Storm Stories
Compiled by Wendy Darling

Once again, a compilation of reminiscences from fans, on how they discovered Storm. Submit you own story! -Wendy, Editor, Inception

Angelo Ventura

Storm is indeed a marvelous person, someone I'd really love to meet. I discovered her beautiful work through Amazon.com's "Recommendations" system, which signaled to me the Wraeththu omnibus from Tor Books. What a revelation it has been! I was bewitched and enchanted by her marvelous writing and her beautiful, magical, poetic and sensual worlds. I have read all her works, as for now, and Wraeththu remains my favourite.

Anni

I have never ever met Storm but would love to do so. I've been an admirer of her and her writing since the mid-90s when I chanced across the first in the Grigori trilogy at WH Smiths on Manchester Piccadilly railway station in the UK. I have been a fan of hers ever since. I am currently working my way through the Wraeththu books, but slowly because my own writing is taking up a lot of my time along with family.

I'm not particularly "into" the Goth scene, in fact I know little about it really. As far as I'm concerned these are merely labels. It's the real human beings inside that matter and Storm has constantly proved herself to be just one of us. Very rarely do you find an author who is so interested in her following to the extent where she is a real factor and not just some mythical figure that produces books with stories in them. She's a real person with a real life and an interest in other people. That says a lot for her character.

Carla

I was introduced to Wraeththu differently than almost everyone else in fandom. One day, in a virtual world which shall remain unnamed, I met a very interesting person with whom I struck up what turned into a lengthy conversation.

Gradually we became friends, and she mentioned... almost in passing... that "she also wrote sometimes"... hehehe. Curiosity led to research led to book hunts. But in the meantime, we became good friends.

The book hunts succeeded, I ended up with one from Canada, one from US and one from Great Britain but it WAS a trilogy.

Time went by... I discovered both many books written by Storm Constantine and many additional facets to her character and talent -- we finally met in person the last Lunacon. How lucky am I? She's truly become one of my best friends in the world and is surely one of the nicest I've been privileged to know. And oh... I'm totally addicted to the world of Wraeththu (and some of her other writing too.)

Ian

The first Storm story I ever read was "My Lady of the Hearth," from the anthology Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers. I was immediately hooked. The first Storm novel I read was Burying the Shadow, and I fell in love. I still am. Storm's writing is a rich, bold, sexy tapestry of dark velvet shot through with scintillating, multi-colored stars. As a fan of Tanith Lee's work, I responded to Storm with similar enthusiasm, the discovery of a kindred spirit who could illuminate and alter my consciousness with the power of her words.

When I read about the Visionary Tongue project in 1999, I decided to submit a short story. About a week before Christmas I opened my e-mail and found a letter from Storm stating that she had read "Of Memories and Shadows" and that she would like to publish it in the magazine.

I think I re-read that e-mail a dozen times, and still it didn't sink in.

I was amazed that a writer I loved had not only taken the time to read my work but also appreciated it enough to put it through the editing process towards publication. When my partner at the time came home I asked him to read Storm's e-mail to make sure I wasn't hallucinating; I was ecstatic to find out that I wasn't. And so my first short story acceptance was by Storm Constantine -- how hot is that? It was the best Christmas present. Since then I've had a few short stories published online and in print; I always remember who gave me a start in the field.

A few years ago, after I posted something on the Stormboard, I received an e-mail from Storm and was flattered that she remembered accepting a story of mine earlier. Not only that, but she also invited me to submit work to Immanion Press, and I hope to someday have a manuscript ready for consideration.

I cannot stress enough how invaluable it is for a growing writer to find such friendly encouragement from an author who embraces her admirers into the fold so warmly, creating a diverse and devoted community. Brava!

Thank you, Storm.

Jamie

Interesting really to think how we all discovered Storm's work, for me it was back in the early 90s when Storm was guest of honour at one of the Novacon conventions in Birmingham. I'd already been into the Goth scene for a few years, but it was just a total revelation to me to find that an alterative author could make it in the world of writing - I must admit I was pretty green myself to the current fiction market at the time, but Storm's mix of description, magick, style and sheer accessibility was and is something that has inspired me down various and obscure paths, ranging from angel magick to magazine editing.

A lot of authors have I have found have very little time for their "readers," but consistently Storm has taken the time to not only "keep it real" as you say, but be interested in supporting the writing of her fans. My very first short story to be published, was in Visionary Tongue, then edited by Storm. Years later Storm kindly asked me to take over the editing of the very same magazine. When in 1994 I started my own first fanzine, Storm was happy to give me an interview, and I struck up a long friendship with the original Inception Team of Steve & Vikki. I could list lots of interest and kindness that Storm has shown me and my diverse projects over the years. I'm glad that I'm not alone in thinking how valuable Storm and her work has been, and continues to be so.

Julie

The very first time I spoke with her via email, I didn't know it was her. Knocked my socks OFF when I got to the end of the email. She was real, it wasn't a artificial with an autoresponder. Then, she even gave me good advice (which I plan on using here rather quick) in regards to my fanfic. I was floored once again. I have told her more than once that if she is ever in Minnesota, she has an automatic invite, whenever she wants. She is not the typical person.

Puma

I first discovered Storm's work back in the late 80's when I purchased The Bewitchments of Love and Hate to read on a very boring trip. Not only did the novel rescue me from boredom, but it addicted me to the series as well. I had a hard time finding the other two installments of the trilogy. I must have scrounged every book store in a 15 mile radius. Every time I've been inside a bookstore since then I'd look to see if there were any new novels by Storm Constantine in the SciFi/Fantasy sections to no avail. Thank God for the Internet. My original copies of the Wraeththu trilogy were stolen, by the way. They can be hard to find in the U.S.

Serena

I picked up and put down Hermetech, Burying the Shadow and Sign for the Sacred heaps of times in a dodgy little local newsagent. Funnily enough it was Storm's name that put me off. There's so many writers in fantasy that deal with mysticism and gothic themes in a pretty hackneyed way that i was very wary and I thought "Uh-oh, this person has changed their name to something very romantic, will this be more of the same?" I bought Burying and devoured it with absolute glee, it remains one of the books i invest in the most, Rayo's almost clinical attitude as everything goes nuts around her... needless to say I ran down and bought the rest of the books and then sourced all the others by various means. everytime I went to another capital city on holidays I would scour their public library catalogue for her titles out of print. I read the first Wraethuthu book in a Gold Coast library in an afternoon!

Shisa

A friend of mine gave me the first three Wraeththu books for Christmas (the omnibus but not the revised ones). I had no idea what it was and neither did she. But she knew the things I'd been reading lately and she had heard others recommend the wraeththu books and hoped I'd like them. Little did she know I'd end up absolutely loving them ^_^

Then I read Calenture, Hermetech, the Grigori books, hmmm... then a bunch of short stories and the Magrivandias books... I'm probably forgetting tonnes of stuff...

I still really love Calenture. I want to read it again sometime... I have such fond memories of it... I read most of it at night and in the early morning hours and the whole book has such a wonderful dream-like feel to it... it's just fantastic...

Ah, everytime I come here it makes me want to read the Wraeththu books over again... It's always the tiniest bit unsatisfying though because it'll never be as good as the first time...I was so wrapped up in reading them, it was such a great adventure. But I think I'll read them all again (again...what is this the 5th time I should be able to recite them by now... sheesh, hehe) one day. I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the moment...it's a great adventure too, read it read it^__^

Valerie

I’m catching up on mail and loving all these stories about Storm. Ian -- your story is so similar to mine. I first heard of Storm’s writing when I saw her featured in a Mick Mercer book on all things gothic, early 90s. Her books sounded so fascinating. I went out and hunted down what I could find, the first being Burying the Shadow then Hermetech. Oh my -- the writing, the worlds, the vision -- how compelling was this! I was riveted from that point on, a committed devotee.

By complete (lucky) coincidence I saw Storm advertising in a writer’s journal for subs to Visionary Tongue a few years later, just at the time I’d started to write myself. That must have been ‘96/’97. It felt like a sign, the author I admired so much looking to encourage new writers. It took a while for me to build up the nerve to send her some of my own work though. I couldn’t believe it when she wrote back to me, and it was so friendly and encouraging. She *was* a real person. :-) From there she helped me develop my writing, nurturing my voice and making me believe in myself. That was a crucial foundation for me. I then met her for real at one of her book signings. I was a bundle of nerves and scared to death to introduce myself. When I got my name out, Storm greeted me in such a genuine, friendly way that I was immediately put at my ease. She welcomed me into her fold and I met Vikki and Steve and many other people who were an inspiration to me.

I consider myself immensely lucky to have met Storm and had her magical touch on my own writing. I kept going and gradually built up a writer’s journey of my own. Every time I move forward, I remember standing in front of the post box trying to get up the nerve to send her my first submission, and the amazing experience of reading her response. Storm is an inspiration, a friend and mentor. What I find most amazing is that someone so magical can also be so down to earth, caring and friendly. That is her gift. Thankfully my own journey continued, and Penguin recently signed me for women’s fiction. None of this would have happened without Storm.

Will

I have finally, finally (note the extreme frustration in these finally's) purchased and begun to read Wraiths and Shades.... Bought from none other than Borders bookstore, which was where I first purchased the trilogy in the first place. And what have I learned from this experience? THAT I LOVE STORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milady, you are, without a doubt, the most wonderful, creative person I have had the good fortune to know... You are an excellent author, of the utmost talent, and your genius (yes, I said it) has brightened, enlightened, and inspired many others, including myself, to enjoy another world of thought, where the true essence of the human spirit can engage in the wonder, both dark and light, of Wraeththtu, and beyond.

Everyone on this site has no single person to thank except you (although a great many others deserve credit for their own contributions... but without Storm, NONE OF THIS WOULD EVEN EXIST), and that is why I adore her splendor and glory. You are a wonderful soul, and to see the evolution that your thoughts have taken is a miracle to behold.

I wish I could just say that I am your number one fan, but I'm quite sure Pell, Wendy, and quite a few others might lynch me..... Neil Gaiman's little comment about Storm isn't quite true.... Because I wouldn't give up my copies of these books if Anne Rice handed me her own autographed severed writing hand....