For information on Lea’s visits to elementary, middle and high schools, see “school visits,” under “For Educators.”

Lea is an experienced and enthusiastic speaker. She’s spoken at state library conferences, colleges and universities, and at many libraries, book groups, and civic organizations, is a frequent panelist at national mystery conferences and is active in the speakers’ bureau of Sisters in Crime of New England. Her audiences have ranged from a dozen people at a library to over a thousand people at a conference or book festival.

She’s also run writing workshops for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and in schools from primary to university levels.

Lea would be happy to customize a presentation for your organization. Some of the topics she has covered in the past have been:

Becoming An Author: Her journey to publication, including advice for those who would like to write professionally

Focus on Your Future: Lea translates her corporate work in strategic planning to help others achieve their own writing or other career goals

Ten Things I’ve Learned Since I’ve Been Published: A humorous personal look at writing and publishing today

Why Historical Novels? Lea’s perspectives on how novels can help us understand the past – and why that is important today.

How An Idea Becomes a Book: Lea takes you through the basics of writing and publication

You – The Author of Your Own Life. An inspirational speech for young people, about the possibilities open to them.

Winslow Homer Before Prouts Neck: Lea, an expert on Homer’s wood engravings, brings selections from the her extensive collection and introduces Homer in the years he was a young man who made his living as a newspaper illustrator – a mid-19th century Norman Rockwell recording the daily life of his times – and a Civil War correspondent.

Good Writers Are Good Re-writers: Ways to improve your writing skills through specific editing techniques.

Branding and Marketing: A Primer for Authors: What do agents, editors and readers expect when they see your name? For an author, building your brand, and keeping it consistent, is part of the job. And it starts even before you’ve sold that first book. Lea explains the whys and hows.

Lea’s fees for workshops, keynote speeches, or presentations vary, depending on length, location, audience, and amount of preparation required. For more information, contact her directly at leawait@roadrunner.com