From Ashes to Afterburn: Releasing Midnight Run

There’s a graveyard of stories on my hard drive—half-burned beginnings, false starts, and unfinished thoughts that never made it past chapter three. Each one whispered for a while, then went quiet. But Midnight Run? This one screamed.

For years, I circled the idea. I had flashes—characters, dialogue, a stolen moment under neon light. But nothing stuck. Nothing held fire. Until this.

Jace Mercer arrived like a thunderclap. Lila Voss like a spark to gasoline. Their story wasn’t polite. It didn’t ask permission. It pulled me under and wouldn’t let go until I finished it. And even then, it didn't feel finished. It felt lit.

What began as a late-night experiment became an obsession—an off-grid fixer and a courier with nothing left to lose, both caught in the fallout of secrets too big to stay buried. And somewhere between the chrome of the Barracuda and the ghost in the wires named Sage, I found the rhythm I’d been chasing.

This wasn’t just a story. It was a confession. A chase. A reckoning.

It took longer than I expected. I got in my own way more times than I care to admit. But once it ignited—once I really saw who these characters were—I couldn't stop. Not until it was done. Not until every ounce of grit, heat, and heartbreak was on the page.

So here it is.

Midnight Run is out in the world. A cyber-noir thriller of shadows and sparks. Of trust, betrayal, and what it means to love something dangerous.

Thanks for being here. For reading. For lighting the match with me.

—T.J. Swift