Lisa Montanaro

Biography

Lisa Montanaro is part no-nonsense Italian American New Yorker and part sunny Californian. She has a unique background as a performer, teacher of deaf students, employment lawyer, executive coach, productivity consultant, speaker, and author.

Lisa writes book club fiction featuring complex characters breaking barriers and fighting to truly be themselves despite obstacles in their way—including the time they live in and societal stigmas. Lisa’s debut novel, Everything We Thought Was True, was inspired by her family history and examines the corrosive nature of secrets—those we keep from ourselves, from each other, and from society. It released in January 2025 by Red Adept Publishing in print and eBook, and in May 2025 on audiobook produced by Tantor Media, narrated by Annalee Scott. It was awarded first place for LGBTQ Fiction in the 2024 International Firebird Book Awards, Honorable Mention in General Fiction in the 2025 Los Angeles Book Festival, and finalist for LGBTQ Fiction in the National Indie Excellence Awards.

Lisa serves as webinar host for the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). When not writing, Lisa enjoys cycling and hiking with her veterinarian husband, tending to her garden, and chasing after her rescue dog. Lisa has enjoyed living snow-free since 2012 in Northern California, where she’s made it her mission to sample the wines of the region. Visit her website at www.LisaMontanaroWrites.com and subscribe to her Prosecco & Prose newsletter.