Solo Storm Reading Guide
I write a lot of things! This is a guide to what I'm writing so that you can decide what to read first. Please note that not everything is available on this Substack at the moment; if it is available, I link to the places it is available at!
What I Write | How My Ratings Work | How My Subscription Models Work | Full Guide to My Books
What I Write
My work is split into a few buckets:
Urban/Contemporary Fantasy
Nearly all of my contemporary fantasy is set in the modern world and in the Hallows and Nephilim universe (the Archworldverse). "Contemporary" is not quite right, as there are tons of historical stories embedded in this narrative (the characters live a long time, so this is common). And "fantasy" is not quite right either because there are a few stories that are paranormal romance in the series.
For 2023-2024 I'm focused on the Hallows and Nephilim franchise because I have so many ongoing stories I want to tell in this world. These are the stories that I'll be updating the most and the fastest in this community.
Science Fiction
I've always been interested in the future and have lots of experimental series under my science fiction arm. As always, my stories revolve around women who are struggling to survive and claim their power in the world. For my science fiction, the world is the thing that I'm exploring. And here's the truth about sci-fi—the fictional world always parallels an extremist version of our own. As such, there's no way to escape some of the dystopian underpinnings that are the bedrock of sci-fi, BUT I am, at my heart, a very fluffy, happy endings writer, so I can promise we aren't going to get too depressing and dark.
I'll admit, these books and these storylines are all over the place, not fitting neatly into any one subgenre of science fiction. In most cases, the series started as a short story that I wanted to keep exploring (or that readers wanted me to keep exploring). These stories will not be updated often, unless you ask for it! I find it fun to dream about these books, but it's not a place I feel I can focus until Solo Storm is firmly established with the Hallows and Nephilim universe. I expect these books to get more attention from me in 2025 and beyond.
Fantasy Romance
Although my fantasy work fits in the contemporary category, I really think of it as fantasy romance! But it doesn't technically fit the definition, aside from a few series, most notably The Ten Forest Kingdoms. This series is a portal fantasy romance that retells dozens of Grimm stories, including familiar favorites like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and more.
This series won't update very often unless you ask for it! For now, I hope to add a few chapters per month at most. I expect it to debut on retailers (again, as the first two books are rewrites) under S. Storm (Solo After Dark) in 2025.
How My Ratings Work
Ratings are important! Here are the three things I stay conscious of in my work:
Heat - Many of my stories appeal to teenagers or could be classified as YA (young adult). I'm very conscious of keeping sex off the page in my books. Characters may still have sex, but it's infrequent and always fades to black. I may put additional bonus sexy sexy scenes in the Solo After Dark section if it's appropriate to the story and age of the characters.
Violence - I don't like gory violence. I hate horror, murder mysteries, thrillers. Do not try to get me to watch CSI or any of its offshoots. It's a no. You can expect my books to be pretty low on violence. That doesn't mean people don't die, or that people don't have horrible things happen to them, but the description of any of that will be mild and it'll probably happen mostly off-screen.
Vulgarity - I try to keep vulgarity to a minimum in my books as it doesn't add anything to my storylines. In books labeled Solo After Dark, you'll find a lot more swearing.
Solo After Dark
When the story I'm telling has ratings much higher than what I've stated here, I move that book into the Solo After Dark category so that readers know. Solo After Dark is recommended for ages 18+ due to on-page sex and expletives.
I want to be super clear—Solo After Dark is not a steamy romance line! It's just steamy compared to my usual fare. It's probably a 3 out of 5 in heat compared to other romance books. You also may see it labeled as S. Storm on retailers. I want to protect my younger readers, especially since many of my books appeal to teenagers.
Sometimes, when a scene fades to black in one of my regular books, I will put an extended scene in Solo After Dark. These extended scenes will likely not be published on regular retailers, though they may appear in special editions of the books!
Finally, all of Solo After Dark lives behind the paywall!
How My Subscription Models Work
For many Substacks there are free and paid options. You will find both on my Substack and can read many of my stories completely for free! There are other stories that are completely for paid subscribers only, or that use a mix of models. I’ve labeled every story I talk about on this page with one of the following subscription models:
Free - Several of the stories are completely free! This is usually because they will eventually be completely free or nearly free at retailers.
Early Access - Many stories are paid, but drip out slowly (1-2 chapters a week as free). The paid subscription is often significantly further ahead than the free version. You can join the paid subscription to get early access to the story!
Gated Access - Some stories only have a few sample chapters and then you can decide to keep reading if you want.
Paid Only - Some stories offer no sample (often due to being in an exclusivity contract, like on Kindle Vella) so you can read it if you are a paid subscriber only.
Bonus Content (Paid Only)
If you’d like to get bonus and behind-the-scenes content, I post specifically on Ream and Patreon for that. On Substack, I’m only allowed one paid tier and I’ve decided to make that the $5 level. On Ream and Patreon, I have multiple tiers that go higher than $5 and you can get additional content there.
I may drop a bonus into Substack here and there, but I want to respect the people backing at higher tiers on these other platforms.
Story Descriptions
Hallows and Nephilim: The Archworldverse
My largest world and the place where my very first series is set is Hallows and Nephlim. The core series is called Waters Dark and Deep, but you can read any of the series in this world from the beginning. They share they world and several characters, and I also put out tome-sized crossover books that blend the stories from several series together into one timeline, before branching off again.
Why are there so many series? Aside from the "this is awesome!" factor, as a writer, I wanted to explore the worldbuilding from all different parts of the world and show the deeper mechanisms of a Great War. When you look at WWI or WWII, there are dozens of countries each acting in their own best interests. I didn't want to write one story, because a Great War cannot be encompassed in one story. Each series explores a different area—mermaids and selkies, faeries, vampires, dragons, witches, priestesses, lion shifters, wolf shifters, and more.
Here are the series in this world:
Waters Dark and Deep (Early Access)
This is an angel story where the main characters are lost princesses of the Hallows, a group of magical superbeings descended from the archangels. The story revolves around a brother and sister and reads a lot like a family saga, with both bloodlines and found family dominating the complicated relationships in this series. To me, this story is the core of the great wars between the Hallows and Nephilim. It is a long series that is painstakingly plotted in detail. I know the ending, and it's an incredibly satisfying one. But it is a winding and fun journey to get there, too.
This series sets the tone for the entire world and is rooted in Christian mythology (though that expands in future series). If you loved The Mortal Instruments (or the Shadowhunters television show), you may like this series too!
Start the Story: This story starts with the first book, Instruments of the Angels (Hallows and Nephilim: Waters Dark and Deep #1). The first chapter is Prologue. Start reading »
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: Instruments of the Angels (Hallows and Nephilim: Waters Dark and Deep #1)
Paid Progress: Nothing behind a paywall yet!
Faerie Princess Spy Academy (Early Access)
The faerie realm contains ten different types of faeries. This story is about a leprechaun princess who is challenged by the previous family who held her throne. The head of that family becomes her sworn enemy, but everyone can see the similarities and chemistry between them as they inadvertently fall in love. It's set at an academy, which makes it great for fans of Harry Potter who might like a lot more romance thrown into their books.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Napoli Vampire Royalty (Early Access)
Twin vampire brothers with a dark history, in a bid to extend their family and prepare for the wars to come, resurrect the Sovereign Games, a fight to the death amongst humans with the coveted blood of Luci. The winner is promised a place in the Selvaggio family and a marriage to the Napoli vampire prince. But power is a fickle thing, even within a powerful family. The Selection meets The Vampire Diaries.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
The Angel Masqueraders (crossover novel) (Paid Only)
5 masquerades. 4 princesses. 3 alliances. 2 sides at war. No one is who they seem. This book follows the four princesses and main characters of the first three series. Sirena and Brie (Waters Dark and Deep), Darby (Faerie Princess Spy Academy), and Vala (Napoli Vampire Royalty) come together and interact for the first time as they work toward a common goal.
This crossover takes place after WD&D #6, FPSA #3, and NVR #3. While it's best to read in order, you can read it out of order too.
This crossover also launches three more series, The Bennet Witch Sisterhood, Awakening of Dragons, and The Diviners.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
The Bennet Witch Sisterhood (Gated Access)
The Bennet family is charged with keeping the portal to another dimension closed. When Katie runs away, the remaining four Bennet witches must attempt to hold it closed until their father can locate her. Mrs. Bennet suggests that one of the sisters forms an infinity bond to extend their powers. But Elsie Bennet can't imagine that level of commitment to a stranger. And when banished vampires Colton Bingley and Will Darcy come to town, the drama between the vampires and the witches escalates, at the same time as romantic bonds are formed. This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with five books and five happy endings, one for each of the Bennet sisters. As a Jane Austen fan, I couldn't help but retell the story for a modern audience, using magic as the basis for many of the challenges the characters face.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Awakening of Dragons (Gated Access)
I can't really say much about this series because it's so far down the timeline that even the premise is a spoiler. I will say that it centers around Tokyo, Japan and of course, involves dragons. It's a spinoff of Napoli Vampire Royalty, and it takes place in concurrence with The Bennet Witch Sisterhood.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
The Diviners (Gated Access)
You'll learn a great deal about the Nephilim side of witches and magic through the Bennet Witch Sisterhood series. On the Hallow side, priestesses and diviners move magic in ways that resemble the witches quite a bit! This series is also a spinoff of Napoli Vampire Royalty and will follow characters that leave the cast.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Zodiac Traveler (Free)
This series contains twelve standalone novellas, one for each sign on the zodiac. It follows one character from not long after the New Order is formed (after the fall of the Coristou-Michael family) through time. Amethyst is a Hallow with the ability to travel through time when the veil is thinner, as the planets shift. Amethyst struggles to control her powers and spends a year moving from time period to time period. In each time period, she meets the characters from one of the other series and gets one step closer to where she is meant to be in the Great War. The thirteenth book is the end of the series as this character will join the cast of one of the ongoing series afterward.
This series started as a vehicle to tell more stories about characters that will hopefully enhance or explore who they are in their series. To me, these are little vignettes about the world and its characters, tied together by one narrative that builds.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Wolves Among Us (Solo After Dark) (Paid Only)
This series is a classic wolf shifter series and includes a "why choose?" romantic scenario. I haven't quite figured out how it plays a role in the larger picture of the Great War, but I'm sure that's coming! The series is set in Alaska and is heavily inspired by Twilight, if Edward and Jacob were brother wolves and Bella could choose both of them...And then some.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Dark Angels (Solo After Dark) (Paid Only)
Well, this series started out gently, then turned darker than my usual fare really fast. (Reminder: not dark! Darker than I usually go, though.) It's a mafia academy story, so the darkness couldn't really be helped. If you like this sort of thing and would prefer a lighter, gentler fare of enemies-to-lovers romance, this may be your ticket.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Science Fiction
Socialpunk (dystopian cyberpunk) (Early Access)
I started this series back in 2011 (!) and published the first (short) book. It's a fun series that reimagines the world using the currencies most valuable on social media. Social media has changed a lot, so the update of this series must reflect that. There is also a lot that holds up nicely. This world is fascinating in so many ways and a great read for influencers who love Instagram and TikTok.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Stars and Shadows (space opera romance) (Paid Only)
I wrote this series as "Game of Thrones in space" and that's really the best way to describe it. If GoT and Star Wars had a baby, you'd get Stars and Shadows in premise. In aesthetic, it's unlike either GoT or Star Wars and is instead very much my own brand of "princess problems," as it always is!
This world is probably my most extensive outside of the Archworldverse. I can definitely see building it out with many different series at some point, but for now, there is a core story that follows many different characters in a great war of sorts, similar to Waters Dark and Deep.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Galactic Warriors (military romance) (Gated Access)
I started writing this series as a short story and have slowly added to it over the years. It has a fun principle character and a central love triangle, along with some interesting gaming elements. I'll be honest about this one—I'm pantsing it for the most part! I don't yet have a grand plan for this story, but it's always interesting to see where something goes. You will enjoy this story if you enjoyed movies like Starship Troopers and Equilibrium, though this is not anywhere near as dark, especially not on the page.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
The Hamiltons (alternate timeline romance) (Paid Only)
What if Alexander Hamilton had survived and become president on the United States? This story is all about the romanticism of American royalty and a Unionist party that is trying to hold a disparate and large country together in the modern world. There may be an arranged marriage or two. There will definitely be drama. For fans of The Crown and Hamilton: The Musical, this alternate history timeline explores the United States in its current state and its former ones.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
"Engine World" (steampunk romance) (Gated Access)
There is one other steampunk series I started as a novelette called The Crown Reading. It was set in someone else's world which basically ended up going nowhere, so I'm looking forward to changing some of the details and building my own world to continue exploring the romance I started there. It's a very cute romance, and the novelette (written back in 2014) has always been a favorite among readers.
"Engine World" is the name of the original world this belonged in, but I didn't read much of the books the world was even based on, so I really just think of this as a steampunk universe and will rename it at some point.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA
Fantasy Romance
The 10 Forest Kingdoms (Paid Only)
It's no surprise that I'm attracted to fairy tale retellings, as every story I write is about princesses and royalty! This is my version of these stories, and I think it's unlike most of what I see. For each series, I write 5 contained novellas with a larger arc, giving me about 500-600 printed pages per "princess." (Which is a really good size for special edition hardcover prints!) The stories are interconnected across the princesses, and it's best to read the series in order.
Start the Story: TBA
Update Information: TBA
Free Progress: TBA
Paid Progress: TBA
Where To Read: TBA