“Barton is unique as a writer in that he uses words the way a painter uses colors. Every sentence has meaning and adds to a picture created in the mind of the reader. And it is beautiful. Barton writes for readers – those who truly invest themselves in the plot and the characters. Peach isn’t a lightweight beach read to be read quickly and just as easily forgotten. This is a novel that will own your soul while you absorb it, and for many days after you are finished. When in despair, one of the characters says, “What is this life? What is this life?”, I couldn’t help but feel I was in a conversation rather than an uninvolved person reading about fictional people. Read Peach; you’ll be better for having experienced it yourself.” Sue Smith, Eyes And Ears
Peach is my forthcoming novel. It tells the story of musician Freddie Ward and explores the themes and importance of our transient human relationships and connections in the modern world. When you are lost, how can you find yourself?
This story has been in development for around nine years and was finally written and completed over 2015 and 2016. I am very excited about this story reaching a wider audience and even more so after the actor Charles Baker (Breaking Bad, The Blacklist, Wild) came on board the project to record an original soundtrack to accompany the book.
For more information, you can find it by emailing media (at) waynebartonbooks.com or tweeting the Twitter account that has been set up for the book at @PeachTheBook.
There was a pre-launch event for the book at the world-famous Last Bookstore in Los Angeles on November 13th, which featured a performance from Charles Baker. Videos will be posted shortly.
Additionally, an original screenplay has already been adapted from the book. I am in talks with producers over the project. If you wish to express your interest in the project please contact me via this website.
Advance reviews for Peach say:
“There’s a hint of loneliness that hovers above every page of Wayne Barton’s Peach. The kind that the likes of Denis Johnson and Raymond Carver knew too well. It’s all balanced out by beauty and hope–two things we could use more of in this world.” Jason Diamond, author, Searching for John Hughes
“Peach is not only an instant classic, it’s one of the great rock and roll novels. It’s a book about last chances, second chances, friendship, deception, and grief, but most of all, it’s about what happens when the demolished heart soars again and starts blasting away like a kick drum.” Alex Green, Stereo Embers Magazine
“A rich meditation on redemption, relationships and rock and roll, Wayne Barton’s “Peach” is a strikingly subtle novel that cleverly illustrates that music is the connective tissue that links us together and blows us apart.” Yvonne Prinz, Amoeba Music and author of The Vinyl Princess
“From the first pages of Peach, I was hooked. An immensely personal novel that thrums with the beat of an emotional rock ballad, Barton has captured that singular experience of love lost and woven it into a soul-wrenching story of growing older and truly understanding what we mean when we reflect on home. A spectacular debut from a unique writer who has a knack for absorbing his surroundings, in darkness and in light, whomever and wherever they may be.” Michael A. Ferro, author of TITLE 13: A Novel
“A perfect, delicate balance between sweet and sour; saccharine and gritty. Barton’s characters live and breathe on the page, populating a world and story that will leave you captivated as you traverse through a myriad of emotions that will remind you of both the similarities—and differences—of our shared humanity. A fantastic read.” R.J. Fox, author, Love & Vodka
“Barton conducts raw notes of human nature and desire into a beautiful melody that mesmerizes at every turn.” Frank Morelli, author, No Sad Songs
————————————————————
Blog reviews from advance readers:
“An exceptional book which captivated the reader but retains a soft, flowing essence… The tale is very thought provoking, it still swirled around in my head long after I’d finished reading it…” Kate Noble, The Quiet Knitter
“A rambling river of a read that you won’t want to put down…”
“Getting taken on a journey is good, but being able to draw the map yourself is better. Through the eloquence of his writing W.S. Barton has managed to do both… gentle and thought provoking insights are powerful and display Barton’s writing at its finest… Peach is filled with friendship, loss and oh so much more. The story is warm yet flecked with melancholy, there is pain and laughter and everything in between. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.”
“Captivating & thoughtful, Barton’s delicate portrayal of love & loss is certain to leave you thinking.”
Bethany Jones, Quirks and Queries
“…sublime, slow paced & engaging… an emotional chokehold of dramatic introspective fiction”
“…an epic tale of loss, love, and emptiness…
“…having had the privilege of hearing a couple of the songs that will be on the Peach soundtrack I have to say he (Baker) has a gorgeous singing voice, it has almost a vulnerability feel to it which fits the lyrics and the music very well…”
“Best thing I’ve read in years, if not ever!”
“It made every emotion possible surface… a truly wonderful experience”
“…it’s totally brilliant and hooks you from the beginning…” Vincenzo Scipioni, author and literary agent
One comment on “Peach”