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lisa@lisamontanaro.com

/Lisa Montanaro

About Lisa Montanaro

I am a lawyer turned entrepreneur who now helps others live successful and passionate lives and enjoy profitable and productive careers and businesses. I have a life long love affair and proficiency with story telling and the written word. I am the author of the book The Ultimate Life Organizer: An Interactive Guide to a Simpler, Less Stressful & More Organized Life, published by Peter Pauper Press (but unfortunately, out of print). When I'm not writing, I'm reading books... it's my favorite hobby!!

Where is This Supposed “Midlife Crisis?” Aging Into Confidence on the Back-Nine

So I'm now at the age that most people would call Midlife. My husband jokingly calls it “the Back Nine,” referring to the last nine holes of an eighteen-hole golf course. I don’t play golf, but I certainly get the gist! When I was a kid, I remember hearing about how people would often have a "Midlife Crisis." They would do wacky, out-of-the-ordinary things. They would not act like their former selves. They would often [...]

By |2018-06-12T23:41:24+00:00May 30th, 2018|Adventures, Gratitude|0 Comments
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A Visit to the New American Writers Museum: An Inspiring Afternoon with the Written Word

Last fall, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the new American Writers Museum in Chicago. The museum opened to the public in May 2017, and I visited in October 2017, only five months later. What a treat! I was accompanied by my writer friend and co-member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Nancy Johnson, who lives in Chicago. It was wonderful to spend time with Nancy and in such an inspiring place for writers! [...]

By |2018-05-23T16:26:10+00:00May 23rd, 2018|Adventures, Reading, Writing, Writing Community|0 Comments
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Best Books of 2017: Recapping a Fantastic Year of Reading

2017 was a great year of reading! I set my Goodreads Challenge goal to 52 books, but managed to read 71 books in total. And I loved every minute of it! It is always so hard to choose my favorites because I almost always find something wonderful, or at least redeeming, in every book I finish. But there were some stand outs. So without further adieu, here are my Top 21 Books. Perhaps you loved [...]

By |2018-02-21T16:24:45+00:00January 10th, 2018|Book Reviews, Reading|0 Comments
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Fan Girl Moment: Honored to Be Included in the Acknowledgments of a Writer Friend’s Upcoming Book!

Happiness is finding out that you have been given a shout out by one of your favorite authors who has become a writer friend that you had the pleasure of spending time with in person a few months ago. I am incredibly honored to be mentioned in the acknowledgments of Camille Di Maio's newest book to be released. I absolutely loved her first book, The Memory of Us, and am getting ready to read her [...]

By |2017-11-05T22:50:18+00:00November 15th, 2017|Reading, Writing Community|0 Comments
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Seeking Craft at the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Retreat & Finding My Writing Tribe

Finding my Tribe On September 20th, I made my way from Northern California to Albuquerque, New Mexico to attend my first Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) Retreat. I was eager to learn more craft and apply it to my writing. I was so looking forward to the Story Genius master class with Lisa Cron, as well as the breakout discussions led by members. And those did not disappoint (more on those below)! But while I [...]

By |2017-11-08T17:38:23+00:00November 8th, 2017|Writer Conferences, Writer Retreats, Writing, Writing Community, Writing Craft|4 Comments
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The Contagious Nature of Gratitude: Changing My (and Others’) Mindset About Something I Dislike

Many of us have heard that when you express gratitude, it helps you overcome negativity, fear, and puts you in a positive mindset. Indeed, there are many studies that prove that if you keep a gratitude journal and list the things that you're grateful for on a daily basis, that it will improve your life overall. I'm all for this! I have been keeping a journal since I'm eight years old. And while sometimes I [...]

By |2017-11-18T22:11:32+00:00November 5th, 2017|Gratitude|10 Comments
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The Diary of Anne Frank: The Book That Influenced My Reading, Writing, and Life as a Young Girl

The books we first pick up and read can have a profound effect on us -- as readers, writers, and people. For me that book is The Diary of Anne Frank. I always loved to read. Years before I picked up this particular book, I was a voracious reader with an appetite that was hearty. I loved books. The feel of them, their smell, and their promise to introduce you to new people and places. [...]

By |2018-02-21T16:25:13+00:00September 19th, 2017|Book Reviews, Journal, Reading, Writing|4 Comments
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A Look Back: My Favorite Books of 2016

2016 was a banner year of reading in my world! I read many debut novels, discovered writers that were new to me, and revisited writers from my past that I knew I loved. I wound up reading and reviewing 84 books total!  People started asking me for my favorites of the year or which ones stood out. And there were so many good ones last year that it's hard to choose! But alas, I went [...]

By |2018-02-21T16:25:27+00:00September 14th, 2017|Book Reviews, Reading|0 Comments
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