Every family harbors untold stories—discover how to transform these hidden mysteries into compelling narratives. This presentation provides techniques for mining family secrets and weaving them into memoirs, novels, and short stories that resonate with readers. You'll explore how to navigate sensitive material with depth and nuance while uncovering the dramatic potential that lies beneath the surface of family history. Perfect for writers of any stage and genre seeking to add emotional authenticity to their work. Lisa will touch upon examples from her own experience of using her family’s story to create her award-winning novel, Everything We Thought Was True. This presentation will be interactive and include questions and answers. You’ll walk away feeling more empowered to include family secrets, real or imagined, on the page and share them with the world.

Lisa Montanaro is part no-nonsense Italian American New Yorker and part sunny Californian. Her unique background encompasses performer, teacher of the Deaf, lawyer, productivity consultant, writer coach, speaker, and author. Lisa’s debut novel, Everything We Thought Was True, published by Red Adept Publishing, drew inspiration from her family history and examines the corrosive nature of secrets—those we keep from ourselves, from each other, and from society. It won first place for Best New Fiction/Debut in the 2025 American Writing Awards, first place for LGBTQ Fiction in the 2024 International Firebird Book Awards, received Honorable Mention for General Fiction in the 2025 Los Angeles Book Festival, and was a finalist for LGBTQ Fiction in the 2025National Indie Excellence Awards. Lisa serves as webinar host for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. When not writing, Lisa enjoys cycling and hiking with her veterinarian husband, tending to her garden, and chasing after their rescue dog.