Making websites is not very different than painting a picture.
Or maybe closer to home, designing a billboard advertisement.
So in some ways that question is like saying "I've got the canvas, paint and brushes. Show me what to paint".
So here are some ideas alternative to books:
1. Start compiling a folder of sites you like.
2. Surf the web for "website design ideas"
3. Check out
this webpage I made. It's a list of a lot of the sites of customers of the Host that I use for my websites. They're all do-it-yourselfers.
4. Now with some layout and color scheme ideas in mind sit down with your software (what software do you use?), put up a table and start breaking it down to cells for your layout.
Let it flow. Keep trying stuff and tweaking it. Trying some other things and tweak some more.
Do you have a start on your site? If so, post a link to it here.
Once you get started, I'll be happy to help. Also, here are my favorite two web-design forums:
1.
Lunarforums
And
2.
ThePerfectPage
... but let me sort of "warn" you in advance: You won't get far asking a question so general as above, but they're great resources for
1. how do do specific things, and
2. seeing other web designers sites for ideas for your site.
I do hope this helps!