Interview with Lance Storm
by Jon Jordan
Lance's Web Site
BOOKMARKS PAGE

Interview with Lance Storm
Spring 2003

JON:  I’m going to start this a little different than most of my interviews. And I think I can say that I’ve never asked this of anyone else I’ve interviewed yet. How did you get into wrestling?

LANCE:  I was unhappy in University. I was always a good student but University started losing it's appeal with me and I started looking for other option. For some unexplained reason I chose wrestling. I packed it in in school and never looked back

JON:  What would you say is the most demanding part of it?

LANCE:  Oddly enough the travel. I'm on the road 200 days a year and living in Calgary I spend likely 20 hours in the air a week. It's harder than all the punishment in the ring.

JON:  I’m guessing that it’s not as well known to the people who regularly read these interviews, but you have a book club on your website. What made you want to start it?

LANCE:  This is a bit of a long story. I've been an avid reader for a while. With 20 hours in the air every week, I need something. David Morrell has always been my favourite author. Through a strange turn of event he ended up sending me a signed copy of one of his books. This started a book discussion on my website and a friend of mine named Sara joked that I was turning into the next Oprah and should start a book club. We joked about it and I thought why not. So I did.

JON:  Is it safe to say that David Morrel is a favorite?

LANCE:  Very safe. I absolutely love his work and now that I've got to know him, I'm even a bigger fan.

JON:  I imagine you travel more than most people do. Where’s your favorite place to stay?

LANCE:  Home! It's the one place I seldom am and the one place I never want to leave.

JON:  What’s the best match you’ve ever had?

LANCE:  That's too hard to pick. There are so many to choose from. I had a match with Terry Funk in his home town of Amarillo TX once. It wasn't my best but may be the one that was the most fun.

JON:  If for some reason you were to stop wrestling, would you still work out the way you do? And if not, what would you change about your work out?

LANCE:  I'd likely train more, because I'd have more time to do it. I have to fight to find the time for 3 or 4 workouts a week. If I got off the road I would likely go back to 5 or 6. I've been training for over 20 years, it's part of me I enjoy it.

JON:  I understand that you were in a Janet Evanovitch book. How did this come about, and how were you used in the book?

LANCE:  I got in touch with Janet through my book club and have become good friends. She was kind enough to mention me in her Christmas Novel "Visions of Sugar Plums" One of the characters in the book is a wrestling fan and I come up in conversation. I'm also mentioned in "To the Nines" her next big Stephanie Plum novel due out this summer.

JON:  How much reading do you do? Say in an average month?

LANCE:  I read so much now it's ridiculous. I read about 5 novels a month. I managed 55 last year and may break that this year. Every time I find a new author I love I have to read all of their stuff.

JON:  Having watched wrestling as long as I can remember, one of my favorite things to see is the crowd reactions. A huge pop for the favorites and favorite bad guys. And live it’s even louder and more incredible. Is it hard to be in front of a crowd that size that’s so loud and excited and then be in a hotel room two or three hours later?

LANCE:  The hard part is sleeping afterwards. You get such a high from a live crowd that it takes a long time to relax and get it out of your mind. I usually end up running the match through my head several times, either trying to fix the little things that I didn't like about it, or just reliving the parts that worked.

JON:  How do you buy your books? I would guess being on the road would make it hard to use Amazon. Do you have favorite book stores? ( And might I suggest coming to Mystery One when you are in Milwaukee next?)

LANCE:  I do a lot of on-line buying, as I often am looking for specific books. I also buy used books on-line. I've been tracking down F. Paul Wilson's complete body of work and since much of it is out of print searching the web is the best way. I use eBay a lot and I've found Alibris.com an excellent source
for good quality used books. When I have spare time on the road I often wander through book stores for fun and pick stuff up as well.

JON:  I’m a firm believer that anything that gets people to read is a great thing. The Harry Potter books are bringing the joy of reading to a whole generation. Is it gratifying to turn people on to an author they haven’t read before and hear all the great feedback?

LANCE:  That's turned out to be one of the best parts of Book Marks (my book club).

When people tell me that they loved the book I chose and want to read more from that author it's great. Being an entertainer I realize the importance of supporting an industry. Without wrestling fans I would be out of a job, the same can be said for authors. Any time I can get people buying and reading books I'm supporting authors and in turn the industry which provides me with such great entertainment. My mom and I now talk endlessly about certain new authors we've both discovered. We constantly debate whether we like Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" series, or F. Paul Wilson's "Repairman Jack" series the best. She's leaning toward Reacher I can't pick they are both 10 plus in my books. (Pun intended)

JON:  What would be your dream match? Anyone wrestling today or who used to wrestle that you would just love to get in the ring with?

LANCE:  I'd give my eye teeth to be able to have one match with Bret Hart. He is retired now and that chance is gone forever but he truly was the best. His style was everything I thought wrestling should be. To have one match with him would mean everything to me.

JON:  Have you turned any of your coworkers on to some of your favorite authors?

LANCE:  I'm not really sure to be honest. I keep my book club and my wrestling pretty separate at work. Everyone is always asking me what I'm reading but I'm not sure if any of them have picked up any of my selections. Edge is a big reader and he's agreed to take part in Book Marks now that he is off (neck surgery out of action for a year) and has extra time.

JON:  What’s the coolest thing a fan has ever said to you?

LANCE:  I got an email from a kid with ADD (Attention Deficit Syndrome) who said "One for the Money by Janet Evanovich was the first novel he'd ever read in its entirety. He was inspired to be a part of book marks and finished his first book. He was so proud and vowed to finish Janet's entire series that year. There is nothing more rewarding than news like that.

JON:  Is it hard to eat right when you are on the road so much?

LANCE:  I find it easier than at home really. I'm lazy when it comes to cooking so eating right at home is hard. On the road you get used to certain restaurants and what you can eat, so ordering the right food is easy. Ordering egg whites and chicken all the time is easier than cooking them all the time.

JON:  People read for different reasons. What kind of things do you look for in a book?

LANCE:  I read to escape, and relax. I like to live an adventure through reading. It helps me take my mind off of work and enjoy myself.

JON:  Have you ever thought of writing fiction yourself?

LANCE:  No never. I'd never insult those who do it well by being arrogant enough to think I could do it. I'm a decent story teller, with my commentaries (when I have the time) but that is just retelling events in an entertaining way. I have so much respect for skilled authors, I'll leave writing fiction to the professionals.

JON:  I’m guessing that since you seem to collect all the books by authors you like that you probably are building a really nice collection. Do you find that your books take up more and more room?

LANCE:  Yes they do. I'm just in the process of turning my den into an office/library combo. I had 4 decent sized book cases put in and I can't believe how little space I have left. I may have to convert a bed room in the near future as well.

JON:  So, how about a little dirt? Who in the WWE would you definitely not want to share a room with and why?

LANCE:  Kane. That guy has choke slammed me so many times I'd be all tense and never get any sleep (LOL)

JON:  For people who have not seen the site or the book club on it, could you explain how you pick the books and how the club operates? (for readers, you can link to the page at the top of this interview)

LANCE:  I pick a new book every 2 months. I try to always select a book whose author is willing to take part with us. We then have the 2 months to read the book. (I don't want to press anyone for time) Once they've read the book people email me there thoughts. I compile everyone thoughts along with my own. I respond to each review and post them all on my site. I also forward all comments to the author who intern provides me with some feedback or comments which I post along with everyone else's. In addition to that I often do give-a ways and other small promotions to reward people for taking part.

JON:  What’s the one thing always in your refrigerator?

LANCE:  I'm not sure. I'm seldom home to check my refrigerator. (LOL) Seriously, skim milk. I'm a big milk drinker and can seldom get fat free milk in restaurants on the road. The first thing I do when I get home is have a glass of milk.