In her memoir, Soul on Fire, Maria discusses the atrocities of her upbringing and how she subconsciously allowed its effects to dictate her life.

After a horrific nightmare exposes the reality of what happened, she is forced to face the painful truth of her past. The resurrected traumas took Maria down into a place where she had to confront her past and grieve for her 10-year-old self.

As she shares her story, Maria delves deep into the raw, honest, and thought-provoking revelations as she comes to terms with her abusers and the complicity of other family members. Maria also documents her transformation from the weak and helpless child she once was to become the strong, empowering woman she is today.

Hungry to figure out the tragedies she endured, Maria digs through the motives of her family and unearths the family’s inter-generational dysfunction, pain, secrets, and traumas and vows to break the chain of bondage from the past ideologies of her ancestors.

Through this eye-opening revelation, Maria realizes she is the chain breaker chosen to destroy the toxic curses that have plagued her generations. She examines not only her pain and sorry but the tragedies in her mother’s life as well. On a mission to change the direction of her children, Maria paves the way to leave her family with a legacy of empowerment, faith, and courage.

To this day, Maria Cruz speaks out against childhood abuse, shares how to recognize the signs, and empowers other survivors to find their voices. She also mentors at-risk youth to succeed and instills a sense of pride and self-worth in those still fighting to find their way.

In publishing her story, Maria wants to start a revolution that offers inspiration and empowerment to others in finding their authentic selves and reach their full potential.