Interview – Casi McLean Author of the Lake Lanier Mysteries
Give a warm welcome to Casi McLean, author of Lake Lanier Mysteries, the second in the series Beyond the Mist releases in a few days on September 15, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Casi and the Lake Lanier Mysteries.
Thanks for stopping by Casi. Let’s start with what inspired this series.
A town time forgot––the eerie lore attached to a rural area sleeping beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made lake, Sidney Lanier, fascinates me. Homes, churches, businesses and untold stories still linger hidden within it’s 38,000 acres of water, and fed by the Chestatee and Chattahooche Rivers. What Inspired Beneath The Lake? The strange phenomenon and vanishings sprarked my muse.
And Looper Speedway, a half-mile dirt track where bootleggers competed with their souped-up cars, bared its cement stands in a recent draught. The moonshiners of the 1940’s added built-in suspense, not to mention the birth of NASCAR.
A portion of the grandstands, once submerged beneath Lake Lanier, bared its remains near the shoreline Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. As a record drought took it’s toll on the 38,000-acre man-made reservoir that supplies more than three million residents with water in metro Atlanta and north Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
There’s a lady of the lake who haunts the ghost town too.
Swimmers get trapped among the deadfall of sheared-off trees and town remains until they join her in her watery grave. Even expert divers get tangled beneath the murky surface, hence the lake’s unnerving label: Lanier never gives up its dead. These stories are the basis for what inspired Beneath The Lake. The inspiration haunted me, begging for a story to be told.
What a perfect setting for my romantic time-slip suspense series. Why time-slip? Ever since my childhood imagination discovered Madeleine L’Engles, A Wrinkle In Time, the idea of time travel intrigued me. And Lake Lanier, a man-made lake with mesmerizing history presented a plausible theory: what if the explosions required to excavate the lake induced a seismic shift and, given enough energy, could open a portal to a different dimension or a rip in time. I loved the possibilities.
WOW, interesting. I have friends that live on Lake Lanier and we’ve visited there, even boated and swam in the lake. I guess I’m lucky to still be here. I’ll never look at that lake the same again, that’s for sure! LOL
The first book in the Lake Lanier Mysteries is Beneath the Lake. Tell us a little about it.
A ghost town submerged beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made Lake Lanier reportedly lures victims to a watery grave. But when Lacey Montgomery’s car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of the icy water, she awakens in the arms of a stranger, in a town she’s never heard of––34 years before she was born.
Check out the book trailer. Beneath The Lake Trailer ~ A Time-Slip Romantic Suspense
Available from internet retailers including Amazon and The Wild Rose Press.
And your up coming release – Beyond the Mist?
Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.
The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.
Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond The Mist?
Book Trailer for for Beyond the Mist. Beyond The Mist ~ star-crossed lovers survive a cyclone of 9/11 terrorism
Available from online retailers Sept 15th including The WIld Rose Press and preorder at Amazon
Are you working on the next book in the series? Yes. Between The Shadows, Book #3 in my Lake Lanier Mysteries. I’m on chapter 9, so depending on my available writing time, maybe this time next year. I submitted Beyond The Mist last February and the publication date is September 15, so the process takes time. That said, the story is flowing so well now, I can’t wait to seclude myself and write away.
About the Author:
Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense, like Beneath The Lake, WINNER: 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.
Casi’s powerful memoir, Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within, shares an inspirational message of courage, tenacity, and hope, and displays her unique ability to excel in nonfiction and self-help as well as fiction. Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers in nonfiction as well with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can’t put down.
Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you’ll devour. You’ll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You’ll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you’ll want more.
Learn more about Casi McLean at the links below:
Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads Amazon Author Page Blog Pinterest Instagram
Destiny Trailer ~ Shorts With A Sprinkle Of Magic
Wingless Butterfly Trailer ~ An Inspiring Memoir
It was wonderful having you with us today. You’ve promised to come back again on September 13th and bring Nick with you From Beyond the Mist to answer questions and provide a fun excerpt. I’ll post my review of the Beyond the Mist at that time also. See you then. Good Luck with Beyond the Myst!
Views: 456
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Casi McLean, fantasy, Lake Lanier, Mystery, Romance, Time travel by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.
Good Morning and congrats on your upcoming release Beyond the Myst! I loved that book! Glad you have you here on Authors’ Secrets!
I love time travel! Can’t wait to read this one.
Jennifer, thanks for popping by. Isn’t time travel fun?
Oooh, sounds like a terrific read, Casi. Looking forward to Beyond the Mist. Best of luck 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Barbara!
Wow! Another book. How exciting. Your books are both great. All the best, Casi.
Thanks for joining us CB. Have a wonderful day.
Fun as always. Btw, I tried to post link to Facebook and it says Page not found. You might want to check it out.
Thanks MS. Facebook doesn’t seem to like the link. I have no idea why. If you post the link by itself it still goes to the sight. Sorry about that.
Fascinating, Casi! I enjoyed hearing about your inspiration for your series. Congrats and all the best! 🙂
Thanks for poppy by Mary! Always appreciated!
Congrats on your release!
Glad you were able to pop by Maureen! Have a great week!
How very interesting! The story sounds great – congratulations on your release and good luck.
Thanks for dropping by Cat.
How very interesting! Sounds like a great series. Congratulations on your release and good luck!