Cross the Teas and Dot the Eyes

Wounded Healer: Sick, Broke, Toothless Single Mom Refuses to Let You Lay Down and Die Heather Holmes 7 min read · Just now Who would’ve thought a chronic illness would help me reclaim my voice? You like those teeth? Those are fake teeth. Hello, world. I’m Heather, a neurosparkly single mom. I’ve been writing online off and on since 1997 when I began publishing poetry on my personal website at age 12. I have been writing online professionally off and on since 2007, back when I was a twenty-something stay-at-home mom of toddlers running an unlicensed home daycare for single moms and military families. I was a top performer at Associated Content, which later became Yahoo! Voices, both of which are now defunct, and ran several blogs dedicated to attachment parenting in the late 2000s. Life forced me to take a hiatus from SEO writing in 2009 when I drove from Colorado to my home state of South Carolina with my two toddlers, my boxer mutt named Cookie, and whatever I owned that would fit int...

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 Hey everyone. You probably expect this blog to focus primarily on writing and publishing — and it will — but it’s also my personal space, and today I want to share something important that’s changed my life. After Hashimoto’s forced me to retire from my career as a driver, I launched a new small business here in Charleston, SC. Since February, I’ve been offering event entertainment throughout the Lowcountry, providing tarot readings, classes, and parties across the Charleston tri-county area. I’m a Charleston-based tarot reader and teacher , and I specialize in private tarot readings , group classes , and fun, personalized tarot parties . Whether you’re looking to book a birthday event, a bachelorette, or simply learn how to read the cards, I’ve got you covered. 📅 Want to book a reading or party near Charleston? You can schedule up to two months in advance using my handy booking tool . I do require at least three days’ notice, and a deposit is due at booking. I’ll follow up w...

     Hey everyone. You probably expect this blog to focus primarily on writing and publishing -- and it will -- but it is, first and foremost, my  blog. I can do with it as I please!      Today it pleases me to tell you about the small business that I launched in February after Hashimoto's forced me to retire from my career as a driver. I now offer event entertainment in Charleston, SC and across the surrounding tricounty area of the South Carolina lowcountry.  I am a Charleston tarot teacher and Charleston tarot reader, offering Charleston tarot classes, Charleston tarot parties, and Charleston private tarot readings! If you want to book a tarot party near Charleston, a tarot class near Charleston, or a private tarot reading near Charleston, you can use my handy booking tool to schedule up to two months in advance! I do require that you book at least three days in advance. A deposit is due at booking! I will contact you within 48 hours to confirm...

Until the moon goes dark until the stars rain down the sun exhausts its spark and drops its fiery crown my heart will call for you my soul still seeking yours. Our journey will renew again on distant shores.      A short poem in iambic trimeter for my very best friend, whose name still shines in golden letters on my heart.      I could have never made something this beautiful myself because I'm not that girl. I'm a writer, not an artist. Now I have made a tribute worthy of my friend, and it was every bit as much of a catharsis as if I'd placed each pixel by hand. I put my heart into this, and it brought me comfort and relief to tell the story of our friendship in pictures that complement and add another layer of meaning to my words.      AI art is real art. Watch on Instagram

🖊 Writing & Editing (15%) - brainstorming, writing, editing, crying, revising, proofreading, etc. 🖥 File Formatting (15%) - building the manuscript & setting up print files with correct bleed margins, trim sizes, print resolution, color profiles, etc. 🎨 Illustration & Cover Design (15%) - generating images, touching pix up, resizing, upscaling resolution, compressing files. 🔧 Fixing Errors (15%) - solving production problems like sizing issues, jacket misalignments, distributor rejections for formatting errors, or art impurities that need correction. 📢 Marketing (20%) - writing and posting ads, contacting reviewers, managing SEO, all the work of getting the word out. 🎯 Graphic Design (20%) - a surprising amount of time is spent creating photo ads, fliers, web graphics, event signage, Amazon A+ content -- anything not printed in the book itself. Publishing is a LOT more than just writing!