“A power punch of a book by the glorious Lisa Lucca, Ashes to Ink is filled with rage and sorrow…and much humor… with human emotion in each chapter. Lisa's memoir is all about LOVE, the wanting, the needing, the longing, the acceptance. From a parent whose lifestyle flattens her, to the seeking of love with men who challenge her, to finding the right one... this is a memoir about family—the down and dirty—about searching and forgiveness. Filled with so much truth, this memoir gives you ample time to hold your breath and exhale. Read it, devour it, allow yourself to creep into the uncomfortableness—Lisa gives us all the rare opportunity to see ourselves in the dazzling and magnificent mirror she holds up for us.” —Amy Ferris, Author of Marrying George Clooney, Confessions from a Midlife Crisis

“Fresh, warm, sassy, and smart... Lisa’s voice is a delight! I was enchanted by this book.”—Alexia La Fortune, Author of Sex, Love, and Spirit

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“In this raw and gripping memoir, Lisa Lucca has perfectly captured the unique ripple effects of life with a gay parent. With little representation in popular media, people who grow up with (or find out about) LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers are often left to wonder if there’s anyone else who really understands. Ashes to Ink is proof we are not alone, and that love truly does win.”—Jordan Budd, Executive Director of COLAGE, National LGBTQ+ family organization

More shows will be uploaded soon!


Author Bio


Lisa Lucca’s work has been published in several anthologies, most recently in Crone Rising. She is the co-author of the epistolary memoir, You Are Loved, with her partner, Mark Mathias, a love story she continues telling in her next book.

She shares a home with Mark in the high desert of southern New Mexico where she continues her work as a life coach, and hosts a weekly public radio show, Live True, bringing insightful and engaging interviews to her listeners. The show streams globally at lccommunityradio.org where the shows are available in the archives. Visit her website at lisalucca.com.

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 “Lisa Lucca weaves the past and present into a vividly written and important story with many layers: family secrets, fathers and daughters, love and sexuality, and at the core, forgiveness. What touched me most was the call to action to become the love of your own life. Read, learn, and become!”—Laura Munson, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats

Acceptance struggles to emerge from a cocoon of family secrets . . .

After her parents' divorce in 1974, Lisa Lucca's idyllic Midwestern childhood is shattered when she learns her father is gay. Sworn to secrecy, she begins carrying the emotions of her family like a cracked bucket, making a mess as she embarks on a life of rebellious choices.

Decades later, faced with the aftermath of her father’s death, Lisa revisits the complicated relationship she had with him, delving deeper into the stories she’s held about love, sexuality, and the family she comes from with a shimmering clarity that arises from her grief. 

A story of heartache and the power of forgiveness, Ashes to Ink shines a light on the challenges of living true to who we are. 

Live True with Lisa Lucca is now in the National Public Radio Exchange! 

Lisa Lucca