Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations - Writing the Books You Want to Read: Stephanie Storm on Urban Fantasy, Publishing, and Pushing Boundaries (E140)

Writing the Books You Want to Read: Stephanie Storm on Urban Fantasy, Publishing, and Pushing Boundaries (E140)

04/02/25 • 48 min

2 Listeners

Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations

There is an unspoken rule of being an author: "if you can't find the book you want to read, write it." That's exactly what Stephanie Storm did. Now, she prides herself on creating unique stories in action packed worlds full of strong female characters and inclusivity. Her books include plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a touch of romance too. With the stories being fast paced, she always tries to keep the books focused on being a quick and easy read. Now based in Amsterdam with her husband, Stephanie spends her days immersed in the world of technology at her day job. In her spare time, you can find her planning her next travel adventure, going to Barre classes and writing the next story in her very intense publishing schedule.

Episode Highlights:

📖 How moving across continents shaped her mindset
🔥 Her Titan Syndicate Series: The Rule of the Damned & The Clash of the Damned (coming 09/11/2025)
✍️ The benefits of hiring a book coach for indie authors
📝 Finding the balance between plotter and pantser writing styles
🚀 Marketing, imposter syndrome, and what it takes to succeed in indie publishing

Plus, while we didn’t chat about it in this episode, Stephanie is also a newly minted podcast host—so be sure to check out The Fantasy Grimoire Podcast!

Connect with Stephanie Storm:

Show Notes

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

Grave Matter by Karina Halle
Never After series by Emily McIntyre
The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare
Anathema by Keri Lake
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Burning Glass (book #2 in series) by Elle Kaelee

Book Flight

Relentless by Karen Lynch
The Bombshell Devil’s Advocate by Nikkita Bell
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman

Ready for a monthly literary adventure? We now have the BFF Book Club. Join us each month to explore a new book. After reading, connect with fellow book lovers and meet the author in a live interview! Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—we’ll send you the recording. You can find all our upcoming book club selections HERE.

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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Episode Highlights:

Plus, while we didn’t chat about it in this episode, Stephanie is also a newly minted podcast host—so be sure to check out The Fantasy Grimoire Podcast!

Connect with Stephanie Storm:

Show Notes

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

Grave Matter by Karina Halle
Never After series by Emily McIntyre
The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare
Anathema by Keri Lake
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Burning Glass (book #2 in series) by Elle Kaelee

Book Flight

Relentless by Karen Lynch
The Bombshell Devil’s Advocate by Nikkita Bell
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

Previous Episode

BFF Book Club - What Happened to the McCrays? with Tracey Lange (E139)

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Welcome to today’s episode of Bookish Flights! This episode is the latest meeting of the BFF Book Club! If you love books, author meet-and-greets, and in-depth conversations, the BFF Book Club is for you. Each month, we dive into a new book, and this month’s selection is What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange. Tracey was born and raised in New York City before heading west to graduate from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology. After owning and operating a mental health services company with her husband for fifteen years, she completed the Stanford University novel writing program while working on her first novel, the New York Times bestseller, We Are the Brennans. Tracey currently lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

Episode Highlights:

📖 How Tracey's background in mental health influences her storytelling and helps her understand complex characters.
📖 Why she is drawn to exploring the gray areas of human nature.
📖 Her writing process and what she has learned about herself.
📖 The books that shaped her as a young reader and have impacted her writing style.
📖 Her book flight, featuring stories with tragically flawed characters you can't help but root for.

If you’d like to join us next month, we will be reading an amazing contemporary fiction, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski. This is a heartwarming story of love, life, casseroles and community set in Wisconsin.

Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Register to join us on Apr. 27th at 1:00 pm PST!

Connect with Tracey:

Books and authors mentioned:

Pet Semetary by Stephen King
The Stand by Stephen King
Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
Dream State by Eric Puchner

Book Flight

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

Next Episode

Sun Safety & Escaping Through Books with Leah Koskinen (E141)

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Leah Koskinen, a mom of two whose life changed six years ago when she was diagnosed with stage III melanoma. Now, as she navigates mom life and recovery, she devotes her time to promoting sun safety awareness on Instagram, chasing her kids around, and reading as many books as she can!

Leah shares her passion for sun safety, her favorite sunscreens, and essential skincare tips. We also discuss books—how reading throughout the day creates a sense of accomplishment and how certain books provided her an escape from the mental load of recovery and motherhood.

Key Highlights:

Leah’s journey with melanoma and the importance of sun safety awareness.
Her go-to sunscreens: Elf Face Screen, Melan Spray, and Daily Shade for Kids. We also talked about Solar Buddies applicators.
Sun safety tips: Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and use a makeup brush for easy application on kids.
The importance of yearly dermatology checkups and what to watch for on your skin.
The role of books in her healing journey and how they provide an escape from the mental load.
Leah’s book flight includes books that helped her “drift off” and unwind.

Connect with Leah:

Books and authors mentioned: