I had never been very adventurous in my reading habits. I liked the tried-and-true, formulaic bestseller romances. Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and perhaps if I was feeling really adventurous, a Paranormal Romance (and only when written by my favorite authors). 

Then I decided to write one of the books that had been bouncing around in my head for years. My employer ApogeeINVENT was doing some market research on an author marketing system, and I thought, what better way to learn about the market than to become an Indie author myself?

Initially, the story I wanted to tell was going to be a historical romance. But I couldn't find just the right time period to fit the story I wanted to tell - a story of an assassin and a free-spirited upper-class girl both trying to find where they belong. I decided to create my own world for my two heroes, and the dystopian world of Alba was born in my first book, Reaper.

I started reading other indie author's books. Books of all genres. I still found that romance is my passion, and the books I enjoy reading most all had romance. But they were MORE than just romance. I was thrilled when one blogger reviewed my book as being more than just romance: 
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"Yes this is a romance story but there is SOOOO much more to it ... the storyline/plot is beyond words. I loved this book and if you are looking to go outside the norm for a romance novel this would be one to try with."  Wicked Babes Reviews

If you're stuck in a reading rut like I was, I've created a list of the 5 most fabulous romance books that are different from the norm. These books are mostly by Indie authors, although they are bestselling and phenomenal. If you've read them, or give them a try, please come back and tell me what you think!​

I'm wondering how other book lovers pick the next book to read. Where do you look for great books? Any kind of great new book - new romance, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, horror, suspense... I have my patterns of finding new books to read, but I can't help but wonder if I'm missing some great way, some secret, to discovering new and thrilling reads.

I read bestsellers. I'll buy pretty much anything by Elizabeth Hoyt, Dean Koontz, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz. But I really love to discover new, emerging authors. The best places I've found for this are sites like ReadFree.ly, which sends daily / weekly digest email with great promotions (like free!) by indie authors. It includes a summary, the price, and the cover. I usually load up my Kindle when I have a chance to open and read these digest emails with the great book deals.

I love Goodreads. It has so many ways to connect and interact with readers and authors. However, there is a little bit of a disconnect for me between putting a book on my shelf and actually buying. For some reason, that extra step is a barrier. And I find it more difficult to take a chance on a new author when the book is a little more pricey.

I love browsing at books stores, big brands like Barnes and Noble and independent books stores (although these are becoming more difficult to find). 

LifeHack posted 17 Ways to Find Good Books, and some I agree with, others I want to try (like Book Seer or WhichBook).

How do you find your next favorite books? Do you have a website you use, or do you depend on friends' recommendations? Please share your tips and thoughts in the comments.