Jon Nelson is the author of The Retributionist, a thriller series exploring the shifting line between justice and judgment, truth and fiction, and revenge and retribution. Drawing on experiences and environments familiar from his own life, Nelson describes his approach as “FACT-ion”—fiction grounded closely enough in reality to leave readers questioning where one ends and the other begins.

Nelson wrote The Retributionist and its two sequels entirely by hand while serving time in federal prison. Working as a janitor in the prison chapel, he transformed a small mop closet into a makeshift writing space, spending his days studying, journaling, and filling pages with the story that would become the series. Manuscript pages were mailed home over time to be typed and preserved by the woman who would later become his wife.

Released from federal prison in 2020 under the CARES Act, Nelson continues to write and develop The Retributionist series while reflecting on the experiences that shaped its themes of institutional power, human judgment, resilience, and redemption. He lives with his wife and remains closely connected to their family.