Successful plaintiff’s trial lawyer, commodity futures trader, critically-acclaimed mystery writer, endurance sports athlete, and world traveler—Twist Phelan has a lot to talk about, and does so with great enthusiasm and zest!

Some of Twist’s areas of expertise include:

LEGAL/BUSINESS TOPICS

Suing Bad Guys
Dumpster diving, devious tactics, and death threats: tales of a plaintiff’s trial lawyer

Telling a Good Story
Lawyer skills that writers can use, and vice versa

In the Beginning...
Opening Statement & Chapter One: Whether in court or in a book, snag your audience from the start

Investment Fraud
Brokers, Hedge Funds, IPOs: How to detect the scam?

Contracts
What to look for in the fine—and not-so-fine—print (topic can be tailored to specific group or industry)

Identity Theft
Prevention and Protection Tips

WRITING TOPICS

How to Plant Clues (Misdirection, Fair Play, Red Herrings)
A suspect's behavior ties into the crime, whereas clues lead to the suspect. How to plant clues that will keep the reader guessing but will fairly point to the mystery’s solution.

Character Problems and Solutions
Character problems can be easy or virtually impossible to fix; common problems and suggested solutions.

Tips for Good Dialogue
How to keep dialogue fresh and current; the difference between man-speak and woman-talk

Roadblock Avoidance
Eight potential roadblocks to fast-paced suspense and how to avoid them

Creating and Developing Mystery Characters
Protagonist, antagonist, secondary characters

Twenty Archetypal Elements of Thrillers
How does a thriller provide the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative at breakneck pace? In other words, how does a thriller thrill? The twenty archetypal elements of a thriller.

How to Write Your Mystery in a Weekend (longer session)
Outlining and organizing techniques to help you plot out your mystery novel in two days. Provides an excellent starting point for beginning writers, as well as useful tools for writers less inclined to outline a story.

Thirteen Ways to Keep Your Readers Happy (longer session)
Beyond a laundry list of dos and don'ts; how to keep your readers happy and coming back for more.

SPORTS/ADVENTURE TOPICS

Cowboy Up!
Taking no bull; how Twist learned to rodeo

Queen of the Road
In less than a month, Twist bicycled from the Atlantic to Pacific. Hear about her journey!

Climb Every Mountain …and Building, Too
Twist tackled mountain climbing, but took it a step too far and ran up against the law.

Up A Creek Without A Paddle
What floats Twist’s boat: adventures in the water—outrigger canoes, surf skis, and kayaks

* * *

These are just a sampling of topics; Twist would be happy to design a program that suits your needs. A dynamic and charismatic speaker, she holds nothing back when sharing her knowledge, talent, and experiences with professionals, writers, and readers.

If you would like more information or are interested in booking Twist for a speaking engagement, please contact Matt Amore (mattamorepr@gmail.com) of Amore Publicity & Public Relations.