Book Review: West of Paradise by Marcy Hatch

Not too long ago, I read Marcy Hatch's latest book, West of Paradise and for some time I've been meaning to post my review.  This time-traveler book hooked me from the start and was a great book to add to my summer reading collection.

From the author:  When Jack McCabe gets the opportunity to go back in time, he jumps; it’s the adventure he always dreamed of - until he meets a beautiful but deadly train robber. Katherine Kennedy can't believe an ignorant bounty hunter has mistaken her for a criminal – until she sees the picture, which looks exactly like her. Neither of them imagines how the past has a way of catching up with the present. Set in the old west, this is a tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder.

My thoughts:  For those that aren't aware, I'm a huge fan of historical romance as well as paranormal books.  Marcy's West of Paradise has both and what a fantastic read!  I haven't read a good time travel book in a long while, so I was do.  Have you ever wanted to trade your current life for one in the past?  Our two main characters, Katherine Kennedy and Jack McCabe decide to do this and like any good story, they have no idea what awaits them.  Both Jack and Katherine have their own reasons for traveling time and essentially it's to escape their current realities and responsibilities.  Jack manages to find his own path in the past in the Old West.  As the story unfolds, he's created quite a life as a bounty hunter and in his mind he's content until he meets the confounding Katherine Kennedy.  Like Jack, Katherine longs to escape into the past, but when she arrives, her life spins wildly out of control from a case of mistaken identity.  Can you imagine be mistaken for an infamous murderess and thief?  And worse, having one of the best bounty hunters on your tail?  As much as Jack wants to capture the elusive, Alanna McLeod, Katherine halts much of his progress.   Katherine is pretty amazing, but does she have what it takes to survive the Old West?   This story takes you on a wild ride filled with bank robbers, murder, deadly family ties and of course romance.  If you're looking for time traveling romance adventure with taste of the Old West, then you'll definitely want to check out Marcy Hatch's West of Paradise.  I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Get your copy via Amazon today!

You can follow Marcy on her blog, or on Twitter.  Also, you can find Marcy and West of Paradise on Goodreads.

Happy reading.  Have a great week!

Mina Burrows

Book Review: A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford

Get your e-copy on amazon now here! 

Last month, author and friend, Nick Wilford, released his contemporary speculative fiction book, A Change of Mind and Other Stories. This book was a wonderful read, and I'm so glad I had a chance read it and brag about it. It consists of consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece--four of which were previously published in Writer's Muse Magazine. 

At just around 100 pages, this book is a great choice for a quick and intriguing summer read. In the first story, A Change of Mind, we meet Reuben. He works in an office where he's bullied at every turn and can't even get a date let alone summon the courage to ask a girl out.  It makes you ache to read about his sad state because I swear in life we all have a sullen side to ourselves.

Anyway, Ruben decides to meet with a quasi-brain surgeon to help him rewire some brain parts in a bizarre cutting-edge procedure. Now, how many times have you thought about changing something about yourself or the way you think? Too often, huh? Well, Reuben can't stand himself any longer and decides to undergo the procedure. What he gets is mind blowing change. I won't tell you what happened, but it's suspenseful and reminded me of a modern version of The Twilight Zone Show. Remember how strange those episodes were? Or what about Steven King's Quitters, Inc. about the smoker who tried to quit? After finishing the novella and the other stores, I was left with twilight zone vibe and that's a great feeling for someone like me who truly enjoys those classic stories. Wilford is a fantastic writer who knows how to draw in a reader!

If you're a fan of dark, short stories with an edge, than you'll enjoy A Change of Mind and Other Stories. Get your e-copy on amazon now here!   Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.

Sounds like a good one to pick up for the summer, huh? Yup, it sure is!

Mina Burrows