Nash Nelson is a self-published author. Always eager to exercise his freedom as a writer, he writes gritty, dark fiction for adults.
A collection of work done between 2021- Present
(By clicking the pictures for each book, you’ll be able to purchase a hard copy for a hefty discount, as you’ll be purchasing directly from IngramSpark. For links to eBooks and audiobooks, click the hyperlinks below the title description.)
The first installment in the Heathen’s Barrow series, the story follows a young man named Genghis Boy. After getting into some trouble, he receives the invitation of a lifetime; a life within a mysterious archipelago named Heathen’s Barrow. It’s a place filled with criminals, psychopaths, and even monsters…some even human! Now Genghis must survive his new life, but how?
Heathen’s Barrow: My Evil
Published on March 22nd, 2021.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
Heathen's Barrow: My Evil by Nash Nelson is a dark and atmospheric urban fantasy that delves into the shadowy corners of redemption and moral ambiguity. The story follows Genghis Boy, a young man tormented by the weight of having taken a life, as he's drawn into the mysterious and threatening world of Heathen's Barrow. This isolated island serves as a gathering place for both human and supernatural monsters, creating a crucible where Genghis must face not only external threats but also the darkness within himself. As he navigates this treacherous new world, the line between survival and damnation becomes increasingly blurred, forcing him to confront uncomfortable truths about the nature of evil and the possibility of redemption.
Author Nash Nelson creates an eerily immersive atmosphere that had me feeling the damp chill of Heathen's Barrow in my bones. This descriptive quality permeates the whole novel, going beyond the cinematic into full immersion. I was particularly struck by the nuanced exploration of guilt and redemption through Genghis Boy's complex character development, which avoids easy answers in favor of deeper psychological truth. This is explored naturally in the plot without ever sacrificing the suspense and action, and the speech and thought presentation around the protagonist offers realistic depth. Nelson's masterful balance of supernatural horror with human darkness keeps the tension high while never losing sight of the story's emotional core. What fascinated me most was how Nelson examines the thin line between monster and man, creating a narrative that challenges assumptions about the nature of evil and the capacity for change even in the darkest of circumstances. Overall, Heathen's Barrow: My Evil is a haunting exploration of darkness and redemption that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. I would certainly recommend it to thriller and fantasy fans.
Heathen’s Barrow: Our Evil
Published on June 12th, 2023.
The second installment of the Heathen’s Barrow series, our main lead has secured a crew one year after the events of the first book. When the Devil Chasers get hired to kill a legendary beast, things go awry very quickly. Can they slay this beast without too many issues? Not likely!
Rosemary’s Crush
Published on February 29th, 2024.
In this satirical romance novella, a young woman named Rosemary Demore falls in love with her sexy boss, Chad. She’s determined to make him hers, one way or another! Will she succeed?
140 Degrees
Published on April 10th, 2024.
During a Spring Break road trip to Las Vegas, four college students find themselves stranded in the middle of Death Valley after their car crashes. With no means of surviving the harsh heat of the desert, how long will they last until the worst comes to pass?
Review from BookLife:
Nelson (author of Rosemary’s Crush) studies the psychological nuances born out of traumatic experiences in this darkly promising novella, centered on a vehicle crash in the middle of Death Valley, California. When Barry and his three college acquaintances—best friend Sasha and Sasha’s girlfriend, Chelsea, along with Rikki, Chelsea’s friend and Barry’s love interest—embark on a road trip to Las Vegas, none of them foresee what’s in store: an abrupt crash with an unknown animal totals Barry’s car, leaving the group stranded. That development happens almost immediately, thrusting the quartet into a whirlwind of emotional breakdowns and life-threatening circumstances.
The setup is riveting, and Nelson stays firmly focused on his characters’ ever-deteriorating mental states throughout. The friends initially decide to stick it out near the car, sweltering in the blistering heat, until the cooler night arrives. That proves futile, and their decline comes lightning fast: Rikki starts hearing things, Barry is suffering from heat exhaustion, and as the temps climb to well over 100, the group runs out of water. Those high stakes are gripping, but the plot clips along too quickly to allow tension to simmer or readers to connect much with the characters.
Still, 140 Degrees throbs with unsettling energy as Nelson draws on a smattering of flashbacks to develop background for his characters, particularly Barry—he seems like a standard-issue nice guy at first, but Nelson never lets readers drop their guard. As Barry’s behavior deteriorates, and he “succumb[s] to the madness,” he is gripped with grandiose beliefs that belie the novel’s seemingly intimate scale. The story spirals from there, all bloody edges and grisly endings, rolled out in punchy paragraphs that spotlight humanity’s baser instincts. As the group reduces in size, its remaining members are caught in a splintering mix of heatstroke and otherworldly discourse, teetering between reality and insanity. Readers who love a sweaty, bloody spree will find much to enjoy.
Takeaway: Grisly, brutal survival horror novella of Death Valley breakdowns.
Comparable Titles: Max Booth III’s We Need to Do Something, Taylor Adams’s No Exit.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
Neurosis
Published December 15th, 2024.
Freshly diagnosed with severe mental illness, Melbourne Thompson learns of a way to cure themself of their illness once and for all. However, the cure will be taxing financially, and perhaps physically. Is the cure worth the trouble? Will Melbourne get what they want in the end?