A Walk Down Rushville
is Now Available for Purchase
Well, I did it! I wrote AND published my first novel! Thank you for following my publishing journey and to those of you – my friends, family, colleagues, fellow authors and neighbors who supported me during the presale campaign, many thanks.
The novel is available in both paperback and eBook versions with an audio version in the works.
Your purchase and review will help me not only BE an author, but a BEST SELLING author!
Please read about the book below.
About My First Novel
A Walk Down Rushville is a book that explores the meaning of family—both the family of origin and the “adopted or created” family. It’s the story of one woman’s journey to free herself from the pain of her abusive birth family and embrace the love and support of neighbors—her ‘adopted family.’
Separation from family is a sad reality. On the west coast alone, only half the adult population live near their extended families. The result for many is loneliness, now considered a disease that contributes to health issues. A Walk Down Rushville, set in California, North Carolina, and Italy, follows forty-nine year-old Skyler as she deals with loneliness, separation from loved ones, redefining the meaning of family, and recreating a support system based on love.
SETTINGS/VENUES IN THE BOOK (L to R: Southern California Coastline; Edenton, NC; Ishcia, Italy)
Main Character Inspiration
Skyler is a reclusive, lonely and depressed woman living in a small home in southern California. She takes walks with her black lab at night to find peace and clarity and to escape thoughts of her abusive family and the death of her husband. One late night, during her regular walk down Rushville Street, she observes a murder in progress. Her life takes a turn when she looks into the eyes of the assailant.
Now depression and grief are joined by the daily fear for threats she receives from the assailant, who has identified her. Just when she thinks she cannot handle anything more, she is called to her hometown of Edenton, North Carolina where her mother is dying of cancer. Having a thread of hope to find some support and reconcile with her abusive mother and narcissistic sister, she flies home only to learn the valuable lesson of “letting go of words that hurt,” and a family that no longer supports her.
Skyler’s journey back to California and ultimately to Italy is the story of courage—the courage of one woman to move away from depression, fear and grief and into self-discovery. As a witness in a courtroom drama and in the face of life-threatening events, Skyler discovers inner strength and determination for something better. Ultimately, she recognizes the true meaning of family in the love, support and encouragement offered to her by her neighbors.
A Walk Down Rushville examines the walks in life. As our character walks down a neighborhood street, witnesses a murder, we see that the ‘walk’ is really about her journey towards a whole new family she can call her own, releasing her painful past, and beginning a new voyage in life.
For anyone who is alone, without family or suffering the abuse of family members, it is my hope that in reading A Walk Down Rushville, they will be inspired and gain a greater understanding of the power of the renewed spirit from this one individual. My character’s heart was closed from abuse, abandonment, fear, and grief, but her heart became opened with new experiences and individuals that showed up in her life. She said ‘Yes, I’ll open my door when the doorbell rings’ and ‘Yes, I’ll talk to that neighbor when she walks by.’
When the heart starts opening and says ‘yes’ again and again, the door to a joyful and fulfilling life opens. Yes, it is possible to create a new family, but it takes courage, self-discovery, vulnerability, and the willingness to love again. It is my hope that A Walk Down Rushville reminds the reader of the power of ‘yes:’ “YES” to courage we may not know we have, “YES” to the people around us that can and do love us and “YES” to the life of joy that may just be right in front of us.
Actual Cover Design on book mockup
Watch Novel Video Teaser
My Publishing Journey
I am enrolled in a program titled Manuscript that utilizes New Degree Press for publishing. They’ve provided me a publishing team to help me produce and launch my book along with a program to follow, a presale campaign implementation guide and timeline to stick to – holding me accountable and helping to bring this dream to reality.
I have worked with…
- A positioning coach, a developmental coach and a structural coach.
- A marketing specialist to coach and support me in marketing efforts, and help me reach new audiences
- A revisions editor, copy editor, and proofreader to further hone my book
- A cover artist and layout editor will be designing my book.
- And soon will be working with an audiobook specialist to complete the audio version.
It’s been quite a journey so far, and the official launch was Sunday, April 14, 2024 at the beautiful L&G Projects contemporary art gallery in La Jolla, CA. Many thanks to all supporters who were able to be at the event – in-person and virtually….
Book Launch Event Photo Gallery
Click any image to zoom. Once enlarged, you can click left and right arrows to go to next or previous image. To exit enlarged/zoomed image, click the “x” in the top right that appears when you hover over the image.
About the Author
Barbara Burton is a former Capitol Hill reporter and registered nurse. For the past 25 years, she’s worked in management consulting helping companies with strategic visioning, cultural alignment, communication and sustainability. Barbara is the author of two illustrated, sing-along children’s books, the most recent, published in 2023, is titled Annie Kai Lani Kai Lou: Maui’s Beloved Pup.
Barbara also is a soft jazz vocalist and recorded two CDs. She enjoys writing songs and lyrics and created the song and sings vocals in her children’s books. She’s published numerous business and feature articles through the years, and decided to write a novel in 2023.
Barbara has degrees in Journalism and Nursing and multiple business and coaching certifications. She lives in La Jolla with her husband and two Springer Spaniels.
Barbara was inspired to write a novel about how individuals “create” a family when they have no family of origin, having experienced some loss of family in her own life. Her character faces depression, loneliness and estrangement from her family but finds love, acceptance and connection with the neighbors around her. The positive transformation in the character is profound and she creates a nonprofit organization that encourages individuals to reach out to neighbors and create a new family. In the book, she calls the organization, Neighbors as Family. Barbara decided to make the organization real and a website is currently under development.
Stay Connected
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Copyright © 2023, Barbara Burton ~ All Rights Reserved