October 22, 2026 - Atlanta Wire

What Writing a Rom-Com Taught Me About Love, Vulnerability and Reinvention

Atlanta Wire Staff on October 22, 2026

By: Lauryn Jay, Atlanta Author of So, I Guess I’m Writing a Rom-Com

There is something uniquely vulnerable about writing a love story.

Romantic comedies may be known for humor, escapism, and happily-ever-afters, but writing one requires an author to explore some surprisingly uncomfortable questions. What makes us trust another person? Why do we protect ourselves from the relationships we want? How much of our identity is shaped by the people who have left us? And what happens when the life we carefully planned suddenly asks us to become someone new?

Those questions became the emotional foundation of my new novel, So, I Guess I’m Writing a Rom-Com.

The book follows Tori Knott, a successful Los Angeles mystery novelist whose career is thrown into uncertainty after a disappointing book launch. Her publisher gives her an unexpected opportunity to begin again: write a romantic comedy in six months.

Tori can construct a mystery, develop suspects, and create a compelling plot twist. Writing a believable romance is considerably harder because she no longer believes in love.

Searching for inspiration, she travels to Buenos Aires, reconnects with her college best friend, and meets a charming local coffee shop owner. Before long, Tori’s life begins to resemble the romantic comedy she has been struggling to write. Yet even as she is swept up in a new relationship and an unfamiliar city, her thoughts continually return to Nate, her longtime best friend and literary agent.

Tori believes she needs to travel across the world to learn how to write about love. Her journey eventually helps her recognize what love, friendship, and home have meant to her all along.

As an Atlanta-based author building my writing career alongside a corporate career, I understand the tension between maintaining the identity you have already built and allowing yourself to pursue something different.

Reinvention can be intimidating, even when the new opportunity is exciting. We become attached to the roles in which we have already proven ourselves. Starting again means accepting that we may not immediately be good at the new thing. It requires curiosity, humility, and the willingness to be seen trying.

Tori experiences challenges that are both professional and personal. She must write outside her established genre while confronting the emotional beliefs that have shaped her adult life. Her struggle is larger than finding the right ending for a novel. She has to decide whether she is willing to imagine a different ending for herself.

That theme extends beyond romantic love.

Some of the most meaningful relationships in the book are between Tori and the women in her life. Her friendship with Catalina gives her the courage to leave her routines behind. Her relationship with her mother helps her see that heartbreak does not have to become a permanent identity. Her reconciliation with her sister reveals how two people can experience the same family trauma and carry away completely different stories about what happened.

These relationships remind Tori that love can take many forms, and that romantic love becomes difficult to receive when we are unwilling to be emotionally honest in the rest of our lives.

The novel also allowed me to explore professional disappointment. One unsuccessful project can make even an accomplished person question everything that came before it. Tori initially interprets her disappointing launch as evidence that she may have lost her talent and her connection with readers. Her publisher’s request to change genres feels like another rejection.

Eventually, the assignment becomes the catalyst for her best work.

That idea resonates far beyond publishing. Careers evolve. Markets change. Businesses pivot. Creative people outgrow old formulas. Sometimes the opportunity that feels furthest from our original plan reveals an ability we did not know we possessed.

Romantic comedies offer a particularly interesting space in which to explore these questions. They give us joy and escape while allowing us to examine fear, family, ambition, grief and vulnerability. The humor makes difficult emotions feel accessible. The promise of a satisfying ending gives us permission to believe that people can change.

Tori’s story includes many of the elements I love as a reader: an international setting, years of unresolved romantic tension, a compelling love triangle, female friendship and a heroine who is accomplished but still figuring out important parts of her life. It also includes a book within the book, allowing the fictional story Tori is writing to develop alongside her own transformation.

Through writing So, I Guess I’m Writing a Rom-Com, I kept returning to one central idea: sometimes the story we are most afraid to tell is the one that requires us to become most honest with ourselves.

For Tori, learning to write a love story means learning that vulnerability is not weakness. Reinvention does not erase everything she accomplished before. Her past explains her fear, but it does not have to determine her future.

And occasionally, the person we have been searching for has been part of our story all along.

So, I Guess I’m Writing a Rom-Com is published by Black Rose Writing.

Professional Book Publishing Services for New Authors

Atlanta Wire Staff on October 22, 2026

Writing a book takes months. Preparing that book for readers takes a different set of skills. Many writers finish a draft and then stall, unsure how to move from a rough manuscript to a title readers can actually buy. Professional book publishing services close that gap by handling the technical and creative work that sits between a finished draft and a published book.

AMZ Professional Publishing is a self-publishing service provider that supports authors at any point in that process. Some clients arrive with a complete manuscript. Others arrive with an idea, a set of notes, or a half-finished chapter. The company builds its support around where the author actually is.

What Do Professional Book Publishing Services Include?

A book publishing company covers more than one task. AMZ Professional Publishing offers ghostwriting services, manuscript editing, proofreading, book formatting, custom cover design, illustration, publishing assistance, global distribution, and book marketing services.

Authors select what they need. A writer with a polished manuscript may only require formatting and a cover. A business owner working from interview transcripts may need ghostwriting first. Professional book publishing services work better when they match the project instead of pushing every author down the same path.

How Ghostwriting and Book Editing Services Shape a Manuscript

Ghostwriting services help people who hold the expertise or the story but lack the time to write. The ghostwriter interviews the author, builds an outline, and drafts chapters in the author’s voice. The author reviews each stage and keeps final say over the content.

Book editing services operate in layers. Developmental editing examines structure, pacing, and argument. Line editing tightens sentences and improves clarity. Copy editing corrects grammar, consistency, and style. Proofreading catches the small errors that survive every earlier pass.

Skipping these layers is a common mistake among first-time authors. Readers notice typos, and reviewers mention them. Professional book publishing services treat editing as several distinct stages rather than a single pass.

Why Book Cover Design and Formatting Matter

Readers make quick judgments. A thumbnail on a retail page often decides whether someone clicks. Custom book cover design accounts for genre conventions, legibility at small sizes, and spine and back-cover layout for print editions.

Illustration adds another layer for children’s books, memoirs, and instructional titles. Interior formatting follows separate rules. Print books need correct trim sizes, margins, gutters, and bleed. Ebooks need reflowable files that adapt to different screen sizes and font settings.

These are two different technical jobs. Professional book publishing services handle cover work and interior formatting as separate tasks with separate specifications.

Publishing on Amazon KDP and Other Retail Platforms

Amazon KDP publishing is the entry point for many self-published authors. Kindle Direct Publishing lets authors upload their files, set pricing, choose categories, and retain their rights. Print-on-demand through KDP removes the need for upfront inventory.

IngramSpark extends distribution to bookstores, libraries, and international wholesale channels. Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble add further reach across devices and regions. Each platform maintains its own file requirements, metadata fields, and royalty structures.

Rejected files and missing metadata delay launches. Professional book publishing services prepare files to each platform’s specifications before upload, which reduces back-and-forth with retailer support teams.

Book Marketing Services After the Launch

Publishing a book and selling a book are separate activities. Book marketing services focus on discoverability. That work includes metadata optimization, category and keyword selection, author page setup, launch planning, and outreach for early reviews.

Marketing also supports an author brand over time. A nonfiction author may use the book to open speaking opportunities. A novelist may build a reader list for future releases. The right approach depends on the genre and the author’s goals.

Author Ownership and Creative Control

Self-publishing services differ from traditional publishing in one significant way. The author keeps the rights. The author approves the cover, the title, the price, and the release date.

AMZ Professional Publishing structures its work around that principle. The team advises on genre expectations, market positioning, and technical standards. The author makes the final decision. Professional book publishing services should inform choices, not override them.

This matters for revenue as well. Self-published authors receive royalties directly from retail platforms. They can update pricing, revise content, or release new editions without waiting for approval from a publishing house.

How Authors Should Evaluate a Publishing Partner

Not every provider operates the same way. Authors reviewing a book publishing company should ask direct questions before signing anything.

Who owns the rights to the finished book? Who holds the retail account and the royalties? What is included in each service, and what costs extra? How many revision rounds come with editing and cover design? Can the provider share samples from the same genre?

Clear answers signal a transparent process. Vague answers signal risk. Professional book publishing services built on author ownership have no reason to avoid these questions.

Starting the Publishing Conversation

Every book project begins at a different point. One author needs a ghostwriter. Another needs a proofreader and a cover. A third has a finished file and needs help navigating distribution across Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Kobo, and Apple Books.

AMZ Professional Publishing works with both first-time writers and experienced authors preparing their next release. Authors who want to discuss their publishing goals and request a personalized quote can reach our team.

Mouhamet Seye Is Building the Support System Behind Independent Work

Atlanta Wire Staff on October 22, 2026

By: Matt Emma

As Georgia prepares for open enrollment, the founder of 1099Workers and Managed Health is focused on a question that extends beyond choosing a health plan. What makes working for yourself sustainable?

Leaving corporate America gave Mouhamet Seye the opportunity to build something of his own. It also revealed how much support he had left behind. Health coverage, retirement planning, taxes, and compliance (responsibilities once handled by different departments) now competed for his attention as he worked to get a business off the ground.

“Instead of focusing on building your business and doing what you do best, you’re spending time learning about taxes, insurance, legal requirements, compliance, and all the other responsibilities that come with being self-employed,” Seye says. “Those things are important, but they can become distractions from the reason you started your business in the first place.”

That experience helped shape 1099Workers, the platform he founded to bring benefits and support resources together for independent professionals. Alongside his work as founder and CEO of Managed Health, it reflects a conviction that has become central to his career: the way someone earns a living should not leave them without a support system.

For Atlanta’s freelancers, consultants, real estate agents and other self-employed professionals, the approaching enrollment season offers a timely opportunity to consider that support. Georgia Access, the state’s health insurance Marketplace, lists November 1, 2026, as the start of open enrollment for 2027 coverage. The season creates a natural moment to review healthcare options. For Seye, it also opens a larger conversation about what workers need throughout the year.

The Responsibilities Behind the Freedom

“Being self-employed can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also a very hard and often lonely road,” Seye says. He understands the appeal of independence, but also the practical challenges that follow. One of those challenges is fragmentation. A worker may find medical coverage through one provider, dental insurance through another, and retirement resources somewhere else. Each decision requires research, time, and an understanding of unfamiliar systems.

1099Workers aims to simplify that process by bringing access to medical, dental, vision, and other benefits, along with 401(k) options, into one platform. The company connects professionals with benefits and resources rather than acting as an insurance carrier. The current model offers free community membership, with access to group benefits available through its associate program.

“Independent workers can certainly go out and find these resources themselves, but it often means navigating multiple providers, platforms, and applications,” he says. “Our goal is to simplify that process and create a centralized resource built specifically for the independent workforce.”

Coverage Is Only the Starting Point

Through Managed Health, Seye approaches a related challenge from the employer side: offering benefits that people understand and use while managing the cost of providing them. His emphasis is on wellness, prevention, and education. In his view, a benefit has limited value if the person receiving it does not know how to access care, or feels unable to afford using it.

“When individuals understand their health risks, their benefits, and the resources available to them, they are empowered to act earlier and make better decisions,” he says.

That philosophy shapes Managed Health’s focus on everyday care, including preventive services, prescriptions, and behavioral health. Seye argues that making routine care easier to access should be a central part of benefits design, rather than something employers consider only after reviewing premiums.

He also sees benefits decisions as fundamental to a business’s ability to attract talent, retain employees, and grow.

“I often say this: regardless of your industry, you are in the healthcare business,” Seye says. “Every year, CEOs, CFOs, HR leaders, and brokers sit down to make consequential decisions about employee healthcare.”

A Career Path With a Foundation

Seye’s vision for 1099Workers extends beyond the benefits that first inspired it. He describes plans to expand financial education, banking resources, access to capital, and other tools for independent professionals. Community is central to that ambition: a place to exchange experience, find guidance and navigate the challenges that can otherwise make self-employment isolating.

“We want 1099 work to be seen as a career path, not a compromise, and give independent workers the infrastructure they need to succeed,” he says.

As Atlanta professionals prepare to revisit their coverage, Seye’s work raises a broader question about the foundation beneath an independent career. He began with the responsibilities he encountered while betting on himself. Now, he is building toward a future in which others can make that choice with more support.

“Our vision is to build a true home base for independent professionals, a place that provides not only benefits and financial tools, but also education, support, and a sense of belonging.”

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, financial, insurance, or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult qualified professionals before making decisions regarding healthcare coverage, employee benefits, or financial planning.

Capturing The Spirit Of Oakland Enters Final Weekend Of Its 20th Year At Atlanta’s Historic Oakland Cemetery

Atlanta Wire Staff 2 on October 22, 2026

Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, the Halloween tour series at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, holds its final weekend of 2026 from October 22 to 25, closing out the event’s 20th year. The nighttime tours use costumed storytellers to bring to life people who shaped Atlanta, with all proceeds supporting the cemetery’s preservation.

Key Takeaways

The 2026 tours run October 15–18 and October 22–25, making this the event’s last weekend of the year.
Each tour covers a route of about one mile and lasts roughly 75 minutes.
Oakland Cemetery was founded in 1850 on six acres and now spans 48 acres with an estimated 70,000 people buried there.
This year’s event artwork was created by Atlanta artist and printmaker Jamaal Barber.
Historic Oakland Foundation’s Día de Muertos celebration follows on November 1, with Holiday Spirit set for December 4–5.

Oakland Cemetery Atlanta Marks 20 Years Of Halloween Storytelling

Historic Oakland Foundation describes Capturing the Spirit of Oakland as one of Atlanta’s most beloved autumn traditions, and the tours sell out each year. For its 20th edition, the format remains the same: guests explore the cemetery after dark and follow costumed storytellers who portray some of the people who made Atlanta into the city it is today.

The foundation describes the tours as designed to “enlighten, not frighten.” That approach sets the event apart from much of the Halloween calendar. Rather than staging scares, the tours use theater to teach local history, and the foundation notes they are not considered scary or inappropriate for children. Parents are encouraged to consider whether a nighttime cemetery setting suits their child, and guests are asked to stay quiet and attentive during each performance.

The 2026 run opened October 15 and closes October 25. The all-access Eternal Pass, which allowed entry on any night of the run, sold out ahead of the final weekend.

Historic Oakland Cemetery Holds 176 Years Of Atlanta’s Story

The setting is what gives the tours their weight. Oakland Cemetery was founded as Atlanta Cemetery in 1850 on six acres outside the city’s downtown. By the time it was renamed in 1872, it had grown to its current 48 acres. Atlanta has since grown up around it, and the cemetery now sits near the city’s center.

An estimated 70,000 people are buried at Oakland. Its residents include author Margaret Mitchell, Mayor Maynard Jackson, golfer Bobby Jones, Morris Brown College founder Wesley John Gaines, six Georgia governors, and more than two dozen Atlanta mayors. Many of the city’s early street names and landmarks can be traced to names on its mausoleums and headstones.

The cemetery also holds a harder part of Atlanta’s past. In 1852, the Atlanta City Council ruled that people of color be buried separately, on public grounds at the cemetery’s eastern edge. In 1877, remains buried in that area, known as Slave Square, were exhumed and reburied in a section now called the African American Grounds. A restoration of those grounds began in 2017, including work to protect fragile headstones and add signage on Black history in Atlanta. Oakland was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Historic Oakland Foundation Uses The Tours To Fund Preservation

Capturing the Spirit of Oakland is more than a seasonal event for the cemetery. All proceeds go toward Historic Oakland Foundation’s mission to preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery, which the foundation manages in partnership with the City of Atlanta.

Each year’s event also features new artwork. For 2026, the foundation commissioned Jamaal Barber, an Atlanta artist and printmaker, whose design appears on this year’s commemorative materials. The choice of a local artist ties the event to Atlanta’s current creative community as well as its past.

Planning A Visit For The Final Weekend

The tours run rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, the foundation says it will notify ticketholders of any changes by email and social media. The route crosses some uneven historic paths, and the foundation offers accessibility accommodations, including ASL interpretation and golf cart assistance, with at least one week’s notice.

Oakland Cemetery’s main gate is at 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. King Memorial MARTA station is a 7- to 10-minute walk from the main gate, and the foundation encourages rideshare because street parking nearby is limited. Because the event takes place in a City of Atlanta park, only service animals are allowed.

The final weekend also leads into a full season of programming. History, Mystery, and Mayhem, a guided tour on October 31, is sold out. Historic Oakland Foundation’s Día de Muertos celebration follows on November 1, and Holiday Spirit, featuring candlelit tours, a tree lighting, and a holiday market, is scheduled for December 4–5.

FAQs

Who Is Buried In Oakland Cemetery?

Oakland Cemetery holds an estimated 70,000 burials, including author Margaret Mitchell, Mayor Maynard Jackson, and golfer Bobby Jones. Six Georgia governors and more than two dozen Atlanta mayors are also buried there.

Where Is Oakland Cemetery?

Oakland Cemetery is in southeast Atlanta, with its main gate at 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. King Memorial MARTA station is a 7- to 10-minute walk away.

What Time Does Oakland Cemetery Close?

Oakland Cemetery’s grounds are open from dawn to dusk year-round, and the visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Special events such as Capturing the Spirit of Oakland run on their own evening schedules.

Why Is The Oakland Cemetery Important?

Founded in 1850, Oakland is Atlanta’s oldest cemetery and a record of the city’s history, from its early years through the Civil War to the present. It also preserves difficult history, including the African American Grounds, which have been under restoration since 2017.