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, ... Read More about Hobos, Train Hoppers, Travelers
When the Past Becomes the Present
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 ... Read More about When the Past Becomes the Present
Bottle Cove, Newfoundland
From Ferry to Lark Harbour and Bottle Cove, Day 18 The photo of us, standing sturdy on the rocks of Bottle Cove, wind tangling my hair and glasses, sun squinting into our eyes captures our first day on Newfoundland. Around us, both Appalachian Mountains and rocks of ocean crust reach for ... Read More about Bottle Cove, Newfoundland
A Novel Soundtrack about a Ramblin’ Man
Music holds a profound place in storytelling, weaving emotions and atmosphere into every narrative thread, whether it’s the tension of a suspenseful beat or the serenity of a gentle melody. When I started writing this novel, On the Rails, my brother, who inspired the protagonist Cowboy, told me to ... Read More about A Novel Soundtrack about a Ramblin’ Man
Newfoundland Road Trip
Colorado to Cape Breton, Days 1-16 With time (and a nod to Annie Ernaux), the memories will fade. —the excitement planning our Newfoundland road trip: plotting the 8,000 miles, packing the van, curating my little library, buying snacks, whittling my shoes down to five pairs (Blundstone ... Read More about Newfoundland Road Trip
On the Rails with Narrator Sam Elliott
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 ... Read More about On the Rails with Narrator Sam Elliott
How To Title a Novel
I started writing this story some three years ago and from the start the working title A Good Man 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—a ... Read More about How To Title a Novel
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