Hi! My name is David Dougher. I’m an author who uses the name David C.R. Nash when writing fiction.
There are two reasons. The first goes back to a time when my wife Deborah Nash and I got married. We discussed, seriously, exchanging last names. I thought it would be interesting to have a last name that people can spell easily. She liked the alliteration of Deborah Dougher.
Alas, the wheels of the world move in well-set ruts. While my wife could easily change her name, it turned out I would have to jump through several major hoops to change mine. So, reluctantly, we both decided to keep the names we started with.
When she died in 2012, I decided that there was one thing I could do to help keep the memory of some of our good times alive. We both loved mysteries, science, and fantasy fiction. So, I took her last name for all the fiction works I write. When writing non-fiction, I continue to use my own name.
The C.R. is a recent edition to help people who keep running into the other David Nash who likes to talk about guns, art, and survivalist gear. Earlier books just refer to me as David Nash.
It’s has a practical result as well… People tend to search for fiction by author as much or even more than they do by subject matter. In the world of non-fiction, the author’s name matters less. Readers are interested in the subject.
Don’t believe me? Would you read a book on cooking by Stephen Hawking? How about Quantum Physics by Julia Child? Thought not. But how many of you will read any fiction written by Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, or J.R.R. Tolkien? In the world of fiction, the author’s name can sell the story as much as the blurb on the back cover.
Personally, I’m not there yet. But I can make it easier for my future readers – and I hope that is you – to find my work. So, I use the name David C. R. Nash when writing fiction and David Dougher when writing non-fiction.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Contacting Me…
David Dougher a.k.a. David Nash – author, teacher, ballroom dance instructor, computer consultant, game designer, and odd fellow.
The Amazon Author Page to My Novels
You can go here and buy my novels and short story collections.