2008 has been a truly crazy year in the personal department. It started with the aftermath of a very stressful end of 2007, with stress at the job; colleagues’ personal problems had its reflections on my well-being and to top it of a respiratory problem that had its nasty effects on my total health.
So to say the least 2008 didn't start very well for me. In May another blow came when I was told that my employment contract at my work of that time wouldn't be continued in 2009. Luckily they warned me well in time for me to start looking for a new job and that's exactly what I started doing in June. Vacation time made it difficult to find vacancies and I was starting to feel the pressure of not finding a job on time. I saw myself standing in the unemployment lines, holding my hand up for money. But I believe in karma and know deep down that when you do good things and try attribute to the world in a positive way, good things will happen to you too and things will work out satisfactory. And behold, in September I was invited to a job interview at an international organization and at the end of October I left my the old job and mid November I started at my current job where I'm having the time of my life and I'm actually grateful to my old boss for letting me go and forcing me to find another job. I now have a job that pays better in an international environment, that is closer to home and less stressful and that is a welcome challenge!

Fortunately contrary to my problematic professional life, my private life regarding family and friends has been great in 2008. My husband, friends and family really pulled me through the rough patches in the health and work departments. In January we celebrated the first birthday of my goddaughter. In May we went to Berlin with friends of ours and we had a blast! In August I had celebrated my 5-year wedding anniversary at the wedding of one of my best friends (my goddaughter's mother) and we had a wonderful day. My own birthday was celebrated twice, once with family and once with a very enjoyable High Tea together with my ROOB-girlfriends. Throughout the year we had wonderful dinners and days with friends and family, enjoying each other’s company, we had nephews and nieces on sleepovers that were both fun and frustrating (especially frustrating when your 5-year old nephew wakes you up at 3AM, 4AM, 5AM and 6AM). Still all these happy occasions certainly helped me get through the year.

But there was also the love and support from my other half. My husband is the one who is there for me through all my tantrums, tears and impatient raving and ranting about anything and everything and he is the one to show me that there are always brighter sides to all problems. His positivity and support is something I treasure and love him for. He is truly my rock through thick and thin. Even if he doesn’t understand my book addiction and doesn't share my passion for reading. I forgive him for that because even if he doesn't share it he doesn't restrict or impede me in any way *wicked grin*

But I've also come to know three amazing friends through my passion for romance novels: Ash, DM and Leontine! They are my partners in the book addiction because they understand the craving and they can relate to what books do to me. But they are also always there for me when I need to vent about anything in my personal life. We laugh, we have fun, we have serious talks and I think I've even cried with them. They were pillars of support during 2008 and I hope we'll have as much (preferably more!!) fun in the coming year. Thanks girls!!

And while my personal life was troublesome in 2008, the book addicted Pearl flourished! Honestly and thankfully the books really were a big help in escaping from reality now and then and leaving my troubles behind for a few enjoyable hours, hiding in wonderful stories of action, magic, suspense and emotions. Of course there were months were reading had to take the backseat, or when the readers' block kicked in, but overall 2008 was a great reading year. With lots of diversity as you can see in the overview 2008 post.

Disappointments were kept at a low because the only real ones I had were:
*Alyssa Day's third book, ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, in the Warriors of Poseidon Series was pushed forward to 2009
*Lisa Valdez’ PATIENCE still hasn't been released, there was some rumor that it would come beginning of 2009 but this news has already been overhauled, so still no PATIENCE
*J.R. Ward's LOVER ENSHRINED...This was the only book were my expectations really weren't met. Considering that I read and reviewed 100 books in 2008 the rate of one book that disappointed is not bad at all!!

I just typed that I read 100 books this past year, this includes ARCs and requested reviews but for detailed numbers check the overview. It seems quite a lot, but it's nothing compared to the number of books I bought this year. I can tell you that the term triple doesn't come close. I think -and this is a rough estimation since I don't have the time to check it in detail- I bought between 400 and 500 books (Mass Market Paperbacks, Trade Size Paperbacks, Hardcovers and E-books) this year from various sellers i.e. online European bookstores, eBay, online US bookstores and secondhand in Holland on various websites.

The consequence of all this buying inevitably lead to shortage of space in my bookcases so I also sold quite a few books too: close to 100 books were sold through various channels: Dutch selling websites and forums.
In 2009 there will be more added to this number since these past few days I have again stood before my bookcases with my wish list for 2009 in hand and my critical eye has spotted some books of which I know I am not going to grab them to read some time soon (they will always be overruled by others) so I will try to provide someone with them who will give them the attention they deserve.

2008 was also a year of new discoveries and firsts in various areas of my bookreading life.
I discovered the romantic suspense genre with authors like Cherry Adair, Lucy Monroe, Shannon McKenna and Cindy Gerard.
I found out that this is a genre that appeals greatly to me because of the combination of romance and suspense. They give me the feeling I also find when watching some of my crime-involved television programs. Consequence of this discovery was a buying spree of everything and anything in the romantic suspense genre that sounded somewhat appealing, creating an immense to-be-read-list...

Another discovery were the e-books. Well not actually discovery because I had already known about e-books and even bought some digital stories in 2007 but in 2008 I actually started reading them and this lead to an actual discovery: a way to read them other than behind the computer. One of the ROOB-forum members mentioned that she read her e-books on the handheld game console NINTENDO DS. Since this gadget was available in our home (thanks to a husband in the gaming industry) I decided to give it a try and in the last days of 2008 I read the first e-book on the DS and liked this way of reading e-books a lot better than behind the computer! And this also opens possibilities for taking a lot more books with me on holidays than before.

In the authors department there were many, many new discoveries and first reads but the ones that stuck by me and who I wish mention in the closing of my review of 2008.
*Lora Leigh
I had her books for a while on my shelves before I started reading them and I was sucked in by an anthology story of her Breeds series in April 2008. This one novella led to me buying the whole series and reading them all (with the exception of the last novella that came out). I also made a start with her Bound Hearts series and both series entice and intrigue me to distraction. Her way of writing is so intensely emotional and compelling, she is and will stay an auto-buy so in the meanwhile I've collected almost all of her series and they will follow the same path as the Breeds, they will be all read in the near future.

*Shannon McKenna
With her books it's quite similar to Lora Leigh. I had her books on the shelves for over a year and started reading the first one in March 2008 and I was hooked. In her books the emotional intensity in the characters went through the roof and an added bonus were the nail biting suspense with bad guys who make your skin crawl and the top-notch love scenes. Another auto-buy-all-that-I-can-get-my-hands-on!

*Anna Windsor
She made her debut this year with her back-to-back Dark Crescent Sisterhood Trilogy and found in me a lifetime admirer. What she does in terms of world building, plot writing and characters is nothing short of amazing. I rated her trilogy with 2 5-stars and 1 4,5 stars and nominated her for a ROOB Shooting Star Award. I guess this says enough about what her writing does with me. I hope she will continue the series so I can enjoy her world again soon

===========================

For 2009 I'm looking forward to a lot of things:
First in January the bookmarket in Rotterdam. I don't think I will be harvesting books as I did the first two times I went to it but I have a list ready of books I would like to find there.
And of course I'm looking forward to the new releases of the list of authors you'll find below. Only looking at the list I KNOW my wallet is having a heartattack because I don't have all the authors, whose new releases I want, listed and some of those who are listed have multiple releases in 2009.

Authors whose releases I'm looking forward to:
Lora Leigh, Cheyenne McCray, Monica McCarty, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nicole Jordan, Caroline Linden, JoAnn Ross, Allison Brennan, Cindy Gerard, Gena Showalter, J.R. Ward, Laura Griffin, Nalini Singh, Jami Alden, Sally MacKenzie, Sydney Croft, Lara Adrian, Susan Mallery, Jessica Trapp, Lucy Monroe, Carly Phillips, Jasmine Haynes, Alyssa Day, Kate Douglas, Tara Janzen, Stephanie Tyler, Jeaniene Frost, Gaelen Foley, Kathryn Smith, Roxanne St. Claire, Brenda Joyce, Shayla Black, Kim Lenox.


I close this post by taking the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, Loving and Bookfilled 2009!

Love,
Pearl

Books of 2008 in numbers
ARCs: 9 - Requested Reviews: 2
Ebooks: 7 - Anthologies: 2
Paranormal: 25 - Historical: 23 - Erotica/Erotic Romance: 22 - Romantic Suspense: 16 - Contemporary: 9 - Fantasy/Paranormal: 4

The first book of 2008 was MIDNIGHT AWAKENING by Lara Adrian and the last book of 2008 was THE DRAGON MASTER by Allyson James



NOTE: ARC's and requested reviews for ROOB and anthologies are mentioned separately and included in the count of the genre the books were in. The number is not counted in the totals of the months.

JANUARY(6)
1 ARC (Showalter)
3 paranormal (Showalter, Adrian, Kenyon)
1 historical (MacGregor)
1 contemporary (Monroe)
1 romantic suspense (Monroe)

FEBRUARY(6)
2 historical (McCarty)
1 contemporary (Harper)
2 paranormal/fantasy (Johnson)
1 romantic suspense (Adair)

MARCH(10)
2 paranormal (2 McCray)
5 historical (2 Jordan, 3 P Quinn)
1 contemporary (Showalter)
1 erotica (Amber)
1 romantic suspense (McKenna)

APRIL(7)
2 romantic suspense (2 McKenna)
3 paranormal (ShowalterEB, Adrian, anthology)
1 anthology (SHIFTER)
1 ARC (MacKenzie)
2 historical (MacKenzie, Jordan)

MAY(9)
3 paranormal (Kenyon,anthology, Showalter)
1 romantic suspense (McCray)
3 historical (2 Cole, Hoyt)
1 anthology (NO REST FOR THE WITCHES)
1 ARC (Showalter)
1 erotica (LeighEB)
1 contemporary (McKenna)

JUNE(10)
6 erotica (3 LeighEB, 3 Leigh)
2 paranormal (Ward, Showalter)
1 ARC (Martin)
1 science fiction (Martin)
1 historical (Hughes)



JULY(12)
2 ARC (Showalter, Tabke)
3 paranormal (Showalter, McCray, Windsor)
4 historical (Tabke, 2 Foley, Petersen)
2 romantic suspense (McKenna, Gerard)
3 erotica (3 Leigh)

AUGUST(11)
4 erotica (3 Leigh, Amber)
1 romantic suspense (McKenna)
3 contemporary (3 Banks)
1 historical (Pickens)
2 paranormal (Windsor, Kenyon)

SEPTEMBER(8)
2 historical (Callen, P Quinn)
1 requested review (HenionEB)
1 romantic suspense (HenionEB)
2 paranormal ( Ashley, Windsor)
2 paranormal/fantasy (2 Johnson)
1 erotica (LeighEB)

OCTOBER(8)
3 romantic suspense (McKenna, Gerard, Griffin)
2 ARC (Gerard, Griffin)
1 erotica (Leigh)
2 paranormal (Joyce, Nash)
2 contemporary (Bradley, Smythe)

NOVEMBER(6)
1 paranormal (Lenox)
2 erotica (Dean, Leigh)
1 requested review (Dean)
2 romantic suspense (Gerard, Robb)
1 historical (Styles)
1 ARC (Styles)

DECEMBER(8)
3 paranormal (Popp, Kenyon, AJames)
1 romantic suspense (McKenna)
1 historical (Hoyt)
3 erotica (Leigh,LJamesEB, Dean)

July again was a terrific reading month with 10 own books and an ARC and a requested read for REALMS. The reading frenzy from June fortunately has continued.
This month started when I was on holiday. We went to Tuscany Italy and I had a wonderful time with plenty of sight-seeing but also enough downtime to read some terrific books.
If you want to know more about my reading habits before and during the vacation you can read about it in contribution to the Bookaddicts in the City column at the RealmsOnOurBookshelves Blog


At my arrival home I found a nice surprise: The ARC of the first book of Cindy Gerard's new BLACK OPS Series: SHOW NO MERCY. Look for the review sometime in September on RealmsOnOurBookshelves
I read Cindy Gerard's first BODYGUARDS book: ON THE EDGE on holiday and she is truly on of the best in the romantic suspense genre.

And romantic suspense was a recurring theme this month when Laura Marie Henion requested reviews of some of her books and I was picked to do one. LILLIAN'S LOVE was a very nice read and it's review will be posted on the REALMS-website shortly.
And during the vacation I also read Shannon McKenna's OUT OF CONTROL which essentially also falls under that genre.

But it wasn't just romantic suspense I read. I had a nice return to the historical romance with two Gaelen Foley books: LORD OF FIRE and LORD OF ICE. I read the first book in this series (Knight Miscellany) last year and loved it but other books and newly discovered authors got in the way so it took me a while to get back to this series and I can't wait to continue because she has become on of my favourites in the historical genre. She writes the books I love to read: emotional and character-driven combined with an excellent plot. What more does a girl want???
Well maybe another book from a favourite historical romance author? Because I also read Jenna Petersen's new book" LESSONS FROM A COURTESAN and this was definitely a don't-judge-a-book-by-it's-cover book. I must say that covers are not leading in my decision to buy or read a book because otherwise I would never have bought this one. But as terrible as the cover is for my taste, the story was really, really good. So I'm glad I looked past the cover and read it.
Jenna Petersen has given me something just as good or maybe even better than her LADY SPIES to look forward to.

Of course Lora Leigh can't be missing! I do have to keep feeding my addiction...
I read book 6 and 7 of THE BREEDS and books 4 and 5 of THE BOUND HEARTS and with every book she pulls me deeper into both worlds although I must say the BREEDS have a small lead because there the intensity and intrigue are really mesmerizing me.

And then my new discovery for this month: Anna Windsor!
All I can say about her is: "Watch out, a new star has risen and she's here to stay!"
The first installment of her DARK CRESCENT SISTERHOOD Series blew me away! I loved everything about it and I can't wait for the next books, which should arrive this coming month.

I'm finishing July and starting August with my addiction: Lora Leigh - Tanner's Scheme

June was a good reading month and it was also Lora Leigh month! I started with Lora and almost ended with Lora.
I read a bunch of the Breeds: books 2 through 6 (THE MAN WITHIN, ELIZABETH'S WOLF, KISSING HEAT, SOUL DEEP and THE BREED NEXT DOOR) and the next two books (MEGAN'S MARK and HARMONY's WAY) are going with me on vacation, but more about that later.
I also read books 2 and 3 in the Bound Hearts series (SUBMISSION and SEDUCTION). I can't praise Lora Leigh enough and she is the first person ever to make an idolizing fangirl out of me.

But I read more than just Lora Leigh. I know it's hard to believe if you look at my reviews but I really did :-)
I read a very disappointing LOVER ENSHRINED by J.R.Ward. Despite the low expectations on the romance front I had no connection whatsoever with Phury and the other plots that were supposed to spice up the story were just disturbing to the build-up of that connection. Still I'm looking forward to Rehv's story coming out next year. If just to know how things in the Black Dagger Brotherhood-world will evolve now.

I also read DARKEST KISS (Gena Showalter) and LORD SCANDAL (Kalen Hughes). Both books I was waiting for in eager anticipation and both books didn't disappoint!

It was a slow month in purchases. I had a small order with Proxis but mostly books that are coming out end of this month so they will come in beginning of July, and I was expecting an Mbag from the US with some paperbacks and hardcovers from my seller over there.
NIGHTKEEPERS by Jessica Andersen and the mentioned Mbag came in just before the holiday.
In the Mbag were the first two LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD (THE DARKEST KISS and THE DARKEST NIGHT by Gena Showalter) hardcovers, so I was ecstatic! My first Gena Showalter hardcovers and I will treasure them and protect them with my life!!!

In the ARC departement I only read MASTER OF SURRENDER by Karin Tabke for REALMSONOURBOOKSHELVES. This was a book I was glad to review. I loved it and after my holiday the review will be posted here. In the meantime you can find it on the RECENTLY UPDATED-page of RealmsOnOurBookshelves

On to the new discoveries and interesting tidbits on known authors...
I did order books from two totally new authors to me: HER ONLY DESIRE by debut author Kimberly Killion and PLEASURE UNBOUND by Larissa Ione (one of the authors behind the pen-name Sydney Croft).

There are some names I want to dive into and see if I can add their books to my orderlists but due to preparing for the holiday and a few very busy weeks they will have to wait for next month. I'm talking about Roxanne St. Claire (romantic suspense) and Christine Warren (paranormal).

Lara Adrian gave a peek of the cover of VEIL OF MIDNIGHT and the backcover blurb..loved them
but have to wait till December 30th for the book to come out!

Titles for Monica McCarty's new trilogy coming back to back Spring 2009 were announced on her blog. Love the titles!! I Can't wait for the covers..or the books for that matter...

In closing I'm posting early this month, June 27th in stead of July 1st because of my vacation from June 28th till July 14th
I made a list for the books I'm taking with me to read on vacation and these are the books that survived the cut:

Playing with Fire - Gena Showalter
Shadow Magic - Cheyenne McCray
Megan's Mark - Lora Leigh
Harmony's Way - Lora Leigh
Hot Night - Shannon McKenna
Nightkeepers - Jessica Andersen
To the Limit - Cindy Gerard
To the Edge - Cindy Gerard
Visions of Heat - Nalini Singh
Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh
Lord of Ice - Gaelen Foley
Lord of Fire - Gaelen Foley

I'm finishing the month June with OUT OF CONTROL by Shannon McKenna...

Again it was a good reading month with lots of wonderful books, almost all by familiar authors.
I finished the Kresley Cole's MacCarrick Brothers Trilogy, I read Kenyon's DREAM CHASER, caught up with McCray's Magic Series right up to SHADOW MAGIC which will be read next month and I started Elizabeth Hoyt's new series with but the big bang was at the end of the month with an overdose of delicious and dominant alpha men when I started Lora Leigh's Breeds Series with TEMPTING THE BEAST and Shannon McKenna's Anthology ALL ABOUT MEN

This month I also started an experiment with reading both a printbook and an e-book at the same time. Maybe this way I can somewhat reduce my enormous TBR-pile of printbooks and the big TBR-list of e-books. I only started this towards the end of the month but it's definitely working out for me.

I also had a fun month of buying books, found the two last installments of Rebecca Hagan Lee's Free Fellows Series I had been looking for for a very long time so I now have the series complete. I read this series in Dutch and enjoyed them so much I wanted to have the original English versions on my shelves.

Since reading the Anthology SHIFTER last month and having had a taste of Lora Leigh's Breeds I started collecting the whole series, part in print, part in e-book and I only have one to go: AIDEN'S CHARITY

I also found a new hardcover books seller to replace the purchases made with I seller I don't use anymore and received the first shipment of hardcovers within a month of ordering so now the Lara Adrian's Midnight Breeds and Monica McCarty's McLeods grace my bookshelves in hardcover. And I have also ordered Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld in hardcover

In the ARC-department there was a lot of activity, not neccesarily so much in the reading as in the posting and publishing. THE DARKEST NIGHT (Gena Showalter) and SEASON OF STRANGERS (Kat Martin) were both published on the REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES website.
I received, read and reviewd THE DARKEST PLEASURE (Showalter) and received MASTER OF SURRENDER (Karin Tabke) but the latter will be read the coming month.

New books, series or authors were not found in abundance this month but new to me was the Legend of the Four Soldiers Series by Elizabeth Hoyt. The first book, TO TASTE TEMPTATION, was great in my eyes, a very promising beginning of a new series by one of my absolute favorite authors, it didn't dissapoint and I thorougly enjoyed the book, needless to say I'm looking forward to the second book in the series, coming this fall!
And let's not forget Lora Leigh's Breeds. I really wish I had started this series sooner!

I wrap this summary up with an author to keep your eye out for (I certainly am) is Jessica Andersen with the debuting novel in a new paranormal romance series. NIGHT KEEPERS is the first book in the Final Prophecy Series by this author who is highly recommended by J.R. Ward

I leave you with the blurb of NIGHT KEEPERS

As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she'd be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions...

Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn't made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.

April has been an average to good reading month, I read 3 paperbacks, 2 tradesize paperbacks, an anthology and an eBook-novella. This makes 7 books...that's a bit better than an average month so I'm not complaining.

I started and ended this month with Shannon McKenna and I must say, the more of her books I read, the more I get pulled in by her amazing writing skills and characters. Both in STANDING IN THE SHADOWS with which I started the month as with RETURN TO ME with which I ended the month.

In the ARC-department I read Kat Martin's SEASON OF STRANGERS which will be coming out in June. So watch out for the ARC-review on REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES in the month of May.
Both the ARC-review on Sally MacKenzie's THE NAKED GENTLEMAN and the one on Gena Showalter's THE DARKEST NIGHT were placed on the REALMS-website.

I also read the prequel to the The Lords of the Underworld Series by Showalter, this was an eBook novella (THE DARKEST FIRE) that can't be missed if you're a Gena Showalter fan.
And being a huge Gena Showalter fan I was overjoyed when I received the ARC of THE DARKEST PLEASURE to review for REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES! This book is is book 3 in the series and will be coming out in July. I will be reading it the coming month...

There was also some frustration this month...I pre-ordered Lara Adrian's MIDNIGHT RISING, book 4 in the Midnight Breed Series in the beginning of February, knowing it would be released March 25th and then March 25th came and went and no MIDNIGHT RISING, after 3 weeks....3 whole effing weeks....it finally arrived on my doorstep and I can tell you this has been one of the most frustrating waits for a book in a long time...the last time I remember being this anxious was when LOVER REVEALED by JR Ward had been delivered to the neighbours on a Friday afternoon because we weren't home and then the neighbours went away for the weekend before I picked the book up....
But luckily MIDNIGHT RISING arrived and I have read and reviewed it.

This was a month with the focus on paranormal and contemporary/romantic suspense genre. The only historical I read was the third book in the Courtship Wars Series by Nicole Jordan....to which the saying "it's not about quantity but quality" certainly applies! It was the best regency romance I've read in quite a while! I loved it and was glad to find out that the series isn't ending here but will have at least 3 more books.

In the new discoveries-department I rediscovered Lora Leigh in the form of her Breeds Series, this discovery was made while reading her anthology novella in SHIFTER, I bought that anthology mainly for the novella in Alyssa Day's Warriors of Poseidon Series but was pleasantly surprised by Lora Leigh's story, so pleasantly that I started collecting the books in the Breeds Series immediately, some in eBook, others in print...

And through Monica McCarty's Blog I discovered a new medieval series by Karin Tabke:
The series is called Blood Sword Legacy this is what Karin Tabke says about it:
Bound by a brotherhood forged in the hell of a Saracen prison, eight Blood Swords—mercenary knights for William the Conqueror—set out to claim their legacies the only way they can: by right of arms, by right of victory, by right of conquest.

Book 1:
MASTER OF SURRENDER

Release: June 2008
The year is 1066. William, bastard Duke of Normandy, has claimed the English throne by right of conquest. To quell the Saxon unrest, William sends out his most trusted knights to secure the land. One of those knights is his cousin, Sir Rohan de Luc, known far and wide for his bloody deeds as The Black Sword. . .

Bold and courageous, Saxon maiden Isabel of Alethorpe is the only one left to protect the people of the manor and its lands. When Rohan de Luc seizes Alethorpe, he offers to spare the life of Isabel's young squire in exchange for her willing gift of the charms of her body. Betrothed to another, she vows to that while he may take her maidenhead, her heart will remain her own. But even as her lips say no, Isabel's traitorous body is awakened to desire by the seductive attentions of this potent invader. Can she remain true to her own people, or will Sir Rohan's skilled touch capture her unwilling heart as surely as his prowess with his sword captured her father's lands?

Book 2:
MASTER OF TORMENT
No cover or blurb yet
Release: December 2008

As of this month I want to make a summary looking back on what I did the previous month books-wise. This can be about anything concerning the books I've bought, read, reviewed, discovered etc.

March has been a good month readingwise! Where December and January were terrible on the bookreading-count due to many personal circumstances and February was back to average, this month I was on fire!
This was a result of more time to read because the problematic circumstances are clearing up nicely plus amazing and compelling books that kept drawing me to them every spare minute.

- I discovered some new (at least to me) and promising authors: Sydney Croft, Deborah Cooke, Jaci Burton, Jami Alden, Alyssa Brooks. Their books are either on the wishlist or were ordered. These discoveries were all made cruising along several author's blogs and websites so if you want to keep your wishlist manageable I do not advise you to do that. My wishlist hasn't been manageable for over a year now, I don't think that's ever going to change *wink*

- I re-acquainted myself with Nicole Jordan (one of the first authors I read in English) with the first two books of her lovely new regency trilogy: The Courtship Wars Trilogy

- I went on a shopping spree (partially sponsored by hubby dear and some giftcertificates from my employer for an online bookstore) buying romantic suspense like crazy: Cindy Gerard's Bodyguard Series and Marliss Melton's Navy Seals Series

- I was blown away by my first Shannon McKenna-book. A book that had been on my shelves and TBR-pile, together with her other books, for over 6 months and I'm really kicking myself for not starting on this author sooner

- I indulged myself in the medieval paradise created by Paula Quinn reading her Risande Trilogy. Again books that were on my shelves and TBR-pile for a long time: I'm almost ashamed to say it but for nearly a year. All I can say is: If you have anything by Paula on your shelf, READ IT! You won't be disappointed!

- I dove deeper into the magical world of the Magic Series by Cheyenne McCray...a series that's really starting to grow on me and I'm liking it better with every book

- I read two ARC's for REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES: Book 4 in Sally MacKenzie's regency Naked Nobility Series and the first book of (my favourite author)Gena Showalter's new paranormal Lords of the Underworld Series. As soon as they're placed on REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES I'll let you know.

- I won a goodiebag in the Easter-contest organised by the ladies of REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES with lots of bookmarks, coverflats, collectorcards and other goodies including this wonderful and very appropiate button:






I close this month with utter frustration of not having received Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian yet. I pre-ordered it, it was released on March 25th and I still haven't got it. I did the same with Midnight Awakening (the previous book) and got it the day after release but unfortunately no such luck with Midnight Rising.
And this is one of the few books I really was anxiously anticipating. Usually I have previous books of a series on the TBR-pile but not with the Midnight Breed Series, I have read the previous three and am dying to continue...

I start April right in the middle of my second Shannon McKenna book: STANDING IN THE SHADOWS and I can say that's a very nice start and I hope April will be as good a reading-month as March has been.