Life & Work with DR. TAMU SPRUILL BARTON of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to DR. TAMU SPRUILL BARTON.

Hi DR. TAMU, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a nurse for more than 20 years, and I’m now a Doctor of Nursing Practice and board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. I spent over eight years in pediatric primary care, caring for children and walking alongside their families. Today I care for geriatric patients in primary care, and I still work in the emergency department once a month. Caring for people at both ends of life has taught me how to show up for them on their hardest days, and that calling shapes everything I do.

My writing journey began out of love for my children. They have always loved being in and near water. One day, my husband and I were walking through an outdoor shopping center with our son and daughter when my daughter spotted a water fountain and begged to go see it. She wanted to jump right in and play. I told her she couldn’t, but she could touch the water. Watching her joy in that moment planted a seed, and The Golden Mermaid was born from my daughter and her love for water.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I also had to overcome my own hesitation. It’s easy to put your dreams last when you spend your life caring for others. I had to learn to say yes to the calling God placed on my heart, even when I didn’t feel ready and didn’t have every answer. Once I stopped waiting for the perfect moment and simply started, God began opening doors I never expected.

Every obstacle has taught me that the stories were never really mine to hold on to. They were meant to be shared, and God has faithfully provided a way each step of the journey.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and more than 20 years of nursing experience. Over my career, I’ve cared for patients across the entire lifespan. I spent over eight years in pediatric primary care, I now care for geriatric patients in primary care, and I still work in the emergency department once a month. That range of experience has taught me to meet people exactly where they are, whether it’s a scared child, a worried parent, or an older adult who simply wants to be heard.

Alongside my clinical work, I’m a faith-centered author. I write books that help children, and now women, discover their God-given identity and worth. My children’s series, The Golden Mermaid, teaches young readers that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I’m also the founder of Butterfly Family Brands, which brings books, tea, and faith to families through a mobile bookstore and community events.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?

Be willing to learn. Whether it’s publishing, marketing, or running a business, there will be a learning curve. Give yourself grace for the mistakes and treat every one of them as a lesson.

You don’t have to choose between your career and your calling. I’m still a nurse practitioner, and I’m also an author and business owner. Your gifts can work together. Everything you’ve experienced, including your work, your family, and your struggles, can become part of your story.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be to stop waiting to feel ready. I spent too long holding my stories inside, thinking I needed to have everything figured out first. Once I stepped out in faith, God met me there. The words started flowing, doors started opening, and I realized the right time was always now.

Pricing:

• Books range from $13 and up
• Bundles $27 and up including book and workbook

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Butterflybooks2026
• Youtube: Fearfullyandwonderfullymade@wonderfullyandfearfullymade139