Heather Jacks

Think Outside the Typeface
Heather Jacks in Anacortes, Washington

Aloha!

I’m Heather: Disco-loving wine ninja,  Seinfeld trivia geek, yoga teacher, and vixen of vocabulary. I was raised in the countryside of Indian land. At 15, I set off on my first adventure to Australia’s Outback, igniting a lifelong wanderlust. After returning, I earned a couple of college degrees while continuing a nomadic lifestyle. My writing has appeared in places like The 9513, American Noise, and Fodor’s Travel, and I’ve played on cool podcasts, such as Storied San Francisco and Stacking Benjamins. I’ve authored books, including the award-winning The Noise Beneath the Apple. My travels have taken me across the globe. Back in the U.S., I spent a year traveling the country on an Amtrak train, then a bus named Bubba, a semi-truck, and a sailboat. Now, I’m stoked for the next chapter of my post-menopausal adventure, and I would LOVE you to join me.

Cheers!

New Book Coming:

A Girl & Her Bus Named Bubba…

Me and The Kiwi Sailing our Sceptre 41

I Need You On My Launch Team

And I would LOVE your help.

I am working on my next book, which is a collection of essays that explore life’s quirks from the driver’s seat of a bus named Bubba, the chaos of midlife, and the valuable lessons we pick up along the way.

The book is a blend of humor and inspiration, written for those of us seeking a laugh while reflecting on the joys and challenges of midlife and beyond. 

As an independent author, I need your help to share my new book with the world. Join me on this journey by signing up for free to be part of my launch team. You’ll get an exclusive chance to read the book before anyone else, help spread the word, and enjoy some fun freebies along the way. Let’s make this launch a memorable adventure together.

Check out what early readers are saying.

What Readers Are Saying

Your story is one of the most beautiful stories about baseball (and love) I have ever read. It’s a children’s book and an amazing movie, a Netflix special. Keep writing!

Thomas Wedge

What Readers Are Saying

This is so beautiful. Thank you! I have so much more to say, but I’m just going to sleep on it after forwarding this to my son.

Andrew J. DiMeo, Sr., Ph.D.

What Readers Are Saying

I felt every word of this—the innocence, the creativity, the quiet ache beneath it all—you told this story with such beauty and depth.

Michael Burg, MD (Satire Sommelier) 

What Readers Are Saying

Oh, Heather… this just hit me hard. 

Jojo Teckina

What Readers Are Saying

God, that was good. Really, really good.

Carol Burt

What Readers Are Saying

This was such a beautiful and touching story. I felt every moment you shared on the road. Bruce and the others showed real kindness, and your words reminded me how humanity shines in tough times. Thank you for sharing this journey — it gave me hope and made me smile.

Rajesh Poovathum Kadavil

What Readers Are Saying

What a story and adventure…I loved every word..This should be a movie.

Julie Leah Blooms

What Readers Are Saying

Heather, you wrote this like poetry. In less than 10 minutes, I felt like I knew Echo and Lenny and had a small idea of what they went through. What you didn’t say spoke just as loudly. I loved this story and am so glad you could send Echo home. And do you have your own dog now?

What Readers Are Saying

This is such a lovely essay, filled with humor and hope. There are good souls out there, and you’re one of them. Thank you for sharing this!

Hannah Andrews

What Readers Are Saying

“Echo was….” his voice fell silent as his mind searched for the right combination of words.
“Echo was a Humble. Honest. Hero,” he finished at last.
I couldn’t see the page –I was in tears.
Wonderful as always, thanks for sharing.

Jennifer Marie Waters

What Readers Are Saying

Best piece I’ve ever read in my 5 years of reading and writing here.

Marcus aka Gregory Maidman

What Readers Are Saying

What a beautiful and heartfelt tribute. Thank you for sharing such a touching story about love, life, and baseball.

Yashvardhan Singh Sisodia

What Readers Are Saying

This piece is a beautiful meditation on life through the lens of the game. Your use of baseball as a metaphor for risk, resilience, and presence is incredibly effective—it’s not just about the sport but about how we show up to challenges and uncertainty in everyday life.
I loved the line about taking life “one pitch, one batter, one inning” at a time. So many of us need that lesson, especially in a world that pushes us to sprint through everything. This reflection is both grounding and inspiring.

Keith Kelley

What Readers Are Saying

This one’s a new favorite. I felt the intimacy of your relationship even though it mostly took place at a distance. So much texture. I could feel the dust as it settled between you.

Shaler McClure Wright

What Readers Are Saying

I can’t explain the sadness I felt when I reached this part. Thank you for sharing the beautifully written story. Now Issi’s story is with all of us who have read it.

Asanda

What Readers Are Saying

Thanks so much for sharing this story. I want to know more. Hope you are still writing about Issi and you.

Carra Leah Hood

What Readers Are Saying

It’s heartbreaking what happened to her, but also beautiful how you carry her memory with such respect and gratitude.

Pyrros Mathios

What Readers Are Saying

This was deeply affecting. The layering of place, identity, and survival was masterfully done. Every detail felt lived, not constructed. The story carries weight, and you honored it by telling it plainly and powerfully.

Brian Rosta

What Readers Are Saying

Your story is powerful. I felt your pain, strength, and growth. Thank you for sharing this.

Tara Sattar

What Readers Are Saying

This reads like a movie script, Heather. It’s magnificent. I raced through it, then returned for the second read.

Fred Vasaturo

What Readers Are Saying

What an incredible story! The raw and unfiltered honesty of your experience is captivating, and the lessons you took from that wild chapter of your life are both unexpected and impactful. It’s not just about the rock-and-roll chaos, but about resilience, embracing lessons from even the most bizarre and challenging situations, and moving forward stronger.
The humor you interwove with the deeper realizations makes it relatable and uplifting, especially for anyone who has faced professional or personal setbacks. The takeaway—that it’s not the end of the world, and we’re not defined by our failures but by how we move past them—resonates with so many of us.
Also, that last bit about KY Jelly as a frizz-tamer? Absolute gold! Thanks for sharing such a vivid and heartfelt journey. Have others found strange silver linings in their most chaotic moments, too?

Aligned with Jo

What Readers Are Saying

Oh my gawd. I love this so much. It was good until I got to the film guy, and then it became a truly laugh-out-loud moment. It made me sit up in my chair and pee my pants a little.

Adelle Regalia

Here are Some

Previous Projects

My Headdress Is On Fire

A wickedly funny, inspiring, and unflinching memoir of a woman coming of age on the edge of “The Real World” and “Indian Land.”

New York State of Mind Music Project

 “TNBTA gives these dedicated artists their due, turning the spotlight on a talented group of individuals usually hidden in the shadows, literally and figuratively.

Lee Zimmerman, of No Depression

The Noise Beneath the Apple

2013 Foreword INDIES Gold Book of the Year winner in Performing Arts & Music (Adult Nonfiction).

2014 Shelf Unbound Gold Winner.

Milf Notes

“She writes like a straight, female David Sedaris.”

Dr. Phil McGraw

Sister Stories

A remarkable book and compelling look at a cultural movement, an important piece of queer history, and a gorgeous piece of art.

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