Photo Journal of The New York City Library
April 12, 2023 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Library, Photo Journal, TravelOn my recent trip to New York City, I made a purposeful stop at the main New York City Library. I’ve heard great things about this library and it did not disappoint. As I walked around all three floors, I found myself trying to soak up all the rich history within the walls as quickly as possible. From the high ceilings and stone steps, to the large paintings in the walls, there was a lot to marvel over.
Beautiful Infrastructure
Public Rooms
The NYC Library hosts the famous Reading Room. The Reading room was only open to those working at the time (and thus we couldn’t see in person). But the room across the hall was open and you could sit at the large tables or walk around the perimeter and look at all the paintings.
I now see that the Bill Glass Public Catalog Room is in front of the Rose Main Reading Room. Below is a picture of the Reading Room for reference (which I will have to make another trip back to see). Also included below are photos of the entrance to the Public Catalog Room, which was as far as we were allowed to go near.
Other highlights you will see as you walk around the 3rd floor include the Gutenberg Bible, large floor-to-ceiling paintings, and private room exhibits.
Outside the New York City Library
Built in 1906, this building is massive. From the Lion statues and the courtyard, to the park in the backside of the building, it’s quite a sight. If you want to learn more about how this building came to be, check out the history of the New York Public Library.
I thoroughly enjoyed our quick visit to this library. And I look forward to making a return trip some day. Thirty minutes is not enough time for anyone who is a bookworm to visit any library, let alone one as famous as the New York City Library.
Titanic Trivia Quiz: How many can you get right? by Jina Bacarr
April 11, 2023 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as Belfast, Cherbourg, historical romance, iceberg, romance, ship of dreams, Southhampton, Titanic, Titanic111, women's fiction
Meet Ava O’Reilly, the Irish heroine in ‘The Runaway Girl’ who boards the Titanic at Queenstown
THE RUNAWAY GIRL. was a special challenge to write because of the importance to ‘get it right’ re: every moment aboard the ship since the ship of dreams set sail on April 10, 1912.
It’s all in the details, they say…
But how many details do you know about the TITANIC?
Check your Titanic knowledge with:
A Titanic Trivia Quiz
We’ve seen the films, read the books, but what do you know about the Titanic, really?
Take the quiz and find out!
(answers at the bottom of the page)
================
Titanic Trivia Questions:
- You’ve just spent your honeymoon in Paris with your handsome husband and it’s time to return to America. He surprises you with first class tickets on the Titanic. From what French port do you sail?
- Marseilles
- Cherbourg
- Calais
- The Titanic has just arrived in Queenstown and you see several bumboats with vendors hawking their wares. They come aboard ship with their Irish souvenirs. When John Jacob Astor buys his new bride a souvenir, your husband buys you one, too. What did Colonel Astor buy his bride?
- a set of china
- a Celtic brooch
- a lace shawl
- You’re thrilled to find fresh flowers in your cabin when you and your new hubby come on board the ship of dreams. You’re also excited to find out you’re one of several honeymoon couples sailing to New York. According to reliable sources, how many honeymoon couples were there on the Titanic?
- 8
- 11
- 13
- You hear heated whispers in the first class dining saloon when American millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim arrives with his latest mistress. Everyone’s curious, who is she? And where is she from?
- Mlle. Aubart, a Parisian entertainer
- Madame de Villiers, a Belgian cabaret singer
- Miss Annabelle Pearl, a British fashion designer
- You’re late for dinner in the first class dining saloon and lost in the maze of dead end corridors when you run into that handsome gentleman you met last night. He shows you the way to the dining room, then sneaks a kiss in the elevator. How many first class elevators are there on Titanic?
- one
- two
- three
- While you were waiting to board the ship at Queenstown, Ireland, you couldn’t resist flirting with the handsome lad who helped you carry your traveling bag. He whispered in your ear he’ll sneak into the single women’s 3rd class quarters to see you later. Where are the women’s steerage cabins on the ship?
- fore
- aft
- amidships
- You want to look alluring when you meet that handsome gentleman for dinner later in the first class dining saloon on D deck, so you pamper yourself in the Turkish baths. The bath stewardess insists you try out the latest beauty treatment:
- an electric bath which tans your skin with ultraviolet lights
- a face peel
- an exercise machine where you walk in one place
- Tonight you’re dining in the exclusive À La Carte Restaurant some first class passengers call the Ritz when you hear the ship’s musicians playing a lovely waltz. Later you hear them playing that same musical piece when you’re getting into a lifeboat. Some say it may have been the last song the musicians played as the Titanic foundered. What was the name of that waltz?
- Autumn
- Emperor
- Vienna
- It’s 10 p.m. on Sunday night, April 14th, and you can’t resist a stroll up on deck with your husband. It’s misty and getting colder. Even with his strong arms wrapped around you, you can’t stop shivering. How cold is it?
- 45 degrees F
- 29 degrees F
- 32 degrees F
- It’s 11:40 p.m. and you’re in bed with your husband enjoying a night of wedded bliss when the ship hits an iceberg. You want to cuddle up next to him in your warm bed, but he insists you get dressed and get into a lifeboat. How long do you have before the ship sinks?
- 1 hour and 45 minutes
- 2 hours and 40 minutes
- 2 hours and 10 minutes
Answers:
- (Answer: B Cherbourg)
- (Answer: C a lace shawl)
- (Answer: C 13)
- (Answer: A Mlle Aubart)
- (Answer: C three)
- (Answer: B aft)
- (Answer: A an electric bath)
- (Answer: A Autumn)
- (Answer: C 32 degrees F)
- (Answer: B 2 hours and 40 minutes)
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
Are Lacy Panties Holy Underwear? by Kitty Bucholtz
April 9, 2023 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz, Writing tagged as Funny stories, It's Worth It, Kitty Bucholtz
I’m not being blasphemous. It’s actually a funny story from earlier this week. I was in a Zoom Bible study and we were talking about the body of Christ, and how we make up all the parts of the body, and I was super tired and blurted out — “Yeah, even the underwear!”
Hahaha!!! Then I tried to explain — “You know, when I’m thinking too highly of myself I remind myself that I might only be the underwear.”
My friend Charlotte said, “But you’d be the lacy underwear, Kitty.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I said. “The bride of Christ isn’t wearing granny undies. She’d be wearing lace. So she’s probably wearing Victory’s Secret lace underwear.”
Hahaha!!!! It took a minute for us to get back on track after that!
Then I was thinking that’s probably true. As much as we try to be “good,” we don’t always succeed. Sometimes there are holes in our faith. And lace has holes. So our faith — my faith, for sure — is probably more like lace underwear than sturdy granny undies. Hahaha! Of course, that analogy only goes so far since sturdy cotton lasts a long time, longer than lace. But you see where I was going with it! Haha! Sometimes I blurt out the strangest things when I’m tired! (And guess what conversation is going to find its way into this book or the next one!)
Whatever your views on cotton vs. lace 😉 I hope you have a beautiful Holy Week and a blessed Easter!
The 2023 Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award—Deadline April 30th
April 8, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Contests, From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group, Writing Contest tagged as Barb Goffman, Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award, Writing contest
The 2023 Short Story Award competition deadline has been extended through April 30th!
You still have time to polish that short (2000 words or fewer) holiday story for a chance to win cash and publication in our next “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” anthology, SEASONS READING!
For BWG’s purpose, a holiday story is one that involves any holiday between US Thanksgiving and News Year’s Day, inclusive).
So get that short story ready to enter.
Winners will receive:
First Place:
$250 and publication in our upcoming anthology: Season’s Readings: More Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales
Second Place:
$100 and publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
Third Place:
$50 and publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
Click here for submission rules
Other Books Published by BWG
ZERO PENNIES FOR TEN TRENDS TO SEDUCE YOUR BEST FRIEND
April 7, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Spotlight
★★BOOK ALERT★★
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend, a grumpy sunshine standalone romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is ZERO PENNIES for just a short while on Amazon!
★★Grab your copy TODAY!★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3EV4yPv
Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/3K6nH5X
Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3U8sAjj
Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3KwXNtr
★★Blurb★★
Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he’s being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
★★Grab your copy TODAY!★★
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