Over and over the last year I’m been facing up to the overwhelming consensus that if I want to make it as a pro writer I’m going to have to stop reviewing. I’ve certainly encountered difficulties from it before. And in the past few months three writers I admire greatly have all come out and said that you can’t do both.

The most recent happened just today over at Stacia Kane’s blog. Sure she wasn’t talking directly to me, but it’s something we’ve talked about before. Bless her Stacia’s not being mean at all. She’s right in that once you get published things change, and you do lose the right to voice your opinion without people flipping out on you all the time, sometimes over nothing. This is why I’ve seriously slowed down in blogging, and reviewing. I don’t want to be the writer that only posts about their work, but the world kind of demands that.

But also today came my friend Nicole Cushing’s Apex blog post on short stories where she credits my recommending Jennifer Pelland’s Unwelcome Bodies to her at Context in 2008 not just for giving her an enjoyable read, but for jump starting her re-joining of the writing circle. I read Unwelcome Bodies for review.

And also today I found out that some of my coworkers read my reviews, which means they don’t just help me do my job better, but they might be helping them do theirs better. And it’s commonplace for us to get letters from librarians over at Monster Librarian thanking us for helping them choose which books best fit their collections.

So it’s a really tough spot I’m in, where I know that reviewing might be holding me back from that whole representation and NY contract thing, but it’s also adding so much to other parts of my life (not to mention I’m still making more as a reviewer than as a writer, and that’s not including bookseller pay which, by the way my stint as a reviewer and being able to list websites and editors as references got me in the first place.)

This is what a career as a writer is, looking at where you are, where you want to be and trying to guess how best to get there. And usually, there is no right answer. but is there a best answer, and if so, what the hell do I do now?

In no real order. Also, these are the best from what I read in 2010, not what came out (expect a full list of what I read in 2010 later this week).

Oh, and one more note, there were plenty more books that I adored, but these are the ones I thought had the widest appeal. So consider this list my “You must read this book” list.

Ones I personally enjoyed the heck out of that might not have as wide appeal:

How to Eat Fried Furries by Nicole Cushing

Afterlife by Naomi Clark

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Futile Flame by Sam Stone

From Jerrod Balzer:

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

We’ve got some auctions being held to support K.H. Koehler during some very difficult times. Her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and endured a double mastectomy. So far, it has been successful, but lack of decent insurance and sick pay has left her dealing with staggering medical bills. Add to that the annual taxes and other necessities, and the holidays have become quite bleak.

This is a combined effort by several friends and authors to give them some peace of mind this Christmas, even if it’s only a little bit. K.H. Koehler has always been a generous, warm-hearted person, there for anyone who has needed her assistance, and her mother is equally charming, and courageous beyond belief for undergoing such a hardship with so little warning.

These books are in great shape and the majority of them are signed, so they would make excellent gifts for yourself or a collector you may know. Bid knowing that 100% of the proceeds are going straight to two wonderful people who could really use the smile it may bring.

Anyone who would like to make a monetary donation without bidding can send it via PayPal to jerrodbalzer@gmail.com

I’ll pool everything together in the end and get it to her.

There are 3 book bundles up for grabs, and there may be more on the way. Here they are:

Auction bundle #1 (CLICK HERE to bid):

I’LL BE DAMNED by Shane Ryan Staley (signed softcover)

MIDLISTERS by Kealan Patrick Burke (limited edition hardcover signed by author and artist, Keith Minnion)

THE BLACK ACT by Louise Bohmer (softcover, NOT signed)

CHANGELING MOON by Christine Morgan (signed softcover)

THE DOUBLE-D AVENGER film novelization by Jerrod Balzer (signed softcover, soon to be out of print)

FALLEN by Thomas E. Sniegoski (signed softcover)

Auction bundle #2 (CLICK HERE to bid):

NIGHT LIFE by Ray Garten (signed hardcover)

DISPOSAL by Jeff Strand (limited edition hardcover signed by author and artist, Keith Minnion)

KING MAKER by Maurice Broaddus (signed mass market paperback)

BLACK ROSES by Christine Morgan (signed softcover)

FRANKENSTEIN VS THE CREATURE FROM BLOOD COVE film novelization by Jerrod Balzer (signed softcover, soon to be out of print)

Jeff Smith’s BONE: TALL TALES with Tom Sniegoski (softcover signed by Tom Sniegoski)

Auction bundle #3 (CLICK HERE to bid):

THE CAGE by Brian Keene (limited edition hardcover signed by author and artist, Keith Minnion)

MONKEY LOVE by John Paul Allen (limited edition hardcover signed by author and artist, Keith Minnion)

AT THE END OF CHURCH STREET by Gregory L. Hall (softcover, NOT signed)

LONGSHOT (X-Men & Spider-man) graphic novel by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams (softcover, NOT signed)

LUSTER by Shane Ryan Staley (signed softcover)

GIFTED CHILDREN by Christine Morgan (signed softcover)

From me: Karen is very high up on my list of good people. She’s supportive without question, an amazing writer and a good friend. If you can’t afford to bid or donate directly, please consider buying one of her books (Karen is one of the few authors I’m willing to give a guaranteed good read sticker to, and she’s tried hard to make them available at affordable prices.)