Music Speaks / Various

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Short Story Anthology

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

See author list in description.

Description:

In these pages are eleven short stories from nine independent authors. These stories cover a wide range of genres—from romance to dystopia—but they all share a single theme: the power of music.

Titles include:

Gone Too Soon by Christopher T. Grace

The Heart Never Forgets by Ann Cathey

Solo by David Antrobus

Heavy Metal Lovesong by Pam Bainbridge-Cowan

Save Me by Erin McGowan

Playlist by James Clark

Music Heals All Hearts by Laurie Sorensen

Punk Rock 101 by JD Mader

and three Jukebox Heroes Vignettes by LB Clark

100% of profits from the sale of this short story collection will be donated to the MusiCares Foundation—a non-profit organization that helps musicians in times of need.

Appraisal:

Anyone who has read many of my reviews knows I’m a sucker for stories that have a tie-in to music. Stories that share the common thread of the “power of music” to lift our mood, inspire, entertain, and even change our lives are a perfect fit. I’d use the cliché that they’re preaching to the choir in my case, if only I could sing. The fact that  the profit from sales of this book go to an organization that has provided a safety net for musicians who have experienced financial setbacks such as crushing medical bills is just an added benefit.

Short story anthologies sometimes suffer from unevenness. That wasn’t what I found here. Although you might have favorites based on genre preference and taste, there isn’t a single clunker in this collection. I tried to pick a favorite and, if forced, would choose the lead story, Gone Too Soon, by Christopher T. Grace. But every story was a contender.

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars