santana
Deborah Santana is the author of Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom, Space Between the Stars: My Journey to An Open Heart and the editor of the acclaimed anthology All the Women in My Family Sing. Her work has been featured by Vogue, Oprah.com, and NPR, among other national and
literary outlets.She is the founder of the Do A Little Foundation, which supports women and girls in the areas of health, education, and happiness. Her work explores identity, social justice, spirituality, and the power of collective voice. She has produced five short documentary films, four with Emmy-award winning director Barbara Rick.
Deborah is mother to three artists: Salvador Santana, Stella Santana and Angelica Santana. She holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Religion with a Concentration in Women’s Spirituality. She is a leadership donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and a Lead Investor to the Courage Museum in San Francisco. Find her at www.DeborahSantana.com.

Mirabai StarrMirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, and renowned translations of sacred literature. Her most recent book, Ordinary Mysticism, has been praised by Anne Lamott as “a gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book is for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life”. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. For more, visit www.mirabaistarr.com.