A bit about why I LOVE Wyrd And Wonder every year:

Wyrd and Wonder is an annual celebration of the fantasy genre. Sign up to join the party as we explore worlds of myth and magic, re-imagine traditional tales, cheer on heroes (prefer villains? Sure, we won’t judge you) and discover the secret doors that lead from familiar streets to adjacent realms where a discourtesy or a misstep may land you in hot water. We’ll be reading books, watching movies, playing games and sharing our thoughts online through blog posts and social media with as many like-minded adventurers as care to join us – there’s always room by the fire for a newcomer with a tale to share. 

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This marks our 9th Year co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder (Imyril, Lisa, Annemieke, Ariana and I) and we’re celebrating Moon Magic & Celestial Fantasy wherein however you interpret that definition to be explored is open game this #WyrdAndWonder. We have several options of exploring our theme this year – from the Prompt Challenge (see the topics to respond to below – this can be used on #bookstagram, BlueSky or other social channels) as well as a blog post guide – if you wanted to tackle different prompts and write discussion posts about the stories which fit within the prompts themselves. It could be a wicked crazy reading list or it can become any ‘other’ thing you can think it could be because it is happily open to interpretation by you!

The best part about Wyrd & Wonder is that it allows you to take your own adventurous journey into Fantasy each May. You can parlay your bookish choices through the lens of our chosen themes OR you can chart your own course and take the adventure with us to paths of your own choices. However, you find yourself discovering Fantasy, we welcome you aboard the fuller breadth of what Wyrd And Wonder has become which is a community of Fantasy nerds who love to interact and cheer each other on every year!

For me personally, I LOVE finding the unsung heroes of Fantasy – the under loved stories and lesser-known authors and the stories which might get overlooked by other authors who might have more light on their stories during the year. I tend to read a heap of Indie authors especially in the Speculative realms and thereby, each year my reading adventures goes into unexpected territories of interest and roots out new voices of Fantasy.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!!

I am sure you all are wondering where in the world Jorie has been all these long months – especially as I hadn’t meant to take such a long leave of absence from my blog! However, since the death of my father, I’ve gone through moments of clarity of focus (to read) and moments of indifference to begin a story. I’ve sat for long silent moments with my blog without the ability to convey a word or an emotion or a thought as well. In the end, nearly a full year has transpired, and my blog has been patiently waiting in the background of my life.

I’ve had ideas for posts – not full reviews, but other kinds of posts or discussions, which I wish I had had the time and inclination to pursue over the last months, but alas, between work and the stresses of life after a parent passes on – I simply haven’t found the right motivations to return. In February, I truly felt I was going to be able to recapture the joy of blogging and reading – as I was settling into one of my favourite Romance authors’ series (ie. Anna J. Stewart’s Hawaiian Reunions series) until I fell ill a few times that month and I just never recaptured my footing. All I managed to accomplish was a brief appearance on #bookstagram.

As Wyrd And Wonder started to come into sight, I *knew!* I wanted to take mental break from work (as I work 3x jobs now, seven days a week) and carve out niches of downtime for myself away from all my jobs. I am fast approaching burn out and desire to change my work patterns as much as the trajectory of my life to realign a better work-life balance but also, to switch industries and do something I’d enjoy more than what I’m doing now. However, that is a short-long term goal and for now, I was thankful for Wyrd And Wonder to be an event I could focus on despite the on-going chaos of my work life. It isn’t to say, I’m not happy at work – its rather, I feel a need to make a change and do something that renews my soul moreso than what I’m doing currently. If that make sense!? I mean, you can enjoy your job, but I can’t say I’m loving it to the point I’d like to retire out of this field (eventually). I’d rather be in a position where I’d thrive in the work and not even think about when to retire because each day would be renewing and uplifting just to be there. It is the old adage – love what you do and the rest will follow. I enjoy my work right now, but I’m not in :love: with what I’m doing by any scope of the imagination.

Towards that end, I’ve been enjoying the prompts on Instagram and have been showcasing them via our main feeds for @WyrdAndWonder. I’ll share those links below as I mention which of the prompts I’ve already answered, and which prompts I’m still working on to share for my personal #bookstagram feeds as well. This is what I LOVE about our event – as each year, I endeavour to seek out stories set in the theme of our concentration and find wicked lovely #newtomeauthors to read, listen via audiobook and/or mark down to purchase in future for adding to my own personal library.

This Wyrd And Wonder has been quite the adventure for me! My #libraryhaul is as impressive as it was last year and I can’t wait to start blogging my finds and sharing them visually on Insta too. This is merely a late introduction to what Wyrd And Wonder is all about inasmuch as a guide towards what I am doing for it both as a host and fellow reader/blogger. I am grateful to make my return online and I am hopeful after May concludes, I can continue to make strides of resuming the regularity of posts, reviews and features on Jorie Loves A Story as this is a project very dear to my heart and one that uplifts my soul. I’ve missed my blog but moreso than the blog itself, I’ve missed the bookish side of my life. I’m quite sure that is one part of my life my Dad would be sad to see I’ve let slip into the background. He *loved!* my blog and he loved hearing about my bookish life – we had so many lovely conversations about it all and I will miss sharing the new memories with him directly even though I know he’s still aware of them. It just took me longer to find my voice again and to find the joy in reading — emotionally I found this last year harder to muddle through than I realised it would become as so many special days and celebrations just didn’t quite feel the same for Mum and I. It has been our year of firsts without Dad and that in of itself has been a hard road.

Their anniversary is also in May and I know that will be an equally emotionally day for both of us. It isn’t that we wish he were still here in the condition he left us, it is that we wish we all could have had more hours and memories together before he became stricken with medical crises and issues that didn’t allow him the grace to continue to live with us as he once had. Anyone whose watched a family member slowly lose their health over a set of years and reside in a nursing home will understand – those moments are still precious to you, and you still want to be with them as long as they want to be here but it’s a different kind of reality too. I know we’ll be sharing stories about the better days and of the moments my Dad’s humour knocked our socks off. He had wicked brilliant humour. That will never leave me. Nor will his support for the readerly and writerly side of my life.

Some days and months just hit harder than others – which is why I’ve struggled to reclaim the ability to find the words to breathe life into my blog or to find the joy in creating graphics for Insta. This May, for whichever reason, enough time has gone past to where I feel myself more inspired to create and more encouraged in spirit to start to pick up books again and see where the stories will take me. Even before I blog about them, just reading again has been a balm to my weathered soul.

I’ve appreciated everyone who’s stayed with me on this journey and has patiently awaited my return. Which is why, if you’ve already joined us this month, kindly leave me a comment and a link so I can check out your blog and your posts; definitely share a link if your also on Insta, too! Or, if you’re not into Fantasy at all and want me to check out your latest posts, comment about those too! I definitely need to make my rounds and see what everyone else is up too right now.

Journey with me into #WyrdAndWonder:

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• #WyrdAndWonder