Title: If Ya Wanna Know: Original Songs and Links to YouTube Woven into a Story of Suspense
Author: T. R. Comstock
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5245-3664-0
Pages: 48
Genre: Novella, Poetry, Music, Fiction
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Over the past few years I have begun to see a proliferation of books which incorporate Internet links to enhance the content of the text. This is exactly what we have in If Ya Wanna Know by T. R. Comstock. The author cleverly interleaves within his storyline, song lyrics which read as “poetry” when paging the book, however each song has a YouTube URL to link the reader to a version performed. It makes for a multi-media presentation, as well as an enjoyment level beyond just reading.
The story is rather short and to the point, reading more like a chronicle of events of his character Mark Dawson and his girlfriend Lora; L&M as they are known to friends. Mark is a talented mechanical engineer soon to embark on a career in the military when he is confronted with a time delay, a summer vacation if you will, prior to moving. During that time he feels he could expand his musical talents and see if there is a marketable avenue for his country music, so he goes to Nashville. He performs one of his original songs, and later is involved in a car accident and is transported to the hospital, where he lies in a comatose state for weeks. The deputy at the scene of the accident recognized Mark from playing at The Red Fox Inn, a breeding ground for aspiring country singers and a hot spot for recording executives, and seeing the debris from his backpack he steals his music lyrics and songs on paper. The deputy, Jeff, an aspiring country music performer as well, uses Mark’s songs, thinking Mark may die and he could claim the song as being his own original music.
This sets up the scenario for the suspense – will Mark recover? Will Jeff admit to the underhanded stealing of another person’s songs and claiming them to be his? Will Lora and Mark get together and have a life together? All of these questions are answered in the end, and the song lyrics along with the Internet YouTube link brings to book to a close with a finale type of closure.
With a very detailed story, Comstock has embedded it with half a dozen well-written and talently performed songs. If Ya Wanna Know moves the reader into an interesting space of how country music mimics life. As I read this book in the electronic version, I was easily able to click & paste the URLs into my browser and go right to the YouTube songs to listen. This is much easier than typing in the encrypt link from a printed version, so I recommend buying the e-version. A subtheme of the characters is they all are real people, hardworking in society, hit with tough blows at times such as heartbreaks and injuries; but the strength inherently gained from country music is a panacea for ailing all which goes wrong in life.
For fans of country music, If Ya Wanna Know is a must for getting down into the creative process of writing songs, performing music, all while living life in the real world, with real people experiencing real emotions.
