Dee Andrews

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A Road Novel Runs Into Addiction Lit

on the rails my writing in progress

On the Rails tells the story of Cowboy—inspired by my rebellious and charismatic brother—who at twenty, living in a drug motel and dodging cops, full of agitation and wanderlust, begins riding freight trains, seeking freedom and adventure but mostly finding despair and depression, alcohol and addiction.

Spanning the 1980s and 90s, his travels satisfy a thirst to see the country and take him from his small Midwestern town to cities and crime, rail yards and hobo camps. Swayed by drink, he finds himself either on the run, in rehab, or in prison. 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 hopping trains, like in a Bruce Springsteen or George Strait song. Maybe he was meant to be out here, on the rails, 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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On the Rails with Narrator Sam Elliott

Hobos, Train Hoppers, Travelers

Imagine listening to On the Rails with narrator Sam Elliott, his gravelly voice, with its rugged cadence and timeless charm, telling the story of my protagonist Cowboy, who, in his twenties, full of agitation and wanderlust, begins riding freight trains, seeking freedom and adventure but mostly finding depression and addiction. In my daydreams (when I need a break from editing weasel…
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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?