Panel 8 of The RV Book Fair 2025, titled Threads of Memory & Melody, offered audiences a rich and moving conversation about family, creativity, and the stories that shape our lives. Author Neal Engstrom, serving as the featured speaker for this panel, guided listeners through the highlights of a dialogue hosted by Lucia Matuonto, founder of The Relatable Media, alongside author and fair curator Pat Backley.
Lucia opened the session with warmth and enthusiasm, welcoming viewers back to the fair and expressing her excitement at once again sharing the stage with Pat Backley. Pat followed by setting the tone for the discussion, introducing the panel’s focus on memory, emotional truth, and human connection, and presenting the two distinguished guest authors.
The first guest, Melissa Morelli Lacroix—pianist, poet, and author of Song of Songs—spoke about her creative journey and the natural overlap between music and storytelling in her life. Her novel spans four generations, weaving past and present into a lyrical exploration of family legacy. Melissa shared that music shapes not only her characters’ lives but also the rhythm and emotional cadence of her prose, allowing memory to move like melody through the narrative.
Lauren Gibbons Paul, journalist and author of The Steps Between Us, reflected on her transition from journalism to fiction. She discussed how years of reporting sharpened her eye for emotional nuance and human complexity. Her novel centers on family dynamics, resilience, and the difficult but hopeful process of breaking generational patterns. Lauren explained that the story grew from observing the quiet, pivotal moments that define relationships and personal growth.
Throughout the panel, Lucia and Pat alternated questions that invited both authors to explore craft, inspiration, and emotional authenticity. Melissa and Lauren each emphasized how personal experiences—while not directly autobiographical—inevitably inform the themes they write about. When asked what advice they would offer aspiring writers, both encouraged embracing diverse creative backgrounds and trusting that every life experience can enrich storytelling.
Find out more about Author Neal Engstrom through website nealengstrom.com, Lauren Gibbons Paul laurengibbonspaul.com, and Melissa Morelli Lacroix through Instagram @morelli.lacroix