Word Warriors (Team 6: Anastasia & Janine)

[MN Lisa, Mistress of Mayhem with a Method]

Where stories collide, partners connect, and your next great read is just a prompt away.

Welcome to your team’s challenge thread! This is your space to track your progress, post your Story Stitches (connection blurbs), and document your journey through The Narrative Nexus.

✅ How It Works:
You'll complete 12 prompts total:
4 Mirror Prompts – Same theme, opposite interpretations.
4 Split Prompts – Each picks a different prompt from a pair.
4 Wildcard Prompts – You choose the theme, and your partner gives you 3 books to pick from.

Prompts are assigned one at a time.

After completing a prompt, post your Story Stitch in the check-in thread to unlock your next prompt.

📘 Your Thread Rules:
Use this thread to:
Chat about your picks
Track your books
Brainstorm connections
Draft your Story Stitches before posting them officially

There’s no deadline — go at your own pace.

Have fun, be creative, and support your partner’s weird reading whims.

[MN Lisa, Mistress of Mayhem with a Method]

Team
Anastasia
Janine

[Anastasia]

Hi Janine, just checking in

[Janeylou]

Hi Anastasia- this one may need a little more thinking than im used to 😄, but im sure well get there .

Finishing off a few challenges at moment , so thats a good thing as well

[Anastasia]

Do you have any name suggestion?

[Janeylou]

...Where stories collide, partners connect, and your next great read is just a prompt away.

Crashing Connections
Together in Tomes
Plodding Publications

[Janeylou]

Not the best , but all i can think of 😄😄

[Janeylou]

Anastasia , we're on opposite sides of the world ..is this the usual time you're around

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Anastasia , we're on opposite sides of the world ..is this the usual time you're around"

It is late evening here, and getting ready for bed. This is usually my reading time. I'm usually around more in early morning. My husband just got home after hip replacement surgery so this week has been a bit topsy turvy with spending a bit of time at the hospital. Just trying to catch up with a few reviews, and like you finishing up a few challenges

[Janeylou]

Well funnily enough , i had a hip placement about 2½ weeks ago .
Hows he doing , i was fine but completly swollen from waist down both sides at moment, been trying to get into doctors

[Anastasia]

Word Warriors
The Power Pair

[Janeylou]

Shall we go with Word Warriors ?

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Well funnily enough , i had a hip placement about 2½ weeks ago .
Hows he doing , i was fine but completly swollen from waist down both sides at moment, been trying to get into doctors"

Wow, what a coincidence. He had his done Monday night and was able to go home Wednesday morning. Able to walk about but using crutches for stability. Everything going much better than expected. Your swelling doesn't sound good and hopefully will get sorted soon. You definitely need to see a doctor soon.

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Shall we go with Word Warriors ?"
I'm fine with anything, so you choose whatever you prefer.

[Janeylou]

Anastasia wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Shall we go with Word Warriors ?"
I'm fine with anything, so you choose whatever you prefer."

Word Warriors is good 👍

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Anastasia wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Shall we go with Word Warriors ?"
I'm fine with anything, so you choose whatever you prefer."

Word Warriors is good 👍"
Lets go with that then

[Janeylou]

Great ..ive asked lisa to change out name

[MN Lisa, Mistress of Mayhem with a Method]

🧩 Prompt #1: Fact / Fiction

Type: Wildcard Prompt

What this means:
This is a Wildcard Prompt, which means each of you will choose one side of the theme — one selects Fact, the other chooses Fiction.

Then, your partner gives you three book options that match your chosen side — and you pick one of those to read. After that, switch roles!

For this one:
Fact can include nonfiction, memoirs, history, true crime, essays — anything rooted in reality.
Fiction can be absolutely anything made up: fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, romance, or whatever story lives only in imagination.

📌 Once you’ve both finished reading, post your Story Stitch (your connection blurb) in the Check-In Thread to unlock your next prompt.

💡 Fact and fiction might seem like opposites, but they often speak to the same truths. Be playful, be insightful — your connection can be literal or layered.

Truth or tale — it’s all part of the story. 📖📰

[Janeylou]

Not the best start for me ..i dont read any non fiction at all 😳😳

[Janeylou]

On looks like we have to pick books for each other ..is there a shelf with lots of books that we can use to pick from

What kind of non fiction would you read ?

[MN Lisa, Mistress of Mayhem with a Method]

✨ Creativity is key — not just in your connection, but in how you interpret each prompt.
There’s no single “right” answer here. If you can make a case for it, it counts. Lean into your wild ideas, stretch the theme, and have fun with it. The Narrative Nexus thrives on imagination. 💫

📚 Partner A chooses “Fact”
They read a science-based thriller like The Martian by Andy Weir — fictional, but packed with real-world science and data.

📚 Partner B chooses “Fiction”
They read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — fully fictional, metaphysical, and emotion-driven.

🧵 Story Stitch example:
"One of us stuck to physics and botany, the other explored the philosophy of alternate lives — but both books wrestle with survival, choice, and what makes a life worth living. One uses facts to build fiction. The other uses fiction to explore truth."

[Janeylou]

Ok looks like we only need to eead 1 book .

[Anastasia]

So I will take the fact side and you the fiction. We need to choose 3 books for the other to choose to read from. What do you like to read Janeylou? My favourites are crime thrillers and in non-fiction I go with self help, forensics, medical. We will need to connect our choices. Let me know what books you would like me to include in your choices and then I will see what we can connect them to.

[Janeylou]

I usally read MM romance , i also like mysteries , police procedrals , set in uk..if i can combine the 2 , even better 😄😄

I think we about the same for pg count

Ill taken a look at your shelves

[Anastasia]

I love all the British crime, but don't read MM romance so have no idea about those.

[Janeylou]

I can go up to 300 if needed

[Janeylou]

Anastasia wrote: "I love all the British crime, but don't read MM romance so have no idea about those."

Thats fine but you can check my shelves..have a large mystery shelf 😄

[Anastasia]

Do you read series in order? Have you read Angela Marsons?

[Janeylou]

Anastasia wrote: "Do you read series in order? Have you read Angela Marsons?"

I dont necessarily read in order
Yes have read 1 of hers

[Anastasia]

How about you let me know some books you have lined up for next month and I will do the same and maybe we can find a link.

[Anastasia]

It doesn't look like they need to be similar page count and there is no time limit to read them

[Janeylou]

This is my next months books
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Mystery
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I did find 1 for you, all the ones i think of end up having 500 + pgs 😳😳

Im lookjng for crime with some factual background as well

[Anastasia]

Some science based books I will be reading is Ice Station by Matthew Reilly and Lyrebird by Jane Caro I have Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers by Marta McDowell and The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean in my tbr pile for non-fiction

[Janeylou]

Ok , for you im picking
Lyrebird..which looks really good but cant find on amazon / kobo over here at.all 😔

Ice Station

The Railway Detective..this is the one id pi ked originally , but not sure if avaiable / cheap over in Australia

[Anastasia]

I will pick for you
1. Wild Retaliation by Ethan Stone
2. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
3. Silent Scream by Angela Marsons

[Anastasia]

I think the books are linked with mystery/crime and it seems most have links to cold cases

[Janeylou]

Thats fantastic Anastasia

I think im going with Silent Scream
1...its set about 30 miles from where i live and i get excited when i read about places i know
2..i need a house on cover for Southern Vampires😄

May be a few days before starting as it doesnt fit in with our new word for Spin & Spell

[Anastasia]

I thought most Amazons are connected as Amazon Australia will often have things sent from Amazon UK.

[Anastasia]

How is your hip going? Has the swelling gone?

[Janeylou]

Im not sure tbh but lyrebird def not there ..also prices can be very different around the world

[Janeylou]

Anastasia wrote: "How is your hip going? Has the swelling gone?"

No, they sending me for scan tomorow to check for blood clots . I did say " ive had it for 2 weeks , id be dead by now if it was blood clots "

But they dont seem to know why they both are like it 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[Anastasia]

I think I will be going with Lyrebird. I got it as part of my Book Box subscription last month. It is a curated book which comes with book related goodies, a gift to myself.

[Janeylou]

That sounds nice

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Anastasia wrote: "How is your hip going? Has the swelling gone?"

No, they sending me for scan tomorow to check for blood clots . I did say " ive had it for 2 weeks , id be dead by now if it was bl..."
May still be blood clots but not a complete blockage

[Janeylou]

Ill let you know tomorrow 🤞

[Anastasia]

I finished my book
Lyrebird by Jane Caro
Date read: 04/07/2025
Wildcard prompt FACT
How it fits: Discusses facts about Lyrebirds and the Australian bush/natural environment and how climate change impacting the environment. How environmental changes contributed to unearthing body and also the impact of bushfires. Also discusses how a cold case is solved utilizing modern technology as well as research recordings made earlier during studies of the native wildlife.

[Janeylou]

Ive changed my mind and im going with 'Broken Girls' instead , need to read for the Quest Challenge ...( are you playing that one ) we had hell.of a time picking a book 😄

[Anastasia]

Janeylou wrote: "Ive changed my mind and im going with 'Broken Girls' instead , need to read for the Quest Challenge ...( are you playing that one ) we had hell.of a time picking a book 😄"
No giving the Quest challenge a miss. Our group has too diverse reading likes

[Janeylou]

Anastasia wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Ive changed my mind and im going with 'Broken Girls' instead , need to read for the Quest Challenge ...( are you playing that one ) we had hell.of a time picking a book 😄"
No givin..."

We usually end up splitting up into smaller groups for the regular BRS or pairing with another team .

[Janeylou]

The Broken Girls
Simone St. James
336 pgs
13 july

Wild card ..FICTION
Totally fictional book , but delves into ghosts and haunted places . Young girls believe their school is haunted , but how much of it is just young girls trying to scare each other and how much is real

STORY STITCH
Both books are linked with mystery/crime and it seems most have links to cold cases