Dee Andrews

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A Road Novel Runs Into Addiction Lit

on the rails my writing in progress

Inspired by my brother, On the Rails tells the story of Cowboy—a young man, full of agitation and wanderlust—who leaves behind his turbulent childhood to ride freight trains across the country in the 1980s and 90s.

His travels satisfy a thirst for adventure and take him from his small Midwestern town to cities and drug hotels, rail yards and hobo camps, but it's on his first train rides, in the natural beauty he hurtles through, where he discovers freedom and peace. Eventually, swayed by depression and drink, he finds himself in rehab, prison, or on the run. After years of this uncertain life, he hops a train toward the Chickasaw Nation in Ada, Oklahoma—where he is an enrolled, though disconnected, citizen—uncertain what lies ahead and if he will find hope or hell, life or death.

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“When he finally went home, it’d be with stories of life on the rails, like in a Bruce Springsteen or George Strait song. Maybe he was meant to be out here, riding these trains, out of the cities, seeing the countryside and sleeping under the stars, an outlaw and a hobo.”

—excerpt from On the Rails

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hobos, train-hoppers, travelers riding freight trains

Hobos, Train Hoppers, Travelers

Hobos, Train Hoppers, Travelers· On Writing

I’m writing a story about a hobo named Cowboy, a twenty-year-old full of agitation and wanderlust—who leaves behind his turbulent childhood to ride freight trains across the country in the 1980s and 90s. He’s seeking freedom and adventure and finds instead self-destructive cycles of addiction, depression, and prison. The story is inspired by my brother, who self-identifies as a hobo….
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historical novels 1918 influenza

When the Past Becomes the Present

#amreading· 1918 Influenza Pandemic

People who know I’ve written a historical novel set during the 1918 pandemic always comment that my timing is brilliant. I (very coincidently) finished revisions to my manuscript and began querying agents in 2020, when our own pandemic struck and our world shut down. Whether my timing is brilliant or not is yet to be determined. What I do know…
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novel title inspiration from merle haggard

How To Title a Novel

Hobos, Train Hoppers, Travelers· On Writing· Research

I started writing this novel some three years ago and from the start the working title A Good Man has guided me. Now that I’m near a finished manuscript, I thought I should put some time into how to title a novel. The story is a blend of a road novel and addiction lit, and tells the story of Cowboy

My Favorite Books of 2023

#amreading

As a writer, I am also a reader. An ideal day for me includes several hours of focused writing in the early morning, then a walk or yoga class, then reading in the afternoon. Of the 38 books I read the year, following were my favorite books of 2023.

favorite books this writer reads

This Writer Reads

#amreading

Interviewing myself here as if my local bookstore was profiling me and asking about my favorite authors and books. It’s good to practice things like this, for when I’m a published author, right?

Bart's Books outdoor bookstore

Bart’s Books

#amreading· Bookstores

Bart’s Books in Ojai, California was an unexpected find and treasure of a bookstore. Bart’s claims to be the world’s largest outdoor bookstore and “believes there is a book for everyone.”