is giving yourself a second chance
From electrical engineer to mystery novelist with Andrea Barton
- April 4, 2025
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Table of Contents
Andrea Barton’s Career Journey and Writing Aspirations
Andrea graduated as an electrical engineer and worked in telecommunication for many years and also has a postgraduate diploma in organisational behaviour and became a career consultant.
“But I very quickly realized I was more interested in people than in things. I couldn’t believe the company was paying me to spend time talking to people. It was a wonderful career.”
When her husband, who was working in oil and gas, was offered a position in Lagos, Nigeria Andrea’s profession was placed on HOLD!
There was no call for career consultants in Nigeria, and initially she felt that she was giving up a lot by quitting a job that she really loved.
The shift of becoming an expat family
But they decided to go, they had a young family, and Andrea decided to start writing.
She went through a whole lot of different styles of writing as they moved their expat career around.
The family moved from Nigeria to Houston to the Middle East, and then back to Australia. And through all of that time, Andrea experimented different forms of writing. Short stories helped her edit anthologies about expat life. She wrote some picture books for children, and also some stage productions!
Exploring the Journey to Writing
She was living, experimenting,learning and practicing a new profession.
As her life progressed, she eventually decided to set a novel in each of the places that she had lived.
Andrea shares her journey from being an avid reader to becoming a writer, highlighting how her love for storytelling grew over time. Her corporate skills, such as problem-solving and time management, have been beneficial in her writing process.
Life changes, like pregnancy, often lead to personal reinvention and the application of accumulated skills.
Personal and Professional Intersections in Creative Careers
Often in the stories I hear on the podcast, it becomes obvious how personal experiences shape professional journeys, especially in creative fields. Andrea reflects on her sacrifices for her husband’s career and how it led her to embrace her creative passions.
Sometimes we have to overcome hardships to fuel artistic expression
Our life is completely intertwined with what we do. And ultimately, it’s so difficult to say that our profession is separate from our life.
In many cases when people change their career, they are drawn to their passions or their talents.
Those passions or talents are frequently unexpressed,
Finding opportunities in career sacrifices
Andrea reflects on the fact that ultimately, being able to express her talent, and become a writer was also thanks to two things that happened: letting go of her previous career, and accepting that her husband would lead financially.
“But then I also gained a lot because of all of that creative expression that you’ve talked about, a lot of people don’t do it because they can’t afford to give up their day job to do it. Whereas by following Andrea, I was forced to give up my day job. So I actually had to see that as an opportunity and to use that opportunity to be able to express my creativity. Because if I’d been reliant on my income from everything that I’ve done, there’s no way that I could have done it.”
💡 Thinking of making a big career shift?
Andrea’s story will inspire you to listen to yourself, embrace change, and create a path that aligns with your values and well-being.
This is one of the reasons why I am working on a new project I want you to hear about.
A community, a co-working space, and a learning space all under the same roof.
So that all those people like you, that have a dream, an idea, or a seed for a new project won’t feel alone and will have a community to tap into. Like minded people that work side by side to their new business idea or career path, with a dedicated learning space.
It will be by invitation, and will host monthly meetings online.
If you are interested, or know someone who could benefit from this project,
sign up here to get notified when I open the doors of the Reinvention Lab.
The Jade Riley Mystery Series Revealed
The outcome of this journey is her Jade Riley mystery series, featuring an Australian journalist who solves mysteries in various international settings. Each book is set in a place Andrea has lived, allowing her to weave her expatriate experiences into compelling fiction. The first book, “The Godfather of Dance,” takes place in Houston, while the second, “A Killer Among Friends,” is set in Melbourne. Future books will explore Qatar and Nigeria, completing Andrea’s literary map of her life abroad.
Insights on Writing and Expat Life
What makes Andrea’s approach particularly insightful is how she captures the emotional nuances of expatriate life through her protagonist. Jade experiences the loneliness of living overseas as a young single woman, the challenges of repatriation when returning home, and the difficult decision-making process when faced with another international move. These elements add authentic depth to her mysteries while resonating with readers who have similar experiences.
Andrea became an expat writer and has found a great community to collaborate with.
Why mystery novelist
When I ask Andrea why she chose mystery as writing genre she answers:
“Engineers are problem solvers. That’s what they are. That was my training. And writing a mystery is all about solving a problem.”
Again, how evident is that our passions are knocking the doors to be expressed and our competences are there to serve the cause while unfolding?
If you who are reading are thinking of reinventing or following your passions, sit down and start writing about yourself, your passions, your skills, your aspirations, who would you like to be.
It’s a great start to meet the person you are meant to be.
Writers’ communities are her network
Andrea emphasizes the importance of community. Though writing is inherently solitary, she relies on family members as sounding boards, particularly her son Matthew, whom she calls “the plot whisperer.” She’s also cultivated connections with other writers through courses, local writing groups, and social media – even creating an expatriate writers’ group on Facebook to support others with similar experiences.
“very logical and very sensible, asks really good questions, comes up with really good ideas. So his work, his influence is very strong on my work. And the rest of my family is excellent as well. My other child, Morgan, is also very, very good at coming up with ideas and picking holes in things that I’ve done. And my husband’s great editor and very supportive”
Andrea also engaged with writing buddies that came through the Curtis Brown Creative course. They started doing what it’s called beta reading for each other.
A local group, the Bayside Writers, was active also through COVID as they kept going on Zoom.
Upcoming book and Writers Festival
Andrea’s new book is coming out in September and will probably organise a book launch in a lovely bookstore. So follow her on her socials that you find listed below.
She is also part of the committee for the “Mansfield Readers and Writers Group”, and they run a festival, which this year is going to be in October, on the 11th and 12th of October.
“Mark your diaries if you’re in Victoria, in Australia. October the 11th and 12th. Get yourself up to Mansfield because we’re gonna have a really fun filled festival with some amazing names”
WHERE TO FIND ADREA BARTON
WEB www.andreabartonauthor.com – https://www.brightsidestorystudio.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/andreabartonauthor/
LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-barton-0119921ba/
Resources and Inspiration
- Do you want to brainstorm about your Reinvention idea, or learn how Coaching skills can help you develop your project?
You can book a free introductory Coaching session here.
- Are you curious about Reinvention? Go download my free GUIDE: Your first steps
You will see how easy it is to take your first steps by looking at :
a.How you perceive CHANGE
b.Your values and your personality.
c.What are you ready to put in place tomorrow
- If you are ready to move forward and would like guidance and/or peers to work with: check out the Reinvention Revolution Program
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Reinvention Lab Opening Soon
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I can’t wait to hear your unique story of reinvention, and share it with the community. Listeners will be inspired, will learn and find other people’s experiences relatable and encouraging.
