When the shadows come alive,
Ava and Caleb discover the only safe place is in each other’s arms.
But the closer they get, the darker the truth becomes.
All the Shadows We Become
by Dustin Blackwall
Genre: YA Romantasy Thriller
Caleb Ward is trying to forget the night he almost died.
Ava Lin is trying to understand why he survived.
But Hollow Creek isn’t letting either of them move on.
What starts as a strange blackout spirals into a trail of eerie clues, shifting shadows, and a connection between Ava and Caleb that grows hotter and more undeniable with every new secret uncovered.
Something happened that night.
Something dangerous.
And it’s waking up.
The lights exploded into darkness so fast it felt like the whole world had been switched off. One second, the fairgrounds pulsed with noise; the next, a hush dropped over everything – thick, heavy, wrong. Ava’s breath caught in her throat as the shadows around the tents stretched, bending in directions that didn’t match the lanterns flickering overhead.
“Caleb…”
She didn’t even finish his name. Her hand shot out on instinct, finding his fingers in the dark. His grip closed around hers immediately – warm, tight, desperate – anchoring her like a lifeline.
Static rolled through the air, not sound but pressure, brushing across her skin like cold fingertips. The wind picked up and carried the faint smell of scorched leaves and metal. Somewhere behind them, a ride creaked slowly, even though nothing was moving it.
Caleb stepped close enough that she felt the heat of his chest at her shoulder.
“I’m here,” he whispered, voice low and unsteady.
Something moved at the corner of her vision – a ripple of shadow that stole her breath. But Caleb was already there, guiding her back against him, solid and unwavering.
The world still trembled, but she didn’t. Not with his strength at her back. In that moment, she felt it with aching clarity: as long as he held her, she could face anything.
All around them, people shouted – fragmented cries swallowed by the dark. A string of carnival lights fizzled overhead, sputtering blue sparks that made the shadows jump like living ink.
Ava squeezed his hand harder.
“We have to move,” she said, though she wasn’t sure which direction was safe anymore.
Caleb turned, pulling her with him, and in that split-second flash of dying light, she saw his face – terrified, determined, and somehow still looking at her like she was the one thing in this chaos he trusted.
The ground trembled.
The shadows bent again.
And together, hand in hand, they ran toward whatever waited in the dark.
Light Years to Midnight
by Dustin Blackwall
Genre: SciFi Thriller
When data itself begins to speak, who decides what it’s trying to say?
Light Years To Midnight — a globe-spanning thriller where science, faith, and code collide in a race against a countdown written into the fabric of reality.
The wind whipped dust across the plateau as Jonas crested the ridge, breath burning in his throat. Below him, the satellite dishes of the abandoned relay station stretched into the dark like a field of frozen giants. Their metal frames groaned under the rising storm, each bent toward the same invisible point on the horizon.
He wasn’t alone.
A faint beam of light—too controlled to be an accident—flickered between the dishes. Jonas crouched, heart thudding, watching as a woman stepped into view, her silhouette sharp against the skeletal machinery. She moved with the alertness of someone who had been running for far too long.
Elena.
He had seen her face in files, in encrypted packets, in the warnings that had chased him across continents. But seeing her here, in the flesh, felt unreal—like walking into a photograph he wasn’t meant to understand.
Before he could speak, a second figure emerged from the opposite end of the array. Maya paused only when she spotted Elena, recognition flaring across her face. They had never met, not really, but the anomaly had braided their paths tightly enough that the moment felt inevitable.
Jonas stood and lifted a hand, but movement in the distance froze him mid-step.
Engines.
Low, tactical, deliberate.
A convoy approached from the north, its headlights dark, its tires crunching through gravel like muffled gunfire. Special operations—unmarked, unhurried, confident. Not hunters, but collectors.
Elena’s eyes locked on his.
“Are they here for you,” she whispered, “or for all of us?”
Maya stepped closer, her breath sharp in the cold air. “Does it matter?”
Something pulsed beneath the earth—three beats, a pause, three more—vibrating up through the metal frames of the dishes. The sky above them shimmered, faint but unmistakable, as if answering the rhythm.
Jonas swallowed hard.
“No,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s already found us.”
Dustin is a lifelong fan of science and speculative fiction, blending his fascination with astronomy, technology, and the unknown into stories that explore the edge between logic and wonder. When he’s not writing, he’s reading, stargazing, or chasing trails on his dirt bike — always searching for what lies just beyond understanding.
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I come from very humble beginnings in a small town in British Columbia. I worked the usual jobs you find in places like that — the kind that teach you patience, grit, and a deep appreciation for people. Eventually I made my way to Vancouver, where I built a career in Architectural Drafting. It was steady work, and for a long time it felt like the right path.
But somewhere along the way, something stopped resonating. I realized I was getting older, and that the little voice that had always whispered “follow your passion” wasn’t going to quiet down on its own. So I made a choice — a hopeful, slightly terrifying, wonderfully exciting choice — to finally listen.
And that’s how I found my way back to storytelling.
Writing lets me share the worlds I’ve carried with me for years… and invite readers into places where shadows glitch, secrets breathe beneath small towns, and ordinary people discover extraordinary courage. I’m grateful every day for anyone who chooses to walk into those stories with me.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’m a tad nerdy.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I grew up in a little town a few hours from Vancouver, B.C. — and when I say little, I mean little. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and where the biggest claim to fame is being the crossroads of four major highways.
I didn’t stay long, though. Even as a kid, I felt this tug toward something bigger, something just beyond the tree line. It is beautiful, but the opportunities I was looking for weren’t there. So I carried those early memories with me — the quiet streets, the mountains close enough to touch, that sense of being on the edge of something unknown — and they found their way into my stories later.
Those small-town roots are still a part of me, and they shape the worlds I write. There’s something special about places where secrets linger just beneath the surface… and shadows sometimes feel alive.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
Laying the back of my truck on a clear night with a blanket watching the universe move across the sky.
Who is your hero and why?
One of my greatest inspirations has always been Carl Sagan. There was something extraordinary about the way he looked at the universe — not with cold detachment, but with wonder, curiosity, and a deep sense of humanity. His work opened doors in my mind, inviting me to think bigger, dream wider, and explore ideas I might never have considered otherwise.
I still miss his voice, his gentle wisdom, and the way he made the cosmos feel both vast and intimate. His influence hasn’t faded for me; it’s woven into the way I see the world and into the stories I try to tell. He reminded all of us that imagination and science, wonder and truth, can live side by side — and that there’s beauty in asking the next question.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I love getting outside whenever I can. Camping, being out in the fresh air, just letting the world slow down a little — it does something good for the soul. And when I really want to let loose, I’ll take my dirt bike out and ride until I’m completely worn out. There’s something freeing about it, like shaking off all the stress at once and coming back to myself.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
So far out of the box I can’t even see it anymore
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Honestly… I’m not sure I ever had a single moment where it clicked. Writing has been a gradual transition for me — a quiet shift rather than a dramatic one. I’m still getting used to the idea, and maybe that’s okay.
What I do know is that somewhere along the way, the stories I carried inside me started asking for space. They wanted to be written, shaped, shared. And every time I sit down to put those worlds onto the page, I feel a little more like the person I’m becoming — someone who tells stories because they matter to me, and hopefully to readers too.
So whether I call myself a “writer” or not, I’m grateful to be on this path, learning as I go, and inviting others into the worlds I create.
Do you have a favorite movie?
My favorite movie? I think I’d have to choose 2010. There’s something about it that still feels awe-inspiring to me — that sense of scale, of mystery, of looking out into the universe and realizing how small and extraordinary we really are.
It’s epic in the quietest, most meaningful way, and every time I watch it I’m reminded why stories about the unknown resonate so deeply. They make us curious. They make us dream. They invite us to imagine what else might be out there… and what might already be waiting for us.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
LOL. Not there yet. I’m still surprised I got published!
What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always loved Halloween — it’s my second favorite holiday after Christmas — and there’s something magical about that time of year that never really left me. I wanted to tap into that feeling again, the sense of wonder and mystery I had when life was simpler and the world felt a little bigger.
So I started writing a story that let me step back into that space. A world I would have loved to wander through myself… eerie, playful, full of possibility. Creating it felt like revisiting an old memory and discovering something new inside it. And sharing that world with readers is one of the most joyful parts of the journey.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’ve got a few more ideas rattling around in my head — stories that feel a bit more adult, a little grittier, with edges I’m curious to explore. And who knows… one of them seems to be whispering about becoming a trilogy.
It’s still early, but that’s part of the joy. Writing has opened doors I didn’t expect, and I’m excited to follow these new threads wherever they lead. If readers are willing to come along, I’d love to keep building worlds we can step into together.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
What I enjoyed most was how writing this story carried me back to my childhood — a time when everything felt a little simpler and the world didn’t weigh quite so heavily. It reminded me of those early days of curiosity and imagination… and even of my first crush, with all the awkwardness and wonder that comes with those early infatuations.
There was something sweet about reconnecting with those memories, like rediscovering a part of myself I hadn’t visited in years. Bringing that feeling onto the page made the writing process feel less like work and more like a return to something familiar and deeply human.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Caleb: Jacob Elordi
Ava: Anna Cathcart
Liam: Timothée Chalamet
Dr. Vale: Lee Pace
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
I think this story is a must-read because of the way it unfolds — slowly at first, like a candle burning down in a dark room, and then suddenly you realize the shadows are moving in ways you didn’t expect. There’s a careful blend of suspense and a soft, growing romance, all wrapped in a tension that keeps tugging you forward.
What I love most is how the moments of quiet connection sit right beside the unsettling ones. It’s a story meant to pull you in gently, hold you close, and keep you wondering what might be waiting just beyond the edge of the light.
If readers enjoy that mix of heart, atmosphere, and mystery, then I think they’ll find something special here.
What did you edit out of this book?
There were moments when I felt the story tugging toward something a little steamier, especially as the characters grew closer and their emotions deepened. But I also wanted to honour the heart of the book — that youthful space where tension, longing, and connection can feel electric without crossing too far.
So I chose to keep the romance within a safe YA zone, focusing more on the emotion, the build-up, and those breath-catching moments that say so much without needing to go further. In many ways, holding back made the story stronger… it let the characters speak through their feelings rather than the physical details.
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Carl Sagan, Arthur C Clarke, Issac Assimov, Dean Koontz, Alan Steele, Dan Browne, R.A. Salvatore
How long have you been writing?
Well for years, just got serious about it recently.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I google everything to get my facts straight and try to write what I know.
Do you see writing as a career?
LOL ask me again in a year.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I’ve always been a reader — it’s one of the constants in my life. I tend to wander between genres depending on my mood, but I’m especially drawn to science fiction, fantasy, military thrillers, and good old-fashioned espionage.
There’s something about those worlds — the sense of scale, the strategy, the imagination — that has always lit up my curiosity. They shaped the way I think about storytelling and probably planted the seeds for the kinds of mysteries and atmospheres I love exploring in my own work.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I tend to have quite a few ideas drifting around in my head at any given time. Sometimes I’ll jump from one project to another just to follow where the energy is that day — it’s part of how my creativity works.
But when a story really starts calling to me, I can focus in and give it the attention it deserves. There’s something wonderful about letting ideas breathe while still being able to commit fully when a project reaches that moment where it feels ready to come to life.
Pen or type writer or computer?
COMPUTER
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
It’s a bucket list thing. It was time.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I think I’d tell them to just go for it. People will always have their own ideas about how your life should look, what path you should follow, what’s “practical.” But only you can feel the pull of the things that matter to you.
I’d remind my younger self that it’s okay to choose a different direction, even if no one else understands it yet. Your path is yours to walk — and the stories you carry are worth listening to.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It really depends on what real life is doing at the time. The bills don’t stop, the responsibilities don’t pause, and sometimes finding the space to write feels like trying to carve out a quiet moment inside a storm. But little by little, you find ways to make it work.
Some days it’s easy, and other days you just have to put your head down and keep going. The important part is showing up for the story, even in small moments. That’s how the books eventually come together – one determined page at a time.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I think it’s a chronic condition for me.
Nina Soden 