• Audiobook New Releases and Deals

    This is an exciting week for Audiobook New Releases and Deals. My Book Boyfriend is being featured in a Kobo Plus Indie Audiobook Deals and a Get that Book promo. It’s exciting that I now have an audiobook.

    My Book Boyfriend Blurb

    Here’s the blurb for My Book Boyfriend:

     A feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy.

    Tall, dark, and handsome
    . That’s what I think the first time I see Rupert Evans in the library.

    But then I find out he is the developer who just sent my community garden a cease-and-desist letter because he plans to raze the garden and construct some towering monstrosity there.

    The only one who is going to cease and desist is him. That community garden is my found family.

    But then he asks me out at book club night.

    Suspicious, right?

    I’m attractive, but I’m not the type hot bachelors are lining up around the block to ask out. Let’s be real. I’m still in the brunch date spot with my next-door neighbor after a year of my pursuing him.

    Rupert is trying to butter me up and lead me down the garden path so I’ll concede. Never.

    He has no idea what we’re planning to do to stop him. Our little community group may look like a bunch of frail roses, but we’ve got thorns. As long as I weed out these pesky feelings for him, I know we can win. But will I lose my heart?

    *The romcom books in this series are interconnected closed door romantic comedy standalones set in the same world in New York City. Each can be listened to as a pure standalone with a guaranteed happily ever after.

    Have you listened to it yet? What did you think? Remember that you can always buy it directly from me at my store for $10.99:

    If you haven’t listened to it yet, what are you waiting for?

    Here are some book reviews from the blog tour to tempt you.

    Kobo Plus Indie Audiobook Deals

    All those books look great. Click on the image below to access the site and other audiobook deals:

    This shows a set of headphones and has 5 audiobooks covers with titles of My Book Boyfriend and What the Heart Wants in new audiobook releases and deals on koboplus

    It’s also featured as an audiobook new release in Get That Book Deals – click on the image below to access the deals:

    What Audiobook Deals and New Releases will you pick up?

    Wishing you a lovely week!

  • Easter Egg Book Hunt

    And in honor of the Easter eggs I will be hiding on Sunday, I’ve created a little egg hunt for you. 

    The winner who answers all of the questions correctly will receive a code to redeem the audiobook of My Book Boyfriend and listen to it via Bookfunnel! 

    Let the Easter Egg Book Hunt Begin!

    1. Which characters from the New York Friendship series show up in the New York Spark series?

    2. Which book is this passage from: 

    “Rumor has it that you’re competing against your cousin,” I say. 

    He tilts his head. “Rumors are not always correct. Page Six will have us married by tomorrow.”

    “There are still 12 hours left in this night,” I say.

    What book?

    3. In which museum does A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts take place?

    4. What museums do they visit in Is This for Real?

    5. What is the chocolate cookie bakery that my characters frequent?

    6. What book is this scene from:

    “Could you unbutton my dress?” I ask. “I’d really like to change into jeans and a T-shirt.”

    He moves closer. I present my back to him, as my hands hold up the straps on my shoulders.

    I tilt my head, exposing my neck to him. His fingers graze my neck softly as he uses both hands to unbutton that top button. I close my eyes. His touch is light and sure. I swallow as he works his way down the buttons, slight touches feathering my skin. My heart flutters. Can he hear it?

    “It’s done.” His voice is almost a whisper. His warm breath caresses my neck. Sends tingles down my spine. Without thinking, I find myself arching toward it.

    More Clips from My Book Boyfriend Audiobook

    Here’s a clip of Rupert 🙂

    I think Eric Altheide is perfect as Rupert! And My Book Boyfriend is now available on Amazon, Apple, and Google Play, in addition to StoryFair, Kobo, Kobo Plus, and my website. It should also be available on other retailers soon!

    Happy Easter!

    I hope you enjoyed this Easter Egg Book Hunt! Here is a link to a hint 🙂

  • Love Is an Art Blog Tour

    Love Is an Art went on a global book blog tour in October organized by Rachel’s Random Resources. Here are some of the highlights!

    First, thank you so much to all the book bloggers who posted about and who reviewed Love Is an Art, my fish-out-of-water romantic comedy! Your reviews mean so much to me. When I’m feeling discouraged, I pull them out and read them again.

    Most of the book bloggers have reviewed my other books, so I thank them for their continued trust in my writing. I’m glad I’ve found my readers 🙂

    “What a fantastic book by Strobos!”

    Thank you to @nlcraigwrites for this review!

    “What a fantastic book by Strobos! This was a really fun read with two characters that had great chemistry and brought out the best in each other.

    Each main character has a great group of supportive friends that I really enjoyed reading about and I look forward to reading more from this series.

    https://www.instagram.com/nlcraigwrites/

    Thank you also to RamblingMads.com who wrote: “Another fun, and funny, read from Kathy Strobos.”

    And here’s another review by Lynda Wolters from the blog tour:

    “Love is an Art is my first Kathy Strobos read. Akin to Katherine Center or a clean Molly Henry, Strobos will make you fall in love with Tessa and Zeke.”

    – Lynda Wolters

    I am so honored to be compared to Katherine Center.

    “Delightful Romantic Comedy”

    “Love is an Art” by Kathy Strobos presents a delightful romantic comedy that cleverly intertwines mistaken identities, deception, and the unpredictable whims of love. 

    Strobos crafts a charming and witty narrative that keeps readers engaged, drawing them into the whirlwind romance between Tessa and Zeke. 

    For those seeking a lighthearted romantic comedy filled with entertaining twists, genuine emotions, and a dash of deception, Strobos’s novel promises an enjoyable escape into a world where love triumphs against the odds.

    Novel Nerd Blog

    More Reviews from the Love Is an Art Blog Tour

    Thank you to Scotsbookworm for this review: “Kathy Strobos is an author who really sucks you into her stories with her writing style. Although this book is 2 in the New York Spark series, it can be read as a standalone novel. A page-turning novel, I can’t wait to read the next one in this series!”

    “This was a lovely story to read, how two people find each other in an unexpected way. But with their pasts, they have to find the courage to take that dive.
    Perhaps a more fitting title would have been ‘Love Is An Artwork’, as love for sure is an art, as it is something beautiful and wonderful. But love is also work, as it’s to learn to give and take, talk and listen, and not jumping into conclusions as it will only give unnecessary understandings.
    I truly enjoyed reading this book, as it shows all the aspects of love, how easy it can be, but also how difficult it can be…”

    Tizi’s Book Review

    And thank you especially, Tizi, for this sentence which truly made me tear up: “There were moments in this book that truly swept me away, like the painting that Tessa and Zeke created together, or their biking together.” 

    Splashes Into Books also does rhyming reviews (!) and she is so talented at writing poems:

    A heartwarming read with surprises and shocks As these two discover what opportunities knock.

    To find what they choose and how they decide, too, You’ll need to read it yourself all the way through!

    Splashes Into Books

    After reading My Book Boyfriend, I was eager to read the next book in this wonderful series. This book has a great storyline, such an easy read with a mix of humor, chemistry, love and a dash of drama.

    InsomniacBookwormBookReviews

    Thank you for another wonderful blog tour!

  • Impressum

    • Katharine Strobos
    • 2248 Broadway #1278, New York, New York 10024
    • kathy@kathystrobos.com
    • 607-638-7883
    Comments Off on Impressum
  • My Book Boyfriend Audiobook – Early Access!

    Early Release Access to the audiobook of My Book Boyfriend is now here! Here’s the blurb:

    A feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy

    Tall, dark, and handsome. That’s what I think the first time I see Rupert Evans in the library.

    But then I find out he is the developer who just sent my community garden a cease and desist letter because he plans to raze the garden and construct some towering monstrosity there.

    The only one who is going to cease and desist is him. That community garden is my found family.

    But then he asks me out at book club night.

    Suspicious, right?

    I’m attractive, but I’m not the type hot bachelors are lining up around the block to ask out. Let’s be real. I’m still in the brunch date spot with my next-door neighbor after a year of my pursuing him.

    Rupert is trying to butter me up and lead me down the garden path so I’ll concede. Never.

    He has no idea what we’re planning to do to stop him. Our little community group may look like a bunch of frail roses, but we’ve got thorns. As long as I weed out these pesky feelings for him, I know we can win.

    And don’t forget to check out all the positive reviews from the blog tour!

    You’ve got early access to purchase the My Book Boyfriend Audiobook–two weeks before it arrives on Amazon 🙂 And you can support me and my books directly.

    Meet Rupert and Lily as narrated by Stacy Gonzalez and Eric Altheide

    Lily is the librarian who loves her community garden and will do anything to save it.

    Rupert is the developer who wants to bulldoze it for housing and to prove to his grandfather that he should be the next CEO of the family company.

    When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

    Also Available from Kobo, Kobo Plus and StoryFair Now

    And it is coming to Amazon in two weeks!

    Let’s Talk

    I hope you enjoy listening to the My Book Boyfriend audiobook. It’s exciting for me to hear my words come to life.

  • My Own E-Bookstore!

    I’m excited to announce that I have my very own e-bookstore(s) and you can now buy my e-books directly from me via either my Shopify store or my Story Origin store! Click on the images if you’re someone who wants to support authors directly. My Story Origin sells e-books only, but sells internationally. My Shopify store sells ebooks, paperbacks and audiobooks, but it is set up for the US, because of tax reasons.

    I’ve set up book bundles of my series, so there is a New York Friendship Bundle and a New York Spark Starter Set in the Story Origin store. Click on the image below for the links.

    New York Friendship Series

    A romantic comedy box set with the covers of Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real and Caper Crush and three women having coffee at a brunch place in NYC

    Three interconnected, feel-good, standalone, closed-door romantic comedies set in New York City in one box set!

    This set includes:

    Partner Pursuit: Audrey is a workaholic lawyer who is determined to become a law firm partner. Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who would never date a lawyer. When Jake moves in next door, and sparks fly, will Audrey choose love or career?

    Is This for Real?: Take one relationship recluse writing a novel with a fake-dating trope. Add in one yummy romantic guy shanghaied for her romcom research. Layer in a history of genuine friendship on top of her recent heartbreak. Is this a recipe for true love or disaster?

    Caper Crush: She’s an emotional artist. He’s a reserved accountant. When they team up to solve who stole her painting, will they find love?

    “Overall I have loved this series.”

    Lemon Nail Fiend Book Blog

    “[Partner Pursuit] is an old-school romcom! If this book was a movie, JLo or Reese Witherspoon would play the female lead, with Matthew McConaughey as the love interest.”

    – Stephanie

    New York Spark Starter Set

    This shows the cover of My Book Boyfriend with a couple in a garden with their backs to each other, both holding a book and the cover of Love Is an Art with a couple, their back sot each other and a very bad painting on an easel

    My Book Boyfriend and Love Is an Art – the first two closed-door, happy-ever-after, standalone, interconnected books in the New York Spark series!

    My Book Boyfriend: Lily loves her garden. Rupert wants to bulldoze it. When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

    Love Is an Art: A Fish Out of Water Romantic Comedy

    Tessa: He hates lawyers. So I’m a lawyer pretending to be an artist. Forgetting one tiny detail: I can’t paint. Zeke: She’s the worst artist I’ve ever seen.

    “Kathy Strobos has proved to me again why she’s one of my go to authors, for HEA, for feeling happy and warm and making the world feel a better place.”

    – Tara from TheWoollyGeek on Instagram

    Free E-Book Copy of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts

    As always, A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts is free when you sign up to my newsletter.

    What do you think of my own e-bookstore?

    Have you ever wanted to own a bookstore?

  • Shepherd’s Book Recs: Find Your Next Favorite Book

    the cover of a book where she is covered in paint and he is in a suit, they have their backs to each other
    Love Is an Art

    Shepherd’s Book Recs: Find Your Next Favorite Book! Shepherd’s ask authors for their book recs, and so it’s a great site to find your next favorite read. They asked me to recommend five of my favorite books around a theme with the release of Love Is an Art. I was so honored.

    I love their site. It feels like walking into a bookstore and asking for recommendations and being given so many good ones.  As they say, “it’s like wandering the aisles of your favorite bookstore.”

    As the founder writes:

    To start, I’ve asked 9,000+ authors to share five of their favorite books around a topic, theme, or mood and why they love each book. This infuses each book with magic and meaning.

    Then, we give readers fun and unique ways to follow their curiosity down rabbit holes and bump into those books and authors. At every step, you meet the person who recommended that book, the book list it came from, and what they are passionate about.

    Ben Fox

    My Shepherd’s Book Recs: Find Your Next Favorite Book To Read

    If you click on the image above or this link to the site, you can read why I chose the books I did.

    I wandered around the site and found so many books to read based on their recommendations. #neverendingTBR Lol.

    For example, Partner Pursuit would fit in this list of the Best Chicklit Books on Lawyers from a Former Big Law Attorney. If you liked Partner Pursuit, you might want to check these books out. Or if you’ve read any of those books (which includes The Undomestic Goddess and Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed), then you will probably also like Partner Pursuit.

    a picture of a romantic comedy book cover with new york as backdrop and a couple on a bicycle for two

    Fun to Explore: What other authors liked Sophie Kinsella?

    There are so many fun ways to explore the site. For example, I searched for other authors who’d chosen The Undomestic Goddess as one of their favorite books. I found the list above, but also a list by Octavia Butler of The Best, Romance, Chicklit and Women’s Fiction Books.

    Love Is an Art is also featured on the RNA Blog!

    Love Is an Art is also featured on the Romantic Novelists Association Blog, along with an interview of me giving writing tips and explaining how my journey to publishing. I think most of you know that I was in the RNA’s New Writer’s Scheme. I cannot recommend that highly enough to unpublished writers. It really made me so happy to see one of my books featured on the RNA Blog. They also asked me what was the inspiration behind Love Is an Art and what was the hardest part of the book to write.

    Let’s Talk

    Had you heard of Shepherd’s before? Did you go check it out and find any books to add to your #TBR? And if so, please share in the comments below.

  • Love Is an Art! Teaser

    Look at this great teaser trailer for Love Is an Art. It’s so clever. I love it!

    Love Is an Art Book Trailer

    Love Is an Art Blurb

    the cover of a book where she is covered in paint and he is in a suit, they have their backs to each other
    Love Is an Art

    Here’s the blurb:

    He hates lawyers. So I’m a lawyer pretending to be an artist. Forgetting one tiny detail: I can’t paint.

    Tessa: There’s something about the way the blond guy laughs and leans in to listen. My gaze keeps returning to him.

    The only problem is, we’re at an art gallery after work, and I’ve swapped my lawyer suit for a paint-splattered shirt. I’m 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–we’re definitely flirting–and then he asks me what I do.

    Just when Scammer Guy is in earshot.

    I have no choice but to say I’m an artist. I can tell Hot Guy later that I’m not.

    But then he says he hates lawyers.

    Now what?

    Zeke: She’s the worst artist I’ve ever seen.

    And I hate that that makes me suspect that she’s lying to me. After my ex-girlfriend cheated on me, trust is in short supply.

    She makes me laugh, and it’s one adventure after another with her. Definitely different from my workaholic lawyer ex.

    Maybe it’s 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?

    *The romcom books in this series are interconnected standalones set in the same world. Each can be read as a pure standalone with a guaranteed happily ever after.

    A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts Audiobook!

    My author reading aloud of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts is now all up on YouTube so you can listen to the whole book read aloud by me there. You can click the image above for the link. It’s like attending an author reading but in the privacy of your home 🙂

    Let’s Talk

    What are you watching/reading? I’m watching My Demon and Please Marry My Husband (both k-dramas). I’m reading When In Rome by Sarah Adams. And I’m hard at work on my next book.

  • Let’s do a scavenger hunt with Kiara!

    A book that shows a couple running. She is wearing a furry teacup. It has a Mondrian inspired color scheme

    Let’s visit the MoMA with Kiara and see some of the art that she and Finn found as the answers to the clues in the scavenger hunt in A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts!

    A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts – the novella

    In A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Kiara jumps at the chance to dress up as a teacup work of art and participate in a scavenger hunt at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to win her favorite artist’s painting. She pairs up with a stranger dressed as Rembrandt.

    He may not know much about modern art, but he certainly knows how to make her heart beat.

    The Scavenger Hunt

    So let’s visit MoMA with Kiara and Finn and go on a scavenger hunt!

    The first clue is: They did not always leave… Who is the artist? What is the painting showing?

    The artist is Jacob Lawrence and it is showing flooding of crops. It explains that people left the South because floods ruined the crops.

    a blue painting by Jacob lawrence part of scavenger hunt

    The second clue is: Construction by Means of Color — A painting with a red ball flower. What’s the name of the painting and the artist?

    The answer is: The Blue Window by Henri Matisse.

    Another clue is: Planes of Color. Which painting has a different date on the reverse side? What is the name of the painting and the artist? What is the date on the reverse side?

    The answer is: No. 5/No. 22 by Mark Rothko. 1949.

    Another clue is: Pantyhose R.S.V.P. Who is the artist?

    Senga Nengudi artist work which shows stretched pantyhose with sand weighting them down

    Senga Nengudi is the artist.

    From my prior post with our November 2023 scavenger hunt, here’s a clue: A shimmery painting with pink using industrial materials. “The shimmering, reflective surface she created oxidized and eroded, becoming a kaleidoscopic mirror in which we glimpse fragments of ourselves and our surroundings.” Who is the artist?

    The artist is: Tsuruko Yamazaki.

    And we can’t forget that Kiara is dressed as a furry teacup. Here is the work of art that inspired her costume:

    This is Object by Meret Oppenheim.

    And Remember to Check Out My Reading of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts – click on the image below for the link to the YouTube audio!

    Let’s Talk

    I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing some of the art work in this scavenger hunt. Who are some of your favorite artists?

  • 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

    1. SECOND FLOOR
    2. Spiral for Shared Dreams. What is the name of the Aztec Goddess for fresh water, childbirth and sensuality?  
    3. Doors with Bats. When was this work created? What is the name of the artwork?
    4. THIRD FLOOR
    5. What was the size of Picasso’s Fontainebleau studio? What is the name of one piece of art he created there?
    6. A shimmery painting with pink using industrial materials. “The shimmering, reflective surface she created oxidized and eroded, becoming a kaleidoscopic mirror in which we glimpse fragments of ourselves and our surroundings.” Who is the artist?
    7. Flag. Who is the artist? How many stars?
    8. Soup cans. How many panels? Why soup cans?
    9. Dial A Poem. What poet read you a poem?
    10. 10/27/69. “The works’ tension and free fall—subject to forces beyond the artist’s control—paralleled the social turmoil of the time.” This is part of a series called the Drape paintings. What is the name of the artist?
    11. Go for a swim. Take a photo in this room of cut-outs.
    12. FOURTH FLOOR
    13. Fish. What is the date of creation?
    14. 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 “flying train,” inviting the viewer into a twisting aerial view of a street from 1902. What country is this filmed in?
    15. Pines and Rocks. When did MoMA acquire this work?
    16. 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?
    17. Henri Matisse. Construction by Means of Color. A painting with a red ball flower. What’s the name of the painting?
    18. A bicycle wheel. Who is the artist? What is the date?
    19. Charlie Chaplin becomes a cog in this machine. What is the name of the film?
    20. Hotel Sauce Pots. What’s the name of the hotel?
    21. In what room are the water lilies?
    22. Luncheon in Fur. What is the actual name of this artwork and artist? What is the date of creation?
    23. They did not always leave . . . Who is the artist? What is the painting showing? What painting is underneath it?
    24. FIFTH FLOOR
    25. OOF. What colors are in this painting? What is the year of creation?
    26. ***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 😊

    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!