Writing the Quintessential Western Series with Casey Nash

Burnin’ Daylight

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I sat down with western author Casey Nash, who’s written over 90 books in his Jubel Stone: U.S. Marshal series and somehow hasn’t run out of stories yet. We talked about:

How he accidentally became a novelist after hiding his first book from his wife

Why his westerns feel like classic TV shows—short, punchy, and no filler

What it takes to keep a character fresh through 90+ books

The co-writing process with other authors, including a potential collab with Lane Morinzy

Why he won’t write zombie cowboy books, no matter what sells

Drawing inspiration from real life—from pastoring to people watching in airport bars

The power of writing clean, violent, emotionally honest westerns

Whether you’re a writer, a cowboy, or just a sucker for a good shoot-’em-up, this one’s worth the ride.

📚 Find Casey’s work on Amazon: search “Casey Nash”

🔫 Start with Book 1 and 2 in the Jubel Stone series to get the backstory

🤝 Casey’s open to speaking gigs and events—get in touch

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

01:06 – Meet Casey Nash, western author from Alabama

02:08 – How he got into writing (and hid it from his wife)

03:54 – From 1 book to 92: the wild growth of Jubel Stone

05:06 – Keeping the series fresh without recycling plots

07:00 – Writing books in his sleep, literally

09:04 – How pastoring shaped his characters

10:42 – Why co-writing with others keeps it fun

13:00 – Inspiration from airports, bars, and Wyoming ranches

16:27 – Writing Winchester Fever after a ride to Tom Horn’s old mountain

19:11 – Reader reactions: one-star reviews and cliffhanger hate

21:06 – Staying true to his voice (no zombies, no trash westerns)

24:30 – How collaboration with other authors made him better

26:33 – The grind of professional writing: 6–11 hours a day

29:11 – Writing that moves readers (and makes him cry sometimes)

31:13 – The emotional balance of Jubel Stone: lawman and family man

34:01 – Everyone wants to be a cowboy—until it gets hard

36:05 – Dealing with critics and sticking to the craft

38:44 – Staying grateful for the readers (and preorders!)

41:04 – Returning characters and building reader loyalty

42:10 – Do you need to read the series in order? (Short answer: kinda)

43:00 – Clive Cussler, character crossovers, and cheat codes

44:46 – Keeping stories grounded, connected, and fresh

46:00 – Why his books are violent but clean

47:10 – Writing with God in mind (and no cussing)

50:28 – Every book has a shelf life—keep writing

52:10 – Shocking stat: 55% of western readers are women

54:00 – Audiobooks are the future

56:00 – Writing on horseback—literally

58:40 – Why cowboy work feels better than corporate life

1:00:04 – Where to find Casey’s work and what’s coming next

1:00:49 – Outro

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