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MoMA Scavenger Hunt 2023
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the publication of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, I created a new MoMA scavenger hunt 2023 for my readers and my newsletter subscribers! I was amazed at how many pieces of art that were on view for my original scavenger hunt were no longer on exhibit. I held the unofficial scavenger hunt event yesterday at the MoMA.
November 2023 unofficial MoMA Scavenger Hunt
- SECOND FLOOR
- Spiral for Shared Dreams. What is the name of the Aztec Goddess for fresh water, childbirth and sensuality? Â
- Doors with Bats. When was this work created? What is the name of the artwork?
- THIRD FLOOR
- What was the size of Picassoâs Fontainebleau studio? What is the name of one piece of art he created there?
- A shimmery painting with pink using industrial materials. âThe shimmering, reflective surface she created oxidized and eroded, becoming a kaleidoscopic mirror in which we glimpse fragments of ourselves and our surroundings.â Who is the artist?
- Flag. Who is the artist? How many stars?
- Soup cans. How many panels? Why soup cans?
- Dial A Poem. What poet read you a poem?
- 10/27/69. âThe worksâ tension and free fallâsubject to forces beyond the artistâs controlâparalleled the social turmoil of the time.â This is part of a series called the Drape paintings. What is the name of the artist?
- Go for a swim. Take a photo in this room of cut-outs.
- FOURTH FLOOR
- Fish. What is the date of creation?
- In A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Kiara and Finn enter a room called Motion and Illumination. A video fills a large screen hanging from the ceiling, with a âflying train,â inviting the viewer into a twisting aerial view of a street from 1902. What country is this filmed in?
- Pines and Rocks. When did MoMA acquire this work?
- An artist known for colorful paintings (sometimes with cows in them) who interweaves many of the visual elements of Cubism, Fauvism, Symbolism and Surrealism. What is the name of one of his paintings with a cow in it?
- Henri Matisse. Construction by Means of Color. A painting with a red ball flower. Whatâs the name of the painting?
- A bicycle wheel. Who is the artist? What is the date?
- Charlie Chaplin becomes a cog in this machine. What is the name of the film?
- Hotel Sauce Pots. Whatâs the name of the hotel?
- In what room are the water lilies?
- Luncheon in Fur. What is the actual name of this artwork and artist? What is the date of creation?
- They did not always leave . . . Who is the artist? What is the painting showing? What painting is underneath it?
- FIFTH FLOOR
- OOF. What colors are in this painting? What is the year of creation?
- ***Which of the above works of art are mentioned in A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts?***
Thank you so much for participating in this unofficial scavenger hunt to celebrate the publication of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts! It made me so happy to try this out for real đ
A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts Read Aloud by Author
My author reading of Chapters One and Two of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts is now up on YouTube! I will release a new chapter every week.
Let’s Talk
Who are some of your favorite artists? I hope you have a wonderful November!
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My Book Boyfriend Blog Tour #2!
Thank you so much to all the bloggers and reviewers on the My Book Boyfriend Blog Tour organized by Rachelâs Random Resources and here’s post #2 about the tour! For post #1, click here.
Here are some excerpts from the reviews. To see the full review, click on the links. I am so grateful for all your positive reviews and so touched that my words found a home.
Thank you to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers for this great review: “A great pick for Contemporary Romance fans, and book lovers alike, for the love and laughs, but also the chance to see a bookish ending that’s all deserved!” as well as this lovely quote:
“Today’s the day all your bookish dreams come true! How so? Well, because a particular author took a particular idea đĄ that every book lover has had at some point or another, and made it a reality… in a story at least!”
Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersMalloch Books gave this lovely review on Instagram. Their feed has many great book recommendations, so definitely follow them on Instagram: “This ticked so many boxes for me: community, library, book-based romance. I found this to be a perfect summer read with lots of swoon worthy moments and happy little dances along the way. I found Rupert adorable, he gave major Labrador vibes, and I just wanted to hug him.”
This review definitely made do a happy little dance đ
Books, Life And Everything also gave this lovely review: “This is a well written, enemies to lovers romcom, with a varied cast of characters and a great community feeling.”
“There is plenty of humour in the story and a wry look at people’s reading habits and likes. I enjoyed all the sessions which Lily led in her book club – her love for reading is quite infectious. Most of all, the secondary characters add real colour and humour to the story to go alongside the growing romance which you feel is inevitable.”
Books, Life and EverythingYorkshireCarly’s Book Reviews recommended My Book Boyfriend as “the perfect summer read,” but also made this interesting point:
“I enjoyed that the two main characters Lily & Rupert are both huge book worms, because mainly itâs the female protagonist that loves books so it was quite refreshing and the romance was adorable.”
Yorkshire CarlyMore Reviews from My Book Boyfriend Blog Tour #2
Thanks so much for these reviews too! I agree that book readers are definitely sexy, don’t you?
“Rupert was an ideal bookish hero with oodles of swoonsomeness and proved book readers are sexy. “
The Enchanted Emporium Bookshelf“I could see this as a Hallmark movie, itâs that cute.”
Inspired by PMDDI also recommend following these bookstagram accounts for more great book reviews:
“This was a cute, heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers story and I really enjoyed it.”
https://www.instagram.com/mrsljgibbs/?hl=en“It was wonderful to read about books in a book.. . I love New York and books set there always have a special place in my heart. The setting was accurate–felt like I was in downtown.”
https://www.instagram.com/bookishllly/“Strobos gives us a quick and light read, with realistic characters showing community as well as friendship, my heart felt warm for them all. . . This is an author I will be picking up again and a series I will be following.”
https://www.instagram.com/nlcraigwrites/Let’s Talk
Thank you again to all the book bloggers and to Rachel’s Random Resources! Next up is the book tour for Love Is an Art!
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My Book Boyfriend Blog Tour
Thank you so much to all the bloggers and reviewers on the My Book Boyfriend Blog Tour organized by Rachel’s Random Resources!
It was amazing! Here are some excerpts from the reviews. For the full review, click on the link for each blog.
My Book Boyfriend was such a cozy, lighthearted, and heartwarming read! The bookish theme absolutely won my heart. I was looking for a quick read for my long flight back home for the semester break, and this was just perfect. The story played out like a rom-com movie in front of my eyes. It was so enjoyable!
Lily and Rupert had sizzling chemistry from the very beginning of the story. I really enjoyed seeing how they worked through the conflict that divided them! The witty banter, along with their bookish conversations, just made me melt. One of my favorite parts of the story was the realistic dispute between Lily and Rupert. Many enemies-to-lovers books have a supposed âenmityâ just for the sake of it, but the way the trope was implemented in My Book Boyfriend was perfect!
I loved seeing how Lily and her friends came together to save the community garden. The community vibe was present all throughout the story, which made reading it so touching. The NYC setting was such a bonus too!
Highly recommend!
What Irin ReadsMany of the book bloggers have been reviewing my books since the beginning, and it makes me so happy that they keep signing up to review another one. I consider that the hugest compliment! And I’m also so thrilled that new bloggers have signed up.
Reviews from Returning Bloggers
Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Diary for this review: “I devoured this in one setting. I knew I would. Kathyâs writing is so easy to lose yourself into. She writes real characters, whose plight are relatable and generally feel pretty real! I feel like this could be a story your friend is going through. I adore Lily and Rupert.”
As you know, Splashes Into Books always creates a rhyming review–and I’m always blown away by her ability to do that. She called My Book Boyfriend a “fab, fun read.” And here’s part of the review:
“Can she trust him to be true or is he leading her astray,
Can they be together, come what may?
A fun read full of character and dilemmas, too,
Where sometimes you hope your dreams can come true!
For my complimentary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.”
But definitely check out the full poem review at Splashes Into Books!
Tizi’s Book Review brought some tears to my eyes as she wrote: “There are authors that you donât even need a blurb of their books to know that you will read it anyway. And Kathy Strobos is for sure a great addition to that kind of list of mine!” As did Tara’s Bookish Blog: “Kathy Strobos has proved to me again why sheâs one of my go to authors, for HEA, for feeling happy and warm and making the world feel a better place.”
So we were already on a sure thing for me in knowing Iâd enjoy this book, but in case these things arenât ticking your boxes, I shall add that Kathyâs writing is wonderful, it’s engaging, the kind of writing where you forget your reading and two hours later you swear it was only 5 minutes ago you opened the book. She writes fantastic characters, ones I love or fall in love with, never perfect, always realistic, relatable and flawed people you really connect with.
Tara’s Bookish BlogThank you so much to Beauty Addict for this touching review (and definitely check out the rest of her review on her site):
“Having already read and loved Partner Pursuit and Is This For Real? by Kathy Strobos â I knew I was going to love My Book Boyfriend just as much â and I totally wasnât wrong.
Beauty Addict
My Book Boyfriend is a beautifully written story with fantastic characters â a total must-add to your TBR pile this summer.Thank you so much for these reviews too!
“This was a great summer read, it was a real page turner… A great quick cozy read
https://www.instagram.com/scotsbookworm/This was a cute romance. . . This made me reminisce about all the times I visited my younger sister when she lived in NYC.
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/Such a cute, easy read with a great take on the enemies to lovers romance trope. . . I flew through this so fast, I was instantly hooked.
https://www.instagram.com/insomniacbookwormbookreviews/Let’s Talk
Thank you again to all the book bloggers! I’m going to do a Part 2 to cover the rest of the reviews. Such positive reviews make it all worthwhile!
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Go on a date with Love Is an Art
Go on a date with Love Is an Art! The paperback is now out on Amazon!
Here’s the blurb:
He hates lawyers. So Iâm a lawyer pretending to be an artist. Forgetting one tiny detail: I canât paint.
Tessa: Thereâs something about the way the blond guy laughs and leans in to listen. My gaze keeps returning to him. The only problem is, weâre at an art gallery after work, and Iâve swapped my lawyer suit for a paint-splattered shirt. Iâm pretending to be a struggling artist, acting as bait to entice a scammer who conned my friend out of thousands of dollars.
I look pathetic. But still, I approach Hot Guy.
Our glances meet, and an awareness shimmers across. He offers to buy me a drink–weâre definitely flirting–and then he asks me what I do.
Just when Scammer Guy is in earshot.
I have no choice but to say Iâm an artist. I can tell Hot Guy later Iâm not.
But then he says he hates lawyers. Now what?
Zeke: Sheâs the worst artist Iâve ever seen.
And I hate that that makes me suspect that sheâs lying to me. After my ex-girlfriend cheated on me, trust is in short supply.
She makes me laugh, and itâs one adventure after another with her. Definitely different from my workaholic lawyer ex.
Maybe itâs time to give love a second chance.
All is fair in love and litigation, but when truth and deception clash, can you trust your heart?
I’d like to take you on a date with Tessa and Zeke in Brooklyn.
Go on a Date with Tessa and Zeke in Love Is an Art
Zeke and Tessa have their first date in DUMBO, Brooklyn. DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. That’s the Manhattan Bridge framed by the buildings.
Then Zeke and Tessa walk down to the waterfront and see this pathway, which has such a beachy feel.
And indeed it leads to beach down by the East River.
From there, let’s head back to the restaurants. Look at that beautiful Dutch architecture. I just love the rounded windows.
And walk up to rooftop of this building. There are more restaurants up top here so Zeke and Tessa grab dinner. Here’s a view out one of the windows.
Here’s one last view to leave you with! But the date continues now with a bike ride. And much more.
Thank you!
Thank you so much to all the readers, reviewers and bloggers who have already left such positive reviews of LOVE IS AN ART. I can’t wait for you to meet Tessa and Zeke!
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My Book Boyfriend: #1 in New Releases for Humorous Fiction!
My Book Boyfriend is #1 in New Releases for American Humorous Fiction! I am so happy! I can’t believe My Book Boyfriend got an Amazon best seller orange flag! Thank you to my readers!
Woohoo!
For the blurb, click here!
Such Positive Reviews from Advance Readers!
I love this five star review:
“This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating.”
– JessicaAnd also these reviews:
“The perfect beach read.” – Thank you Ellen!
“A super cute romantic comedy! I liked it VERY much. It has sweetness and sass… Heartfelt and witty, with endearing characters..” – Thank you Marianne!
“I really enjoyed the dry humor in this story.” – Thank you Quinn!
“This was a great read especially if you love books and NYC. It was well written and told from dual points of view. Lily and Rupert are different in every way and are on the opposing sides of saving the community garden, except for their shared love of books. That gave them great chemistry and quite witty banter as they got to know each other and understand each other’s opposing points of view on the garden. Her friends and “found family” were amazing and well written characters and I hope to see more of their stories. Enjoy!” – Thank you Lisa!
“rupert?? omg HIM! kathy’s men are the biggest green flags… they’re moss flags.
he’s a reader, he’s smart, he’s stylish, has such a good nature, a little protective, cocky but not too much… he really is THE book boyfriend.”
@dreamlibrarycard on InstagramThank you to my readers for making My Book Boyfriend #1 in New Releases in American Humorous Fiction!
I still can’t believe it!
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Caper Crush is on SALE!
Caper Crush, my opposites-attract romantic comedy e-book, is on sale for $0.99 for the first time!
And I’ve created a teaser video, working with the studio, Warraich Group. So much fun!
Here’s the blurb:
Somebody stole my painting! The one I need for the career-defining Vertex Art Exhibit.
I have mere weeks to find my painting or lose my artist dream foreverâbut itâs going to mean working with William.
William Haruki Matsumura. Good-looking, if you like the Secret Service type. You know, law-abiding, protector of women and children. Thatâs all fine, but I can never tell what heâs thinking. Which drives me crazy.
He insists on coming along to do âdamage control.â As if âaccidentallyâ wandering into certain areas is âbreaking and entering.â I may be an emotional artist, but William shouldnât dismiss my investigative skills yet.
William is definitely my opposite, and if thereâs one takeaway from my parentsâ divorce, itâs that opposites might attract, but it doesnât last. But detecting with William is kind of funâand fluttery. I definitely canât trust these feelings, or can I? However this caper ends, I think this may be more than a crush.
Caper Crush Is ON SALE and Reaches #27 in Women’s Humorous Fiction! #Top30AmazonBestseller
Here’s a picture of it on the Amazon charts:
Let’s Talk
I really love Caper Crush, and so I’m super happy to see it selling so well now. I definitely think that some scenes were inspired by the k-dramas that I’ve become addicted to đ
Anyway, I highly recommend it. And although I may be biased (just a little), it also won an Independent Press Award for Distinguished Favorite in Romantic Comedy. And you can see my previous post here for other reviews.
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A Romantic Comedy Distinguished Favorite!
Caper Crush is a 2023 Independent Press Award Romantic Comedy Distinguished Favorite. Woo hoo!
Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite. In 2023, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD had entries worldwide. Authors and publishers from countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Scotland, and South Africa participated. Submitted books included writers based in a variety of cities: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Cape Town, Halifax, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York City and many others. Submissions came from well-known indie publishers such as Barefoot Books; Friesen Press; Greenleaf Book Group, Koehler Books; Loyola Press; Merack Publishing; Red Chair Press; Red Hen Press; Rowman & Littlefield; Rutgers University Press; SAE International; She Writes Press; and TouchPoint Press. And now Strawbundle Publishing!
Caper Crush also placed as a QuarterFinalist in the Screencraft Cinematic Book Writing Competition.
Caper Crush is a Quarterfinalist! One day, I hope to write a screen play version.
Caper Crush
Caper Crush is my opposites attract, slow burn romantic comedy caper wtih a mystery.
Here’s the blurb:
Somebody stole my painting! The one I need for the career-defining Vertex Art Exhibit. This upcoming art show is my chance to finally be recognized as an artistâafter ten years of waitressing and being asked if I still have that âlovely painting hobby.â
I have mere weeks to find my painting or lose my artist dream foreverâbut itâs going to mean working with William.
William Haruki Matsumura. Good-looking, if you like the Secret Service type. You know, law-abiding, protector of women and children. Thatâs all fine, but I can never tell what heâs thinking. Which drives me crazy.
He insists on coming along to do âdamage control.â As if âaccidentallyâ wandering into certain areas is âbreaking and entering.â I may be an emotional artist, but William shouldnât dismiss my investigative skills yet.
William is definitely my opposite, and if thereâs one takeaway from my parentsâ divorce, itâs that opposites might attract, but it doesnât last. But detecting with William is kind of funâand fluttery. I definitely canât trust these feelings, or can I? However this caper ends, I think this may be more than a crush.
K-Drama Recommendations
I’ve also been meaning to write a post with some more K-Drama recommendations. Here are a few new favorites.
Love to Hate You (Netflix)
An enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. A woman who hates losing to men meets a man (one of the top romantic actors) who she thinks is a misogynist and decides to teach him a lesson.
Call It Love (Viki)
Call It Love Poster Another enemies-to-lovers K-drama. In Call It Love, Woo-joo wants revenge on her father’s mistress and decides to target the son of her father’s mistress. Only he is a good person, and she’s falling in love with him and wants to protect him. I’m watching this one right now and loving it. Kim Young-kwang and Lee Sung-kyung are conveying their characters brilliantly and with such subtle nuance. They are both very talented actors, and their previous shows, Gogh, The Starry Night and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, have been among my favorite k-dramas.
Let’s Talk
I’m so thrilled that Caper Crush is a 2023 Independent Press Award Romantic Comedy Distinguished Favorite and that it placed as a quarterfinalist in the Screencraft Cinematic Book Writing Competition.
What are you reading or watching right now?
Happy Spring!
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Mini Scenes: Is This for Real?
Is This for Real? I made some mini scenes that match what Penelope made in Is This for Real?.
In Is This for Real?, the protagonist, Penelope, is a struggling writer and she sells miniatures to make money on Etsy. She also has a blog where she tells stories acted out with miniatures.
“In my blog storyline, Piper, a doll with curly, brown hair like mine, was dating Julian, a doll with blond curls like Jamie. But then Julian abruptly broke up with her. Followers are still upset. Many of them took that break up quite personally and shared their own personal stories of how they’ve been dumped. I definitely tapped into something; I think, in part, because the breakup was so unexpected. But once Jamie told me he wasn’t interested in me, I lost all desire to play with his doll avatar. And I used those feelings to write the opening chapter of Fake Dating Folly, where the protagonist, Piper, learns that her boyfriend, who dumped her a year ago, is now engaged.”
Is This for Real by Kathy Strobos at 13.Mini Scenes: Is This for Real?
Here’s Piper busying writing her novel. I particularly like the fat cat lying on the floor. And of course, I included some discarded scraps of writing on the floor.
Piper writing her novel And here are Piper and her new beau! They are on a date learning how to cook in a restaurant. I bought that miniature range from a miniature shop in Tokyo.
A date with a new beau cooking at a restaurant Chill with a Book Readers’ Award
Is this for Real? won a Chill with a Book Readers’ Award! I am so happy!
Let’s Talk
What are you reading or watching? I just finished Christina Lauren’s Something Wilder. I read it in one day!
And the countdown for the release of Caper Crush is on! I can’t wait to share it with you.
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Cover Reveal: Caper Crush
I’m so excited to reveal my cover for my third book in the New York Friendship series: Caper Crush.
Each book can be read as a standalone, but they are set in the same world with a warm group of friends. It’s available for pre-order now and will release on July 14 in ebook. Paperback copies will be available in early July.
Caper Crush cover Blurb
Here’s the blurb:
A feel-good, opposites-attract, slow burn romantic comedy
Some weasel stole my painting! The one I need for the career-defining Vertex Art Exhibit. This upcoming art show is my chance to finally be recognized as an artistâafter ten years of waitressing and being asked if I still have that âlovely painting hobby.â
I have mere weeks to find my painting or lose my artist dream foreverâbut itâs going to mean working with William.
William Haruki Matsumura. Good-looking, if you like the Secret Service type. You know, law-abiding, protector of women and children. Thatâs all fine, but I can never tell what heâs thinking. Which drives me crazy.
He insists on coming along to do âdamage control.â As if âaccidentallyâ wandering into certain areas is âbreaking and entering.â I may be an emotional artist, but William shouldnât dismiss my investigative skills yet.
William is definitely my opposite, and, if thereâs one takeaway from my parentsâ divorce, itâs that opposites might attract, but it doesnât last. But detecting with William is kind of funâand fluttery. I definitely canât trust these feelings, or can I? However this caper ends, I think this may be more than a crush.
Cover Brief
I love working with my cover designer Lucy of Cover Ever After. I said that I wanted a fire escape because there is one scene involving a fire escape, and I sent her pictures of New York City fire escapes. Also, I noted that Miranda is an artist and William is an accountant, and, as usual, it’s opposites attract. Plus, I noted that the book has a caper feel as they try to track down who stole the paintings. And she created the magic that is my cover.
Let’s Talk: COVER REVEAL CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY
I’m giving away paperback copies of all three books (Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real? and Caper Crush) in July to one lucky winner to celebrate this cover reveal. Open internationally. Drawing ends June 22.
To enter:
1) Leave a comment below answering the question: What is your favorite romantic comedy movie? AND
2) Subscribe to my newsletter here.
I’ll reveal the winner here and also send an email.
I can’t wait for you to meet Miranda and William in Caper Crush! I really love this book. It gives me such a feel-good feeling when reading it. CLOSED. Winner is BONNIE GREENHALGH. Congratulations!