In the quiet moments outside his office, cigarette in hand, Calder Venn crafts worlds on his phone. By day, he’s an architect, designing structures that shape the world around us. By night, he’s a writer, building stories that transport readers to distant times and places. His debut novel, All the Tide Takes: The Lost Treasure of Olivier Levasseur, shows his unique perspective, blending meticulous historical research with a storyteller’s flair. Published on February 24, 2026, this indie historical fiction novel has already begun to carve its niche in the literary seas.
From Horse Ranch to High-Rises
Venn’s path to writing is as unconventional as his stories. Raised on a horse ranch, he grew up under open skies and in the rhythms of ranch life. That upbringing gave him a strong work ethic and an appreciation for structure—qualities that are now essential to his dual roles as an architect and a writer.
“I like the constraints of form,” Venn explains when I mention how his novel was structured like Shakespeare’s. “Here’s the box. You cannot go outside of these parameters. Now, what can you do with it? That’s what I enjoy.” Venn is a Shakespeare fan, as can be seen in his office, where his desk doubles as a space for both work and writing. His writing style is rooted in classic prose, structured with the meticulousness of a blueprint. All the Tide Takes is divided into six acts, each split into two parts—a “call and response” that mirrors the twelve hours of a clock or the twelve months of a year. “Once I knew the book was going to have the structure of a classic French adventure novel, I said, okay, that’ll be the first half of the book. Then we’ll get to the business of pirating,” Venn says with a laugh.
Before architecture and writing, Venn honed his creativity as a stand-up comedian, mastering one-liners within strict limits. The serious-looking Venn once performed comedy; this experience shaped his storytelling.
A Treasure Hunt Like No Other
All the Tide Takes is a maritime adventure steeped in 18th-century pirate lore. Inspired by Olivier Levasseur, a French pirate said to have left a cryptogram to a hidden fortune, the novel weaves fact with fiction. Venn’s love for maps and navigation shines as two treasure hunters—Jean Roux, a precise royal surveyor, and Captain Sorel, a ruthless rogue—race to crack the cipher and claim the prize.
The novel’s authenticity stands out. Venn’s research into the Indian Ocean world, colonial politics, and navigation grounds the story in realism. “You could actually visit these real locations,” Venn notes. Yet, the book is no dry account. It is character-driven, exploring ambition, consequence, and the sea’s dual nature. “The tide takes everything,” Venn reflects. “Roux ignores the moral cost because he wants to solve the riddle. As we follow along, we cheer for him too, because we want the treasure.”
Read: All the Tide Takes: The Lost Treasure of Olivier Levasseur, Calder Venn’s Fresh Take on Pirate Lore
A Writer with a Vision
Venn’s influences are as varied as his life experiences. He draws inspiration from literary greats like John Steinbeck and Alexandre Dumas, as well as the nautical adventures of Patrick O’Brian. His characters are complex and deeply human, driven by their own ambitions and flaws. “Nobody’s a hero,” Venn asserts. “People have reasons for making their choices, and often those reasons are good, but people are not good. There’s always some ulterior conflict.”
This commitment to authenticity extends to his process. Venn rewrote the ending of All the Tide Takes six times to stay true to his characters. “Every character is entirely focused on their goal, and it’s my job to make that conflict real,” he says. The result is a novel both meticulously crafted and organic.
The Journey Ahead
All the Tide Takes is just the beginning of Calder Venn’s literary voyage. With plans for a trilogy, Venn aims to dive even deeper into the legend of Olivier Levasseur, exploring the enigmatic pirate’s “lost decade” and the modern-day search for his treasure. “The story of La Buse is simply too big for this one book,” Venn explains. “There’s an entire lost decade of history that this book skips over, and that deserves to be a book. Similarly, this treasure hunt has lasted 300 years, and we’ve only made very recent progress toward its recovery. That’s another book.”
Readers can expect not just more adventure, but also a continuation of Venn’s style—meticulously researched, character-driven stories that balance history and tension. Fans of O’Brien’s Aubrey-Maturin series, Treasure Island, or real-life historical mysteries will find a fresh take on the pirate genre. “This treasure exists, at least I believe it does, and everyone has looked in the wrong place,” Venn says.
Venn’s ambitions go beyond the Indian Ocean. His first unpublished novella, a romantic horror, shows another side. Centered on a female therapist and her patient, it was an early experiment in exploring relationships through a darker lens. “I let my sister read it, and she hated it,” Venn laughs. “She said, ‘You don’t know how to write for women.’” Instead of abandoning it, Venn chose to co-write an expanded version with a female collaborator, aiming for a sharper, more authentic perspective. “It enriches the work,” he reflects. “Collaboration brings a cleaner lens to the story.”
This openness to feedback and a willingness to push boundaries define Venn’s work. Whether charting piracy or delving into complex relationships, his storytelling stands out for rigor, authenticity, and depth. His experience as a stand-up comedian, architect, and lifelong map and history enthusiast gives him a unique voice across genres.
As Venn grows his literary horizons, one thing stands out: he takes risks. Whether rewriting endings six times or co-writing stories outside his comfort zone, readers can expect grand adventures and stories that surprise, challenge, and hold interest.
Calder Venn’s writing journey is just beginning, yet his work already has the depth of a seasoned storyteller. With All the Tide Takes, he delivers a debut that is both a love letter to historical fiction and a bold look at ambition, consequence, and spirit. Charting new stories and genres, Venn invites readers to join a voyage as unpredictable and rewarding as the tides.
ALL THE TIDE TAKES
In 1730, the pirate Olivier Levasseur went to the gallows, leaving behind a cipher that points to immense fortune.
The treasure was never found.
Decades later, two men embark on a voyage to finish what history left unresolved.
Set at the edges of empire and grounded in real maritime history, All the Tide Takes follows a narrowing pursuit across the Indian Ocean, where navigation, discipline, and ambition collide with time, weather, and human appetite. As the search tightens, calculation gives way to consequence, and the margin for error disappears. What the tide offers is inseparable from what it takes.
/Historical Fiction
Available in Kindle and Paperback
Justine Castellon is a brand strategist with an innate ability to weave compelling narratives. She seamlessly blends her professional insight with her passion for literature. Her literary works include romantic drama novels—Four Seasons, The Last Snowfall, Gnight Sara / ‘Night Heck, and I Love You, Sunday Sunset. With her ability to tell stories that linger long after the last word, Justine leaves a mark not only in the world of branding but also in the hearts of her readers.
www.justcastellon.com
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