Finding Connections ~ by Lexa Fisher, Romance Writer and Today's Guest

Connections are apparent to me where others usually fail to see any association. For instance, how could IT project management and romance writing be related? 

Computers do a lot for us, but they can also be a source of frustration and feelings of inadequacy. Loss of control is especially threatening when new systems or processes mean change. 

Romance writers are versed in emotions and understanding the driving forces behind them. We study how emotions are manifest in actions and words. Paying attention in meetings to reactions in body language, tone, and language can help facilitate conversations, de-escalate intense feelings, and arrive at solutions sooner. Noticing the little things like who needs a nudge to contribute in a meeting, or who could really use a small thanks takes no effort but offers big rewards.

Connections with others also provide unexpected opportunities such as being invited to a writers’ retreat or being able to share card designs with a respected artist. My favorite craft of making cards provides me with opportunities not only to connect with other crafters, but also to give a card-giver a way of connecting with someone else in a heartfelt way with a handmade item.

Characters in my seasoned romances—stories featuring characters over forty years old—focus on relationships that are built on trust and integrity. At this stage in their lives my heroines connect with reliable, honest men who aren’t intimidated by intelligent and competent women. Both want to connect at a soulful level. How a person treats others and how they speak of someone shows their true nature, in stories and in real life, details that establish fictional characters from the inside out.

Enhancing my professional life with my personal passion for writing allows me to get so much more out of each. My technical documentation is stronger because of the romance writing classes I continually take, and by observing reactions in meetings I can better match body language with my characters’ dialogue and behaviors. Craft and life are connected.

Lexa lives with her husband and spoiled little rescue cat in Seattle. Transplanted from Michigan decades ago she earned her BA at the University of Washington where she now works as an IT construction project manager. After a nightly workout, she pursues romance writing and crafting greeting cards. 

Lexa writes seasoned romance—romance between characters who are over forty. Her characters value integrity in a partner and a relationship founded on trust. Gratitude and thanks are predominant themes in her cards, and sparkle is always an element in her designs.

If she had to depend on her green thumb she wouldn’t survive a year, but for some inexplicable reason year after year she tries to grow edible plants.

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