Monday, October 25, 2010

Blogversary & What I learned


Today 365 days ago I wrote my first post for this blog! So, today is my One Year Blogversary. Yay! To be honest I’d never thought I would still be doing this when I started it, but as it turned out to be, I really LOVE blogging!
What's absolutely great about it, is meeting so many wonderful, like-minded people: other readers, other bloggers and a lot of talented and kind authors. There are too many to mention separately, but you know that I mean YOU! :)

After one year of blogging and reading romance I can say that I’ve learned quite a few things. Here’s ten of them:
  1. I need to control my book shopping addiction and accept that I can’t read cq have all books that sound interesting. Just for fun I looked up how many books I bought since I started reading romance (in August 2009) and it’s kind of a shocker! Turned out to be 600+ books, worth of over $ 2500!
  2. I love other genres than only contemporary romance (my initial genre), like paranormal romance and m/m romance
  3. Meeting virtual friends in real life is a lot of fun
  4. Romance book bloggers and readers are an active, fun and loyal bunch of people. Their comments never fail to make my day
  5. There's a difference between romance, erotic romance and erotica. And my heart beats the fastest for erotic romance, not so fast for romance or erotica. I think erotic romance combines the best of romance and erotica -> good development of plot/storyline & hot, explicit sex scenes. Leave the first out of a romance and nothing’s left, leave the second out of erotica and nothing’s left. But when you leave the first out of erotic romance you still have the sex scenes, and when you leave the second out of it you still have the plot to enjoy
  6. Romance authors are very approachable. In general they like hearing from you, even if you have a request (for a review copy or a guest post/giveaway)
  7. I love hosting giveaways
  8. Twitter is great
  9. The evil day job and real life always get in the way of blogging and bloghopping. I learned to accept that and to feel less guilty about not leaving comments as much as I want to. And thank god for guest bloggers/reviewers who are willing to help me out!
  10. I don’t think I’ll ever stop blogging!
You recognize any of these? :)
I’m not big on throwing parties, I always start thinking about organizing one when it’s too late, but as it happens to be I do have a few ebook giveaways the next couple of days at my blog. The authors Stacey Espino, Shayla Kersten, Kele Moon and L.B. Gregg donated copies of their books and to have a chance of winning one (or all) of them all you have to do is drop by at my place at the following days and leave a comment at the post(s) about the books you’re interested in:

Tuesday: Fearless Desire by Stacey Espino
Wednesday: River of Need by Shayla Kersten
Thursday: Beyond Eden by Kele Moon
Friday: Dudleytown by L.B. Gregg


All giveaways run until next Monday, when I’ll announce the four winners.
For now I only have this man candy for you.


Happy Monday!
~

26 comments:

  1. Happy blogiversary!! I agree - the book blogging community is amazing. :)

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  2. Congrats to you!!! I am also very happy to part of the community and glad I've met you. ;)

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  3. Congratulations! *hugz*

    You've got some sweet mancandy there, and a hot list of books to giveaway!

    Have a great week.

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  4. I don't even WANT to know how much money of I've spent on books. Uh uh. Not gonna go there. LOL Igonorance is bliss and all that. I figure I don't smoke, do drugs or drink much so books are my only vice and there are far worse things to be hooked on.

    Happy Blogaversary and I agree, the book community is amazing and I've met some really super people through the internet.

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  5. Happee blogoversary Janna, may many more come with fantastic reads and lots of fun!!

    I think I spent the first year of book buying about 3000 euro's because I was so crazy I wanted series with out-of-print hardcover books. Yeah, I paid up till 75 dollars for a few *headdesk* I totally recognize myself in #1-2-3-4-6-7-8-10

    Even though I can't buy all books I do have a wishlist for when I can buy with discount (December at fictionwise for instance *wink*)

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  6. Congratulations, Janna!

    OMG, it´s better not to count the books or the money...

    I totally agree with most of your points about blogging, especialy with Nr. 10 - don´t you stop blogging, dear!

    hugs, Evi

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  7. Happy Blogoversary Janna!
    Your post is very recognizable...alas I have learned the lesson that I can't buy all the books I want (the hard way because of a obligated bookbudget) but I know deep down that realistically I can't read them all in this lifetime and yet it doesn't keep me from still buying books (just not as much as before the budget.

    Have a great blogoversary week!

    Pearl

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  8. Happy Blogoversary Janna!

    Thanks for the eye candy.:)

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  9. Hugz! Great post! Happy Blogaversay!

    Thanks for hosting a giveaway for RIVER OF NEED! And I love hearing from you any time.

    Oh, and email me. I have something for you! I'm at the evil day job and don't have your email address with me!

    Shayla

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  10. Happy Blogversary, Janna! Great post. Number 5 is especially perceptive. I hadn't thought about this before, but now that I've read your thoughts on it, I have to agree. I like erotic romance way better than either romance or erotica.

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  11. Happy 1 Year Blogversary, Janna! :)

    I've been trying to exercise restraint when it comes to book buying, but...darn it, new books are so shiny and pretty and scream 'buy me'. The TBR pile isn't as big as it used to be, but it's still pretty big. LOL.

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  12. Happy Blogaversary!!! I remmeber it like it was yesterday :D

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  13. @Chris: Thank you! :) Yes, and you are one of the most loyal ones among them! *hugs*

    @Smash: Likewise! Your blog is one of those I should leave more comments on than I do. But I enjoy your posts even if I don't leave comments that much! :D

    @Sweets: Thanks, and I'm glad you like what you see! :)

    @Tam: LOL! Sounds like you're in denial about your addiction. ;) It was hard but I'm glad I faced my problem *grin*
    Thanks so much and super is a word I always associate with you, Tam! :D

    @Leontine: A match of 8 out of 10! We're so much alike! :)
    Gasp, 3000 euros, that must have been about 5000 dollars or something! Darn, I thought my 2500 was crazy already, lol!
    Yep, the sales do me in too, and yet I'm still hoping for another big December sale at FW. ;D

    @evi: Counting turned out to be a shocker, lol!
    Aw thank you. :) I won't stop, if you won't either! We have a deal?

    @Pearl: Thank you hon! I know exactly what you mean! It's so hard to NOT buy the newest books, isn't it? *sigh*

    @Amber: Thank you dear and you're very welcome! :)

    @Shayla: *smiling from ear to ear* Thank you and that just proves how wonderful and approachable you are! And I should be thanking you for letting me host the giveaway for River of Need not the other way around. ;)

    @Val: Thanks, Val! :) I'm glad you agree, and when I come to think of it, I probably like m/m romance so much because it's mainly erotic romance you get. With m/f you always have to double check if you're not buying erotica or plain romance instead. Or maybe I've just haven't come across them in m/m that much yet...

    @Ava: Thanks Ava! :)
    LOL, it's definitely being shiny and new that seduces me every time again as well. And I don't know how I do it but I'm still managing to convince myself that I definitely WILL read THIS one. Soon. *g*

    @Blodeuedd: Thank you, B! Me too! The year went so fast. :D

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  15. Congrats on your Blogaversay!! Your top ten are dead on and I see myself in MANY (dare I say too many) of them.

    Best wishes for your blog!

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  16. YEA!!! You are one of the bestest and favorites of mine! I'm so glad you blog! Congrats on a full year!

    And as for the post - YES, YES and YES! I agree 100%, and hope to meet some of my online blogging buddies IRL someday!

    Congrats!

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  17. Happy day, Janna! :-D

    Your lessons learned were too true!

    Cheers!

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  18. Happy blogoversary Janna! I love visiting here, even if I have been rather AWOL of late - you have some truely fantastic posts and you review so well!

    Here's to another fantastic year!

    Oh, and I looooove the cookies!

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  19. Happy Blogoversary!!!!

    I have the best time coming over here and I'm so glad you continue this blog! Here is to another year!

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  20. @lbgregg: Thanks for dropping by, LB! :)

    @Sherri: I know! My ten things are probably recognizable for many of us! :) Thank you, hon!

    @Jen: You make me blush, Jen! :) I hope you know I feel the same about you, because I do! And I would love to meet you IRL in the near future. We would have so much to talk about. :D

    @Renee: Thank you very much, Renee! *hugs*

    @orannia: Aw, thanks so much, hon! You're too kind. :) And it's not you but I who should apologize for being AWOL of late. I hope to be a better girl as of next week. Just one more business trip this week and than I'll have more time again. :)

    @Mandi: Thanks, that means a lot coming from you! :) I look forward to another year of blogging and visiting blogs like yours! :D

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  21. Longer post later, cause horseriding wore me out, but CONGRATS!!! :-) Go you!!!

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  22. *ques music*
    Happy blogoversery to you.
    Happy blogoversery to you.
    Happy blogoversery dear Janna,
    Happy blogoversery to you!
    *blows noise maker*

    I'm so happy for you!! And I 150% agree with every one of your ten facts! The only thing different on my list I'd change, is that paranormal romance is what brought me to the romance side of reading. And now contemporary is finding a little place in my heart! But, I agree -- erotic romance is #1 on my list, and your points about it are spot on.

    I'm glad you're not going anywhere because I wuves your bloggy home!

    Here's to another fantastic year of reading hotness! :)

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  23. I can't believe I missed your big day. I'm sorry! :)

    Happy Blogiversary and I wish you many more fun filled blogging/reading years!!!!!!

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