Ito Romo was born and raised on the border in Laredo, Texas. His work, dubbed "Chicano Gothic" and "Chicano Noir," shows the dark and gritty life along Interstate 35 through South Texas, where his family has lived for 11 generations. A former Professor of English Language and Literature, Romo was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2019. His books includeThe Border is Burning  and El Puente / The Bridge, both published by University of New Mexico Press. He lives in San Antonio.

"A medieval Spanish vampire migrates to Mexico in search of a better life and falls in love with an Aztec vampire in this work of literary horror about colonialism and desire." --Publishers Weekly

"A compact epic spanning centuries and continents . . . Romo builds on familiar vampire lore and turns a trope into something both unfamiliar and insightful." --Kirkus Reviews

"The slipstream novel weaves together gothic and body horror, noir, and cyberpunk sci-fi in this dark, bloody, and undeniable historical epic. Ito Romo uses vampire lore to take aim at the story of colonialism, and he doesn't miss. Filth Eaters is horror with a heart and depth; a true can't-miss novel." --Chicago Review of Books

"Beyond body horror and sensual pleasure, the historical throughline in Filth Eaters satisfies an intellectual hunger . . . Romo has written a novel that asks what it means to be human, but also what it costs to remember." --Latino Book Review

"Ito Romo's vampires step across centuries with dignity, but with desperation, too--you don't want to get close to them, but you can't look away." --Stephen Graham Jones, author of My Heart is a Chainsaw

"Ito Romo's earlier fictions whispered in dark tones of the hauntings and sinister presences that inhabit our world. In his masterful Filth Eaters, he conjures a vampire epic across epochs and continents that would've shook Vlad, Dracula, Nosferatu, and Lestat to their bones, culminating in a Mestizoavatar of the undead who completes an occult destiny--to save the world. Try to be un-shook." --John Philip Santos, author of Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation, National Book Award Finalist

"A blood-soaked epic that still beats with a human heart. Absolutely unforgettable." --Charlie Brusko, Talking Animals Books

"This gorgeous new work from Ito Romo is a masterpiece of vampiric fiction. I found myself equally enthralled and disgusted as this non-linear puzzle of a book took me on a rich, rewarding journey spanning hundreds of blood-soaked years. Without a doubt, Filth Eaters is a contender for best horror read of the year." --Ramona Flores, White Whale Bookstore