Author, Casi McLean Thrills with Beneath The Lake
Give a big welcome to Casi McLean, author of Beneath The Lake. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug, there’s hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee on the counter. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie 
from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Casi’s tell us about your inspiration for Beneath the lake. Thanks for joining us!
I love to talk about my, Beneath The Lake, and the eerie lake lore that inspired my muse. A town that time forgot––the history and creepy stories attached to a rural area that sleeps beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made lake, Sidney Lanier, fascinated me. Homes, churches and businesses still linger beneath the surface. The moonshiners of the 1940’s added built-in suspense, and the birth of NASCAR. Looper Speedway, a half-mile dirt track where bootleggers competed with their souped-up cars, exposed its cement stands in a recent draught.
There’s a Lady of the Lake who haunts the ghost town too––the spine-chilling lore is the basis for book three in my Beneath The Lake series, Between The Shadows. Some say she lures victims to her watery grave. The truth is, swimmers get trapped among the deadfall of sheered-off trees and town remains. Even expert divers get tangled beneath the murky surface, hence the lake’s unnerving label: Lanier never gives up its dead. The inspiration swirled in my mind, 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 excavation explosions triggered a seismic shift? Given enough energy, could the blasts rip a portal into a different dimension or a crack in time? The possibilities were endless.
The birth of Lacey Montgomery evolved through my young adult love for Jude Deveraux’s A Knight In Shining Armor. The time-slip novel introduced her endearing Montgomery family. I hope my books honor her inspiration. My high school friend, Hilary Johnson, inspired the persona of my heroine, Lacey Montgomery. A lawyer, discouraged with defending criminals, yearned to help honest people in trouble. Some of Hillary’s finer qualities became part of Lacey––the dysfunctional relationships came from my own personal experiences. LOL. Once these elements entwined, Beneath The Lake blossomed with an energy and life of its own.
The sequel, Beyond The Mist, picks up where the first story ends incorporating two minor characters as the new hero and heroine. Beyond The Mist is complete, in editing, and will be published in a few months.
For a Free Gift, and a chance to win my entire short story collection, Destiny: Five Novelettes With a Twist, click here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/pxekfzj8Rx4el/
I hope you enjoy my trailer, blurb, and the opening excerpt below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwOqm8DUUfA
Blurb –
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.
When the 2012 lawyer tangles with a 1949 hunk, fire and ice swirl into a stream of sweltering desire. Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes and, despite adamant protest, Lacey falls in love with a town destined for extinction, and the man who vows to save his legacy.
Threatened by a nefarious stalker, the wrath of bootleggers, and twists of fate, Lacey must find the key to a mysterious portal before time rips the lovers apart, leaving their star-crossed spirits to wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake.
Excerpt:
Lake Lanier, Georgia—June 2011
A final thud hurled him backward, flailing through brush and thickets like a rag doll. Grasping at anything to break momentum, Rob’s hand clung to a branch wedged into the face of the precipice. Spiny splinters sliced his skin. Blood oozed and trickled into his palms, and one by one, his fingers slowly slipped.
A sharp crack echoed through the silence of the ravine as the bough succumbed to his weight. He plummeted into free-fall. Clenching his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, terrified of the pain, the mauling that waited on the jagged rocks below.
When icy water broke his fall, the chill kept him from losing consciousness. He spun, straining to see, but darkness enveloped him. Soggy clothing pulled him deeper—deeper into the murky, fathomless depths. He wrestled to squirm free from the waterlogged jacket dragging him down to a watery grave, watched the coat disappear into black obscurity. Panic gripped his stomach, or was it death that snaked around his chest, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the air, the life from his body? Lack of oxygen burned his lungs, beckoning surrender, and a shard of rage pierced his gut as reality set in. He lunged upward with one last thrust and burst from the water’s deadly grip, gasping for air. A gurgling howl spewed from the depths of his soul and echoed into silence.
Sunlight shimmered across a smooth, indigo lake, but aside from the slight ripples of his own paddling, nothing but stillness surrounded him. He floated toward the shore, sucking deep breaths into his lungs until the pummeling in his chest subsided. When he reached the water’s edge, he hoisted his body onto the soft red clay and collapsed while the sun’s warmth drained the tension from his body.
No one knew he had survived. The rules had shifted. Now he could reinvent himself, become a stealth predator. His target: Lacey Madison Montgomery.
Beneath The Lake is available at:
USA Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/2jB4JXp
Worldwide Amazon Link: http://smarturl.it/BeneathTheLake
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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. Beneath The Lake won the 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.
Her stories entwine 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.
Contact Links:
Website Twitter Facebook GoodReads Amazon Author Page Blog
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Beneath The Lake and it’s upcoming sequel, Beyond The Mist.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Atlanta, Casi McLean, Lake Lanier, Mystery, Romance, romantic suspense, Supernatural, Suspense, Time travel by Tena Stetler with 19 comments.
Welcome Author Nicole Fitton!
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Nicole Fitton, author of Forbidden Colours. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and Gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what Forbidden Colors all about. Thanks for joining us!
Nicole tell us what inspired this particular story?
Forbidden Colours was the evolution of a question that had been rattling around in my brain. You know, those annoying questions that wake you at 4am and won’t let you rest until you’ve written something. Well, that’s how it was for me. I had read a newspaper article about the complexity of the human brain and well, it all started from there. Forbidden Colours is a gripping love story which contains elements of psychological suspense. It contains enough adrenaline fuelled drama to power the national grid! Once I had the protagonist Midori Yates firmly fixed in my mind’s eye she took charge and dictated the direction of travel. I have a passion for science and being able to incorporate that into a book is very exciting. The story centres around a new drug being brought to market that does not quite do what it is supposed to…. I shall leave it at that. As I said earlier I started Forbidden Colours with a question and everything flowed from there. So, I know you want to know, what was the question? It’s a question I often ask myself but seldom has it led me in such an unusual direction…… ‘ What if?’
I know exactly what you mean. I ask “what if” quite often. Sometimes I like the answer, other times, not so much. So tell us a little about Forbidden Colours.
What if your memories were not your memories? What if the drug hailed as a cure became a curse and ultimately your destruction?
Midori Yates works for pharmaceutical giant KLD. The launch of new drug Centoria has revolutionised the treatment of amnesia, with outstanding results. Trials exploring its use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s are on the horizon. But is it really as good as the data suggests?
Neurologist Dr. Nick Campbell has seen amazing results with his patients and is ready to believe in Centoria’s transformational abilities…that is until his patients start displaying strange and worrying symptoms with drastic results. Determined to uncover the truth, Midori and Nick find a conspiracy that is to have devastating consequences for both of them. A dark world threatens to engulf them. Can they survive?
WOW! That’s some kind of “What if?” Do you have a snippet of the story?
Katzuko Yates eyed her daughter thoughtfully. A sense of apprehension gripped her. Those years in Japan were long ago; she wondered if she could be clear with her explanation. Even though buried, her memories continued to breathe under the mountain of life she’d lived. Dare she even speak of them? Could she speak of them? Their place of residence had become an unmarked grave in her history. Her family had a right to know, after everything that had happened. His world was dark and full of shadows; where would she begin? For over 25 years she had told no one. Now she was being drawn back into his world. It was a time she wanted to forget. The tie that had been bound to her so tightly was about to be broken.
Interested? I thought you would be. Here where you can get Forbidden Colours. Amazon
A little about the author:
Nicole Fitton is an author and freelance writer who has lived in such glamorous locations as London, New York and Croydon! She currently reside in Devon, UK with her family. Forbidden Colours is her second novel. Her career has spanned over 3 decades working in PR and marketing within the music industry. She currently works within healthcare in the UK.
Alongside her novels Nicole has a passion for writing short stories.This year has seen her short ‘Soaring’ featured in an anthology by the Black Pear Press. Her stories always have a happy ending, but, the way in which they get there will keep you guessing right up until the last page! She admits she gets bored easily and can often be found enjoying new adventures!
Want to know more about Nicole?Click on the links below:
Website address: https://www.nicolefittonauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolefittonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MisoMiss
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/fitton3818/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nicole-Fitton/e/B01A3NSIL6/
Nicole, it was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Forbidden Colours.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Psychological, Suspense by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Happy Holidays! Author Lori Sizemore With Infamous!
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Lori Sizemore, author of Infamous. So get settled in, grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot coco, hot cider and coffee choose
your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what Infamous is all about. Thanks for joining us!
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 Lori and Infamous.
Lori Sizemore grew up in the mountains of West Virginia and never quite managed to escape them. Lori lives at home with her husband of twenty-plus years and two of her three daughters. She also lives with two dogs, a cat, and five hermit crabs. Yes, five of them. This menagerie and her family keep her busy.
She worked in mental health as a social worker for ten years before making the choice to write full-time.
What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same?
Perseverance. It’s all tied up together. I came from a dark place when I was no longer able to work again due to illness. I’d been writing for years, but suddenly the words weren’t coming, I couldn’t work outside the home. I felt useless and hopeless.
Then a beautiful thing happened: I realized that while my illness limits me physically, it couldn’t take away my writing. So, I began a journey of writing several novellas that brought me out of that dark place. I further honed my writing commitment to every day, 7 days a week. Writing is my job now and it’s the best job ever.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
I told them slowly. I asked for craft books for Christmas that first year, and I don’t think any of them thought it would be something I’d commit to as fully as I have. However, it took me a long, long time to own the term writer. I didn’t consider myself a writer until I was writing every day. Published or not, when you commit to a writing schedule and you produce on that schedule, you can’t call yourself anything else.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
I see a little bit of me in all of my characters. Mostly the screwed up parts. I tend to write tortured but snarky characters, and I really identify with that in that people are just really like that. At least, my favorite people are. I wouldn’t consider myself tortured, but I’ve seen some hard times, like everyone else. I just take those dark times and funnel them into my characters.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
Hope. It doesn’t matter what we’ve been through, who we are—everyone deserves to be loved for exactly the person they are. Love doesn’t change us, it helps us become better at being ourselves. I want people to read my stories and say, “I can have a happy ending, too, regardless of what’s happening in my life right now.”
You can find more information about Lori Sizemore below:
Website | FB Author Page | Twitter
Amazon | Goodreads
Lori, tell us a little about Infamous.
Justine Montgomery, daughter of a divorced beauty queen and TV magnate, is a tabloid disaster after her infamous sex tape. She’s so desperate to help save her family’s home she turns to her deal-making dad. Can she prove to him she’s cut out for a career in television or will she lose it all?
Sawyer has his own past and a successful career is his only goal. Seeing Justine fail would mean the promotion of a lifetime, but things get complicated when he develops feelings for her. Suddenly, the lines between work, life, sex, and love are blurry.
They will have to overcome the bitterness of a rejected ex, the controlling actions of her father, and the half-truths they’re telling one another to forge a lasting partnership both on the job and off the clock.
How about a sneak peek into Infamous?
She tangled her fingers through the hair that covered her face and pushed it away. Next thing he knew, she’d wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Justine? Um… what are you doing?”
“I’m hugging you. Taking emotional comfort.”
“Like a leech.”
“Haven’t you ever hugged before?”
“I’ve never hugged anyone I wasn’t going to have sex with.”
“We’re not having sex.” She squeezed him tighter and rested her head on his shoulder. “Hug me back.”
Sawyer lifted his arms and wrapped them around her, his hands cupping her shoulders, pulling her closer. He dropped his head to rest on hers, and parts of him, so deep he couldn’t name them, pulled free and demanded his attention. Her hair smelled like fruit, the kind kids eat in the summer, juice dripping down their chins. “I’m fine with the hugging, but, just saying, I’m not responsible for any physical reaction hugging may induce.”
“Okay.” The word drifted out of her on a sigh.
He wasn’t equipped for this. There hadn’t been a lot of touching growing up, at least not the kind that didn’t end in a busted lip or a cracked rib. As an adult, there’d been lots of touching. But, not like this. The tighter he held her, the closer he wanted to be.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
All Romance | Bookstrand | Goodreads
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Infamous. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Hollywood, Romance, Suspense, Television by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Welcome Author Chrys Fey & Blake Herro, of 30 Seconds!
Give a warm welcome to Chrys Fey, author of 30 Seconds Before!
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 Chrys’ and her HOT undercover Herro.
Thanks for stopping by Blake Herro. Interesting name. Tell us about the real you—
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you?
I’ve seen a lot on the job that can’t be erased from my memory. But most haunting is a crime scene described in 30 Seconds Before. Instead of repeating it, I’ll just share it.
EXCERPT:
A year ago, he walked into a house to find two children—a two-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy— shot in the head next to their dead parents. The mother’s body was draped over her babies, trying to shield them. She had been shot twice—once in the back and the fatal shot to the back of her head. In the man’s hand was a pistol. A hole gaped above his right ear where he blew out his brains. Their blood pooled together, creating a red ocean.
The sight haunted Blake for weeks. Everywhere he looked, he saw the images of the murder-suicide. The baby girl wearing a pink bow in her hair, and the boy clutching a toy—a police car—in his hand. Even though she was dead, terror still rose off the mother in waves. A pot of stew had been bubbling on the stove when Blake and Max got there; the mother had been making dinner for her family when her husband pulled a gun on them.
What do you most value?
My police shield. I am extremely proud to be a police officer. I live for my job. No one can stop me from serving the city I love or protecting its people. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid. I take it as seriously as breathing.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with?
A tough woman with enough quirk to make me laugh and passion to keep me on my toes. She’d have to accept my job and the danger that comes with it. And if that woman enjoyed the same music and movies as I do, I could spend forever with her.
What do you consider most important in life?
I’m inclined to say life, but that would be cheating. Everyone says family, and that would be typical. So, I’ll go with happiness. Isn’t that what we all want, deserve, and strive for?
What is your biggest secret?
I’m undercover in the Mob.
I suppose we should keep that little tidbit to our selves, huh? your secret is safe with us. Thanks for giving us a bit of your time.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us Chrys!
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series (Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes), as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and heads their monthly newsletter.
You can find Chrys at: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter
Hey Chrys, tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult?
I enjoyed writing 30 Seconds Before because it’s the prequel to 30 Seconds, my romantic-suspense novella about a woman in the middle of a war between a police force and the Mob. 30 Seconds Before follows Officer Blake Herro as he goes undercover in the Mob, It reveals what he goes though. The end leads right into the opening of 30 Seconds.
Whenever I say that writing this story was easy, people ask me if I was ever undercover in the Mob. Well, if I was . . . I wouldn’t be able to reveal that. *wink*
Well, noooo… But your picture is posted. Tell us a little about #30 Seconds Before.
Blake Herro is a cop in the Cleveland Police Force. Ever since he was a child he wanted to do right by the city he loved by cleaning up the streets and protecting its citizens. Red, a notorious mobster, has other plans.
On a bitter December night, ten police officers are drawn into a trap and killed by Red’s followers. Blake wants to bring down the Mob to avenge his fallen brothers and to prevent other cops from being murdered. Except the only way he can do that is by infiltrating the Mob.
Every minute he’s with these mobsters he’s in danger. Around every corner lies the threat of coming face to face with a gun. Will he make it out of the Mob alive or will he be their next victim?
BOOK LINKS:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
Nook / Kobo / The Wild Rose Press
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with 30 Seconds Before.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Adventures, Mob, Police, Romance, Suspense by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
