Hi there!
My name is Leia Barrett, and if you’re here it’s because you wanted to learn a little bit more about me. Here’s what led me to telling stories.
The Early Years
My family was always drawn to the country, so we lived in a few small towns during my childhood. I did well in school but was drawn to more creative pursuits. I’m not great at drawing, but I loved writing, reading, and playing music.
I kid you not, I decided I wanted to be a musician when I was seven years old. I had no idea what that meant, but after starting the piano I knew I wanted music to be a part of my life for the rest of my life. I studied hard, eventually learning the bassoon and securing a music scholarship at the University of Iowa.
College and my early career
I studied hard and had OK success as a music major, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t quite in the right place. I finally understood what it took to become a professional musician, but I didn’t think it was the right fit. I was also getting teaching certification, but I wasn’t ready to enter the classroom.
My AHA moment came while I was teaching after-school band at an inner city private school in Kansas City during my Master’s degree. I loved providing unique experiences and watching children grow and love music. I realized that I wanted to present programs that inspired, but had no idea how to do that!
Luckily, I discovered that many symphony orchestras employed education directors, and these individuals were behind many of the kid-centric programs orchestras provided. I decided to pursue one more degree, this one in arts administration, and eventually landed my first job with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. It was my pleasure to serve the Orlando Phil from 2012-2018, creating programs for more than 65,000 students and families. In August 2018 I moved back to Kansas City with my soon-to-be husband.
COVID and the writing bug
Soon after moving back to Kansas City, I was working for a chamber music organization (The Friends of Chamber Music) in the midst of COVID. As a performing arts presenter, most of our programming moved online and I found myself with more time on my hands than ever before. It was at this point I renewed a dream I’d had while in Orlando– to write and publish a children’s book.
I had created a story for one of our programs called The Goldilocks Quartet. It was a musical twist where, instead of the Bears chasing Goldilocks off, they decide to make music together. Literally a week after publishing and receiving my books, my board asked me to step in as their Acting Executive Director. I agreed to help the organization, but was eager to begin my author journey when I felt the organization was past such unprecedented times.
27 months later (but who’s counting?)
By June 2023, I knew it was time to begin my author journey in earnest. I spent a few months getting the Friends ready for their transition, and set my sights on where to go next.
I should mention that I was about to turn 40, and I told my husband that I only wanted one gift: a dog of our own. I grew up with dogs, but my busy work schedule had precluded me from feeling ready for a dog.
He agreed, and a few days early we adopted Layla. Sent to a high kill shelter after becoming pregnant during her first heat, Layla was transported to KC from TX with a new litter of puppies and a whole lot of anxiety. Just weeks before I met her, she had escaped from her foster (they call it door-darting) and was on the streets of KC for several weeks.
Needless to say, I fell in love with her immediately.
Odd Dog Origins
Being the first dog I’d adopted as an adult, I realized two things right away: 1) dog adoption was MUCH more sophisticated then it had been when I was a kid, and 2) I knew I needed to write a dog book.
I resisted writing a dog book because– let’s face it– there are so. many. dog. books. I think it’s partially because kids love dogs and partly because people love to write books about their dogs.
I didn’t want to write a typical book; I wanted a book that highlighted the unusual mutts I always fell in love with immediately. You know the type- they don’t look or act the way you expect, zigging when you expect them to zag. They’re unpredictable, chaotic, and just so darn loveable. This was the origin of my newest series, The Odd Dog.
During pre-order, I gave people the opportunity to include their dogs in the book, and 40+ dogs later we had an incredible consortium of odd dogs from all over the country. Since launching, The Odd Dog has won several accolades, including:
* Second place IPPY Award in the Children’s Book 7 and Under Category
* First Place Bookfest Award for Book Design
* Prestigious Kirkus Star Review with a ‘Get it’ Accolade
To date, I’ve also been able to raise nearly $4,000 for local shelters and rescues through book signing fundraisers and unique auction baskets for local nonprofits. I plan to continue this work with The Odd Dog and my upcoming release, The New Dog.
What’s next
As of this writing (December 2025) I’m finishing up a follow-up to The Odd Dog entitled ‘The New Dog’. This new book teaches kids and their families about welcoming a new dog into their home. This book was inspired by the ‘3/3/3’ rule, a set of recognizable behaviors dogs exhibit when they enter a home for the first time.
If you’re interested in partnering or fundraising together, please use my contact form to reach out!
