Between The Shadows Audio Clip

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019
by Casi McLean

Between The Shadows Audio Clip

00:00 / 00:15:32

Between The Shadows

LakeLanier Mysteries Book #3

Narrated by Kristin James.

Thrust through time to 1865 Georgia, Kenzi Reynolds never expected to confront deadly villains…

let alone fall in love with one

A Gripping New Novel By Award-Winning Author Casi McLean

Between The Shadows: After her friend, York, encounters the ghostly image of a young woman, Mackenzie Reynolds seizes the opportunity to initiate a time jump, thrusting them back to 1865 Georgia. Resolved to thwart the girl’s untimely fate, Kenzi stumbles into a deadly conflict over a stockpile of stolen Confederate gold.

An injured Civil War survivor, James Adams departs for home with a war-fatigued companion he’s determined to help. After pilfering a horse and kidnaping a woman, he never dreamed his hostage would steal his heart.

Kenzi and James must unravel a deadly plot, while helping York save his ghost woman from a brutal death, but can she leave York in a violent past to save James’s life?

Grab Your Copy of Between The Shadows NOW!

Discover more about Mystery And Strange Phenomenon In Atlanta’s Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier Mysteries

Mystery And Strange Phenomenon In Atlanta’s Lake Lanier

February 28, 2019January 28, 2019
by Casi McLean

Mysteries, Death, and Lore abound in Georgia’s Cursed Lake

Part One

Shadows of the past linger in a town time forgot, a ghost town that lies beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made Lake Sidney Lanier. Chilling lore mounted as victims vanished beneath the surface, trapped below sheared-off trees and crumbling town remains. The mystery and strange phenomenon sets the stage for Casi McLean’s Lake Lanier Mysteries series. Could blasting initiate a seizmic shift creating a portal through time? Beneath The Lake, [Beyond The Mist to be released August 2017, and Between The Shadows in 2018]––tales forever bound by a tiny hamlet nestled in the north Georgia mountains, and the eerie lake that swallowed everything in its path. Join us for a trip through time as Brent Swancer describes the ghostly apparitions, freak accidents, and mysterious murders in Atlanta’s cursed lake.

Some places in this world seem mysterious…to the point where they almost seem to be beyond the comprehension of mankind. There are mysteries in these places that defy any attempts to explain them, and the very soil and water itself here seems to reverberate with some evil force that pervades its very being. These mysterious places seem to draw death, misfortune, and the bizarre to them like a magnet, and if there are indeed cursed places in this world then these are them.

One such enigmatic place…

..can be found nestled within the rolling, verdant foothills of the northern mountains of the U.S. state of Georgia. This is a locale that has long been associated with strange phenomena, weird creatures, and most sinister of all, a large number of inexplicable deaths and unsolved murders. This is the cursed lake of Georgia…

Lying in the northern part of the U.S. state of Georgia, sprawled out among the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains for 26 miles, 75 meters (258 feet) deep at its deepest point and with an area of 150 km2 (59 square miles) of water and 1,114 km (692 miles) of shoreline, is Lake Sidney Lanier, commonly referred to as simply Lake Lanier. Actually a manmade reservoir, Lake Lanier is the largest lake in Georgia and even sports a chain of islands that were originally large hills before the lake was formed.

The origins of Lake Lanier can be traced back to 1948, when the U.S. government purchased a 100-acre farm from a river ferry operator by the name of Henry Shadburn in order to start a water project on the Chattahoochee River for the purpose of providing the city of Atlanta with hydroelectricity, flood control and water supply. In 1950, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began breaking ground and constructing the Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River, which would be completed in 1956 and begin the process of flooding the foothills to create the lake.

The creation of Lake Lanier was beset with problems from the beginning.

Funding for the project faced numerous hurdles which stopped and started construction to the point where it is amazing it was actually finished on schedule. Additionally, the Corps of Engineers, as well as the states which use the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin, comprised of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, all squabbled over water flow requirements, consumption caps, how the water should be used, and whether to give it priority as a water supply, hydroelectricity source, or even recreation.

All of this while juggling the federal laws that demanded water be set aside for threatened or endangered species that lived in or around Chattahoochee River.

The states of Alabama and Florida were particularly unhappy about how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulated the flow of water from Lake Lanier to their states. There was even debate over what the lake should be called, with the builders finally settling on the name of the poet Sidney Lanier.

Then there was the rather destructive nature of the lake’s creation.

The U.S. government began a mad dash to ravenously purchase land from private companies, farmers, and anyone else who lived in the area that would inevitably wind up underwater. During the 5 years it took for the lake to completely fill to its intended water level, the government would buy up over 50,000 acres of prime farmland and pristine wilderness, moving more than 250 families, 15 businesses, and even relocating 20 cemeteries along with their corpses in the process. As the nooks and crannies of the mountain foothills filled with surging water, the inexorable spread of the lake devoured entire towns along with their buildings and houses, farmland, fields, bridges, toll gates, historical landmarks, river ferry businesses, a racetrack called Looper Speedway, country roads, forests, and other lakes.

Many of the structures that would be inundated were simply left as is, so that if one were to walk along the lake’s bottom one would find submerged towns complete with roads, walls, and houses all eerily intact; abandoned underwater ghost towns inhabited only by fish and perhaps ghosts of the past. Even the ferries that were put out of business by the lake’s creation were simply abandoned to become rusting hulks littering the bottom and the shore…

I’ll leave Brent’s story there until my next post. But in the mean time…

Imagine you just saw your fiancé groping someone else. You tear off into the throes of a torrential storm, hydroplane and flip your car. Thrown into the lake, you lose conciousness and awaken with no idea where you are. The scent of the hostile spring storm now gone, you breathe in the smell of a cool, crisp November settling into the North Georgia foothills. Feel the anxiety upon opening your eyes, realizing you’re in the arms of a complete stranger, then discovering you’re in a place you’ve never heard of––thirty four years before you were born. You’ve fallen through the time portal beneath the lake.

Buy Beneath The Lake Now on Amazon:

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

Lake Lanier Mysteries Audio Clips

February 11, 2019February 11, 2019
by Casi McLean

If you love audiobooks as much as I do, you probably have an Audible account…If not, I have some great news and a surprise waiting for you…just make sure you read this blog post through to the end!

If you love mystery, romantic suspense, time slips, thrillers and stories with a dusting of magic or a sprinkle of supernatural paranormal, then please don’t miss Lake Lanier Mysteries. A romantic suspense thriller, with a time slip…A ghost town time forgot––A romance you’ll remember forever!

This multi-award winning series will grab your heart in book one, BENEATH THE LAKE, spiril onto a rollercoaster ride into book two, BEYONED THE MIST, and won’t let go until book three, BETWEEN THE SHADOWS, ends in a satisfying happily ever after that will linger in your mind long after you read THE END! But don’t take my word for it…listen for yourself. I’ve taken an audio clip from each breathtaking story below. Scroll down and give these stories a listen for #FREE.

Lake Lanier Mysteries

Beneath The Lake Reviews Rock

September 15, 2017February 28, 2018
by Casi McLean

Amazon Editorial & Customer Reviews

Beneath The Lake

The good, the bad and the ugly…We post them all here…Amazon isn’t quite so accommodating. Sometimes reviews simply disappear from Amazon for now rhyme or reason, so we decided to head keep all reviews here. If you’ve posted and Amazon review for Beneath The Lake and don’t see your review listed below, please add yours in the comment section below and we will put it on our list.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love can defy time!

ByAudioBook Romance on September 12, 2017

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Love can defy time!

Time travel stories can go wrong so easy, and I’m so glad this one went so right! If time travel sounds daunting to you, just pay attention to the time and date when it is given and you will be just fine. I’m a big fan of Doctor Who so the concept of multiple timelines doesn’t phase me.

The story was well written and heartfelt. The steam factor is light for those that do not like those sorts of stories. This story takes place around Lake Lanier, Georgia, which I have lived not too far from at one point in time. I never knew that much detail about it other than it was a man-made lake so of course I had to immediately do some of my own research. The “Lake” in Beneath The Lake is of great importance and in a way its own character. Without it, there would be no story. I wouldn’t say it is the main focus of the story, as I feel that the true point is love and how it sometimes takes us the long way around.

The story has multiple time lines running concurrently but all of them seem to in one way or another focus around Miss Lacey Madison Montgomery. She goes by many version of this name depending on who she is conversing with. She finds her boyfriend in a compromising position at the beginning of the book which becomes the catalyst for her late night ride into the storm that changes her life forever.

It’s really hard to talk about this story without giving anything away, but I can say it’s so good I want to read it again. I want to listen to from the beginning for a completely different experience. It makes me want to do 2 read-alongs on my website to this story. One as a new reader experiencing the mystery and a second read to experience the emotions that are sure to come.

This is my first read/listen by Casi McLean and I want more. She wove an excellent story of love and endurance that I could not stop listening to.

Aundrea Mitchell does an excellent job on all levels of story narration. The story telling has levels of expression that makes it more than just the details of the story. The character voices both male and female are distinct and well done and there are a lot of both throughout this story.

This gets 5 time bending hearts out of 5 from me and recommended to anyone who loves a good romantic read with a stellar HEA.

I plan to feature this story as a Read Along With Me so be sure to check audiobookromance.com/read-along-with-me
Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited
Audiobook obtained for free at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review
More Reviews @ GoodReads Id: AudiobookRomance
More Reviews @ AudiobookRomance.com

DebA Editorial Review Beneath the Lake

Wow! September 22, 2015

I read an amazing tale of love that surpassing time and space. A romantic wholesome whimsical tale about second chances, time travel, and rediscovering true love. This may be a long story (398 pages) but it’s so worth it in the end. You’re in for a big surprise. By the time I finished the story, I was so overwhelmed by happy tears. I couldn’t wipe the tears away fast enough. Please make sure to keep a box of tissue handy before you finish the book.

Read the book to find out what happens in the story.

Beneath the Lake is the first book in the Beneath the Lake Series by Casi McLean. It deserves 4.5 stars!

The full review can be found on the below URL:

nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re…

DebA

Beneath the Lake

by Casi McLean

My rating: 5 stars

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc

Publication Date: August 5, 2015

Genre: Time Travel | Romance

Print Length: 398 pages

Available from:Â Amazon

TomeTender Review of Beneath the Lake

Sometimes the worst moment of your life can lead you to the future you were meant to live. Lacey was witness to her boyfriend’s infidelity and her flight from the heart breaking will send her careening into the icy bowels of a frigid lake. She awoke in the arms of her future, while discovering she had been hurtled over thirty years into the past.

For Bobby, a successful and well-loved businessman, the woman he found unconscious stole his heart the minute she opened her eyes. Once Lacey realizes she is no longer in the year 2012, she must convince Bobby of events in the future that are about to happen. His huge leap of faith for the intelligent and unusual woman will change his future forever.

Only time will tell, as two hearts come together across time only to be separated again. Is there a time for Bobby and Lacey to be together? At what cost to those they love? Will their love bring doom to future generations?

Beneath the Lake by Casi McLean is a fantasy of romance, of true love knowing no bounds and she has captured the spirit of love in its purest form, even as her characters must face the bizarre circumstances they met under. From pain to joy, to disbelief to believing in miracles, Ms. McLean has created a finely woven tale that flows like a satiny sheet across the mind and heart. Her writing will make a believer out of even the most skeptical of non-believers in love. Let go of reality and take a stroll back in time.

I received this copy from Casi McLean in exchange for my honest review.

The full review can be found on: tometender.blogspot.com/2016/01/beneath-lake-by-casi-mclean.html

Beneath the Lake by Casi McLean

Romance4theBeach Reviews

I really do admire these time-traveling heroines who manage to stay strong and in control when they discover that they’ve been transported to a different century. They realize they need to fit in in order to survive. Let’s just say I would definitely be one of those people being pulled away by the men in white coats.

What’s it About?

Reeling from her boyfriend’s indiscretions at a party, Lacey Montgomery escapes into the throes of a torrential storm. Her car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she’s never heard of–thirty-four years before she was born. Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes. Learning the truth about her origin does nothing to stop the passion taking root in his heart and leaves him torn between finding a way to return Lacey to her time and convincing her stay with him.Â Will the couple be able to discover the key to a mysterious portal before time rips them apart? Or will their spirits wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake?

First Impressions

When Lacey finds herself in 1949, she’s inexplicably drawn to her handsome hunk of a rescuer, Bobby. Although he’s her knight in shining armor, she becomes convinced that Bobby is playing her like a fiddle. Not to mention the fact that she could be sucked back to her own time at any moment, and Lacey refuses to give her heart over fully to the young man. Well now isn’t that quite a pickle? Although Lacey was wary of Bobby’s intentions, I absolutely loved him. He’s such a gentleman, and I wish we could have learned more about him. I also wish there would have been a bit more focus on them actually falling love. It seemed like one minute they were trying to find the time travel portal Lacey traveled through, and the next they were smitten like a pair of kittens.

Time Travel Twist

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: The end definitely implies there will be a sequel following another character.

Should you read it? … I can see how it could keep you guessing until the end … I will admit to staying up until 3 am to finish the toe-curling conclusion of this one.

The full review can be found on: romance4thebeach.wordpress.com/

Megan S, NetGalley Reviewer

Beneath the Lake was my first time travel romance, and I’m sure it won’t be my last. There was something about all the details coming together to form a complete story that hooked me. At the end of the book I was in love. The descriptions are what drew me in at the beginning, but slowly I began to fall in love with the characters. Watching this story unfold over decades and the plot twists that came along with it had me nearly in tears at the end of the book. Early in the story, some of the dialogue felt out of place and pulled me out of the story so it took me a bit longer than expected to finish this book. BUT once I got into the meat of the story I was pulled back in and rewarded with gems like this…”His touch ignited desire in the deepest depths of my soul, a burning, bubbling molten lava flowing through my veins. There was no denying we were two parts of one heart. “Overall, reading this sparked an interest in a genre I previously had no interest in exploring. I’m excited to see where the rest of the books in the series go.

About the Author

Originally from McLean, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., Casi relocated to Atlanta after graduating from the University of Georgia. Fascinated with the written word since her childhood, Casi taught English, creative writing and drama for several years. The life-altering search for her biological father revealed secrets and lies in her past that rekindled her passion for writing and inspired her captivating memoir, Wingless Butterfly. Since then, Casi has written five novelettes in her Destiny series and released her debut novel, Beneath The Lake.

Beneath The Lake is the first time-slip novel in a three book series. A ghost town submerged beneath Atlanta’s famous Lake Lanier is said to lure victims to a watery grave–but does it? When Lacey Montgomery’s car hurls into the icy, black lake, she awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she never heard of, 34 years before she was born.

McLean referring to her new release: A town that time forgot–the eerie lore attached to a rural area that sleeps beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made lake, Sidney Lanier, fascinated me. Homes, churches, businesses, and a racetrack still linger beneath the surface. There’s a Lady of the Lake who haunts the ghost town, trapping swimmers until they join her in her watery grave. Even divers get tangled among the deadfall of sheered-off trees and town remains, hence the lake’s unnerving label: Lanier never gives up its dead. The inspiration gnawed at me. What a perfect setting for my romantic time-slip suspense series.

Now, the mother of two grown sons, she lives in Atlanta where she writes romance novels and short stories, teaches creative writing, is a motivational speaker, and coaches, empowering others to let go of the past, find their own passion, and pursue their dreams.

JANUARY 20, 2016

Beneath the Lake by Casi McLean

What’s it About?

Reeling from her boyfriend’s indiscretions at a party, Lacey Montgomery escapes into the throes of a torrential storm. Her car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she’s never heard of––thirty-four years before she was born. Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes. Learning the truth about her origin does nothing to stop the passion-taking root in his heart and leaves him torn between finding a way to return Lacey to her time and convincing her stay with him. Will the couple be able to discover the key to a mysterious portal before time rips them apart? Or will their spirits wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake?

First Impressions

Time Travel Twist

This novel has a unique twist as far as time travel romances go. When Lacey falls back in time the story becomes split between her in the 1950’s, as well as a man in 2012 who is apparently plotting Lacey’s eventual fall through time. Throughout the entire book we question who this man is, and why he’s so set on manipulating Lacey’s future/past. Unfortunately, because I’ve read a lot of books, watched a lot of TV, and seen a lot of movies, it takes a lot to surprise me. I basically have no life at all. Therefore, I deduced the truth behind this plot twist almost immediately. I will say it took away a bit from the dramatic element of the story, seeing as I was just kind of waiting around for the inevitable big reveal. Still, definitely a unique twist that set it apart from your average time travel book.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: The end definitely implies there will be a sequel following another character.

Should you read it? I personally felt the plot twist was kind of obvious, but I can see how it could keep you guessing until the end. I wish they hadn’t tried to rationally explain the scientific reasoning behind the time travel portal at the end, but I will admit to staying up until 3 am to finish the toe-curling conclusion of this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Tena Stetler on July 13 2017

Interesting concept. I truly enjoyed the book, especially since I’ve been on Lake Lanier. Never look at the lake the same way. LOL Look forward to the next in the series! Beyond the Mist!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Time Travel with Romance and Suspense

By J. A. Davis on February 23, 2017

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

Beneath the Lake by Author Casi McLean is a time travel novel that switches between 2012 and 1949 with the lake as its central theme. Author McLean used the formation of Lake Lanier as part of her historical reference and focal point. When she zeros in on the main heroine, Lacey, and her slip into the 1940’s, the author’s descriptions were colorful and accurate drawing the reader into story. This is a novel with romance and suspense cleverly woven together to keep a reader engaged and looking for clues to try to guess the ending.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Kimberly Keyes on Sep 30, 2016

In Beneath the Lake, a fantasy time-travel romance, Casi Mclean shows herself to be a true storyteller. From the first chapter, you will be hooked into the story of Lacey (aka Maddie) and her hero (Can’t tell who he is!! It’ll spoil the first few chapters!!). You’ll want to know how this time travel will occur, and when, and once it does, you’ll want to know what’s at stake, but Casi will keep you guessing. Once Lacey is in the thick of things in another time, you’ll really grow to like and root for this her character, a woman who has relationship troubles and parent issues just like the rest of us. Beneath the Lake’s sweet love story will warm your heart while the overall tale will keep you glued to the pages. For such a complex concept as time travel, I admire the way Casi Maclean manages to move her cast of characters around, and all without leaving any irritating “holes” that can happen when there’s a lot of moving parts, so to speak. The one thing that made me sad has to do with a certain someone who gets left behind in the past…but can’t say more than that without giving too much away. I highly recommend this book by Casi Mclean and am looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

***3.0 out of 5 stars

By Poppy on September 27, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Quite a good read not my usual kind of story but i really enjoyed it recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Fantasy, time-travel, and romance all in one

By RF Hayes on September 30, 2016

Format: Paperback

5.0 out of 5 stars

A must read!

By Devon McKay on September 1, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

I absolutely loved this book. This was my first time travel read and it was well worth my time. I was hooked from the first page. McLean navigated from present to past seamlessly. The characters are well developed and interesting. I related to Lacey especially. She’s my kind of heroine!

5.0 out of 5 stars

A Complex Story

By Laura Hartland on July 1, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

This is a complex and multi-layered story that builds in intensity as it goes along. The author takes her time setting up the action because there’s so much to put in motion. I mistakenly thought the book moved a bit slowly in the beginning––turns out I should have been paying closer attention to what I mistook for straightforward storytelling and flashbacks. I missed a whole lot of clues that fit together flawlessly to make for a killer ending––but you won’t get any hints from me! I definitely wouldn’t want to ruin the fabulous climax of this one for anything.

I’m not sure what impressed me more, the way the author kept all the strands of the web straight in her mind till the big finish, or the amount of research she must have done. Most of the story takes place in 1949/1950 and references were plentiful and accurate. Even the language fit the bill. Quite an achievement and much more than a love story, though the tale is certainly a very romantic one! All I can say is, don’t count your villains before they’re revealed––and enjoy!

***3.0 out of 5 stars

Quite a few people have enjoyed it … apparently, I’m the mutant at table 9 on this one.

By Julie on June 2, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

This is the first book that I’ve read by Casi McLean and I believe the first that I’ve read about time-travel. I’m thinking that I’m wrong about that though …

Before sitting down to write this review, I really scoured other reviews to make sure that I wouldn’t leak a secret that would really ruin the book for someone. This was not a fun task … I absolutely hate reading what someone else thinks of a book right before I write my review, I don’t want their thoughts to sway what I think, you know? Anyhow … I ended up writing down my thoughts and then taking out spoilers. Worked out pretty well, I think.

Okay … it’s no secret that this book is about time-travel. It’s all over Goodreads and it’s not something that everyone is keeping quiet. I’m a-okay with the idea of time-travel. Buuuutttt … when the story jumps from 2011 to 2012 to 1949 … it’s a bit much. I almost got whiplash just trying to keep up with the times. The switching was so confusing at the beginning of the book that I almost put the book down a few times. It just really stole something from the book. I wasn’t able to completely immerse myself into the story because I never felt like I was on steady ground because of the disorienting time changes.

The meat of the story was good but then again, there was just so much going on that I couldn’t fully enjoy the crux of the whole book. For it to read as slow as it did, you wouldn’t think that there would be too many things going on. There was a lot of inner dialogue and explanations that were a little too lengthy for my taste.

When you mash the POV flip-flops, the time changes, the slowness and the amount of plots and sub-plots going on … it just didn’t end up well for me. I wanted to like it and I did at some points of the story but those times weren’t frequent enough to redeem the entire book for me.

Also, at the end, there were quite a few typos. They came out of nowhere! There weren’t any at the beginning of the book and then I’m on my last few pages and BAM! Typos. It was so weird and almost as if someone was editing and then chunked a deuce, said f-it and walked away ten pages from the end. Very strange.

Not the book for me but it’s a sweet story. Quite a few people have enjoyed it … apparently, I’m the mutant at table 9 on this one.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Memorable Read

ByAuthor Stephanie Parker McKean on May 22, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Sidney, Georgia, was submerged in 1956, when the Army Corps of Engineers appropriated land for Buford Dam. An entire city, including church buildings, businesses, homes, and cemeteries became watery ghosts––ghosts with the power to transcend the cycle of time?

Lacey Madison Montgomery’s best friend Piper tricks her into attending a posh party on June 9, 2012. When Lacey accidentally finds her boyfriend Cole ravishing another girl at the party, she flees––an action that takes her out on slippery roads during a heavy thunderstorm.

Lacey escapes a stalker only to plunge backward into the murky depths of Lake Lanier. She is rescued by Bobby Reynolds, a man who threatens to dissolve every barrier she has erected against men. She is amused by his penchant for retro––from his car and house right down to his toothpaste. Then she reads the flag of the Sidney Gazette. The newspaper states the date as Sunday, November 6, 1949.

The likeable, believable characters in Casi McLean’s “Beneath the Lake” power the touching story of love’s triumph over every obstacle, even time. Realistic dialogue, a sprinkling of history, and unexpected twists add emphasis and drama in all the right places to make the story a memorable read.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Five Stars

By George Gill on April 27, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

First romance thriller and this author has me hooked!

4.0 out of 5 stars

A great “beginners” time travel romance

By Megan Sanchez on April 27, 2016

Format: Paperback

The descriptions are what drew me in at the beginning, but slowly I began to fall in love with the characters.

Watching this story unfold over decades and the plot twists that came along with it had me nearly in tears at the end of the book. Early in the story, some of the dialogue felt out of place and pulled me out of the story so it took me a bit longer than expected to finish this book. BUT once I got into the meat of the story I was pulled back in and rewarded with gems like this!

“His touch ignited desire in the deepest depths of my soul, a burning, bubbling molten lava flowing through my veins. There was no denying we were two parts of one heart. “Overall, reading this sparked an interest in a genre I previously had no interest in exploring. I’m excited to see where the rest of the books in the series go.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Suspenseful and hard to put down

By Megan on April 9, 2016

Unlike anything else I’ve ever read! Suspenseful and entertaining, was hard to put the book down once I started reading. A brilliantly written, extremely original plot that never leaves you bored while reading. 100% recommend!

4.0 out of 5 stars

Great read – check it out!

By Kam on March 26, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

If you enjoyed the movie The Lake House (starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, 2006) then you’ll absolutely adore this novel. Two destined souls, from two different time periods, united (or reunited in their case) through a chain of events. Like the movie, it was sweet, romantic, and had a HEA.

But the story doesn’t end when the soul mates find their way back to each. No, Casi had a couple more surprises up her sleeve, which kept me engaged to the very end. I truly believe it’ll have the same effect on you.

Great story and a true delight to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars

A NY Best Seller IMO!

By Jet on March 25, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This is such a great book. It should be on the best sellers list! I hope everyone buys extras to pass out to friends. I love suspense, thriller, and historical fiction like John Grisham and stuff like the Rembrandt affair by Daniel Silva to give you an idea where my review is coming from. This is up there with the best. I am more than half way through and can’t wait to find out what happens! It has kept my attention (which is typically IMPOSSIBLE). I love how the characters are developed and I’m always surprised at what comes next. Extremely enjoyable. Truly, Casi McLean wrote an amazing story filled with imagination.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Awesome Read!

By Mary M on March 25, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

I love time travel, I think if it were possible I would love to travel back in time. But for now I will continue to read this type of stories instead.

Lacey Madison Montgomery starts out in 2012 going to a ritzy party her best friend Piper is having, and she hates parties. Turns out after she gets there, she seems to be having a good time, that is until she catches her boyfriend in the arms of another woman. Lacey leaves after throwing a vase of flowers on Cole and his “date”. She runs to her car and a storm has started with heavy rain and lightening. After she realizes that she should have stayed at the party, she turns around but can’t remember how to get back to Piper’s house. When she skids off the road and down a ravine. She tries to climb out but someone grabs her and she fights, hitting her head and falls into the lake.

When she wakes up the next day she is bruised from head to toe, a gash on her ankle and a big bump on her head. There is a man standing over her and he seems different. Not just that she can trust him, he speech, mannerisms, his car. It’s all different. When she sees the date on the newspaper, she nearly chokes on her food. It is November 6 1949. How is that possible?

While Bobby and Maddie become closer, his sister Sandy becomes the sister she has never had. She is finally finding love she has never known before. After a year with Bobby and Sandy does she even want to go back to the future? Then something happens and her world is blown apart again. Will she ever be whole again? Can she get back home? Can anyone help her? Why was she sent back in time?

This story is full of suspense, which you will think the story is going one way and it goes the other, history, romance and a love across time. This is a first for me from Casi McLean and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

**Wicked Reads Review Team**

4.0 out of 5 starsÃ‚Â

By J. Kahele I really liked it

What a story

I don’t believe I have ever read about a time travel romance before and I have to say this was very good. After catching her boyfriend in a compromising position, Maddie leaves the party. The rain is pouring like crazy outside and her car skids and she loses control. Her car plummets off the side and towards the lake below. She crawls out of the car and tries to make her way up the side, slips and begins to descend down the side. She wakes up the next morning black and blue from head to toe and to s handsome face leaning over her. The man who has rescued her, Bobby. He is very nice, almost creepy nice and the way he talks is odd. It’s not until she sees a newspaper at a diner, that she realizes why. Somehow during the night she had traveled back in time to the year 1949.

5.0 out of 5 stars

What a wonderful treat! This book had suspense

By Stacey Fountain on February 24, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

What a wonderful treat! This book had suspense, action, romance, and history. I fell in love with the main characters and the story line really drew me in. The details she gave of the lake and area surrounding it aroused my curiosity. I live near this lake and was intrigued to find out more about the lake’s beginnings. It was a real page-turner and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to read Casi’s next book!

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Dianne on January 28, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

For as much as Lacey longs to go home, she realizes home is where her heart is, but there must be a way to return, but how to discover the mystery of the portal is the question. Will she bring devastating changes to the future by being here or was this Fate’s plan all along?
Only time will tell, as two hearts come together across time only to be separated again. Is there a time for Bobby and Lacey to be together? At what cost to those they love? Will their love bring doom to future generations?

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best books I have read recently

By Amazon Customer on December 12, 2015

Format: Paperback

This is one of the best books I have read recently. It grabs your attention from the start and keeps you turning pages to the end. I never wanted to put the book down. Great book for everyone. I would recommend this book to everyone and I want to read it again. The author is brilliant and creative and makes a fiction book while staying historically correct to the history of Lake Lanier. So glad I read this book!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars

A must read

By Ben Lichtenstein on December 1, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

Really enjoyed the book! There are some great twists, it’s engaging and the ending was totally unexpected. Really encourage you to check it out, you will not be disappointed. Great story, funny, a real page turner. you won’t want to put it down.

5.0 out of 5 stars

I loved this story

By Amy Stevens Oct 30, 2015

I won this book from Goodread’s giveaways. I loved this story, it brings together the present and the past. Totally loved the ending. I will be sharing this book for others to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Wowser! Overload your senses and Take a Dive into History.

By Melanie on October 15, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

I love history, suspense, and a touch of romance. This book has it all! The writing style is so easy to follow, and the first paragraph sucked me right in. There are already enough spoilers in all the other reviews, so I’ll just say that the characters are interesting, likable, and fun to follow around through the story. The town (pre-lake) and surrounding areas are so well described that I feel like I’m actually there, experiencing the tastes and smells of that time period. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a “time-slip” story line, but WOWSER! I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued. My favorite part by far is how painstakingly accurate all of the history references are in this story. Kudos, Casi! Job well done.

5.0 out of 5 stars

It Was Amazing!

By Alvin J. on October 8, 2015

Dear Fellow Fiction Fanatics,

I’d like to bring to your attention Casi McLean’s newest release, Beneath The Lake. The story is a charming tale of time travel, suspense and the power of true love. I would not be surprised to see this novel thrusting Casi into a movie production. In one sweeping effort, she stirred together the magic of time travel, a riveting mystery, and a star-crossed love affair for the ages. Her writing captures your interest from the first page and holds you captive with mesmerizing, page-turning compulsion, and a surprise twist ending that will linger long after the book is closed. Luckily, two more books in the series are on her docket. If you are looking for an absorbing story, order a copy of “Beneath The Lake” and be prepared to set aside enough time to finish the whole book in one glorious read.

A. J. Rowe, III

5.0 out of 5 stars

BLOWN AWAY!

By Sandra D on September 27, 2015

Format: Paperback

Beneath the Lake is a time travel romance. It targets all age groups and has a heat level of sweet, (just a hint PG13).

I’d like to be professional and tell you about the plot, characterization, etc. But the only words that come to mind are HOLY COW! This story has it all. It’s the kind of story other authors are going to enjoy reading––and probably be inspired by. It’s a story that will stay with any reader for a very long time. I would go as far as to say, it’s the best book I’ve read in a long time. And, to top it off, it’s the author’s debut novel. If this is how she starts, I can’t wait to see where she goes from here. To wrap it up––I’m BLOWN AWAY!

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Richard on September 27, 2015

I don’t normally read ‘romance novels’, but this one is quite good.

Not a lot of bodice ripping stuff… and no bedroom scenes…

a good story, some loose ends, which I expect the follow on novels will address.

Well done.

5.0 out of 5 stars

I loved this book – the history

By Barbara Hymas on September 25, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

I loved this book – the history, time travel and the mystery!! Good characterization and a great story. Give it a try!!

5.0 out of 5 stars

WOW! Great book!

By Starr Gardinier on September 23, 2015

Format: Paperback

I couldn’t put “Beneath the Lake” by Casi McLean down. Warning! If you don’t have time to sit down and read, don’t pick this book up. Seriously, it grabbed me from sentence one and you won’t want to put this book down and go back to work.

Innocently, Piper invites her best friend Lacey to a party. At the party, Lacey finds her boyfriend Cole in the arms of another woman. Dashing from the party, she rushes out into a storm and ends up crashing her car.

It’s when she wakes us her journey begins. It’s a voyage beyond one’s imagination. Lacey has always had issues with trust and love, stemming from the death of her mother. She seems to constantly pick the wrong man. Cole quickly becomes a bad memory when Lacey meets (again?) her true soul mate.

I really don’t want to say much more about the story for fear of ruining it for the reader. Suffice it to say, Lacey goes on a fantastical trip, bringing the reader with her. I will say however, it’s history in the making.

Can I give it ten stars? Most reviews are up to five stars, but it’s not enough for this book. Casi has such amazing talent that I’m breaking the mold and giving her 10 STARS. I absolutely recommend this book!

Reviewed by Starr Gardiner, author of “The Other Side: Melinda’s Story, part of the Other Side series

5.0 out of 5 stars

Time travel romance from debut author

By Katie O’Sullivan on September 10, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

I love time travel novels, especially when they offer something unique. In Beneath the Lake, debut author Casi McLean gives readers a new and interesting twist with a novel that shifts back and forth to give us different perspectives on events through time as they happen “simultaneously.”

The book starts firmly in the present, or so the reader thinks. Lacey Madison Montgomery is an Atlanta lawyer with some pretty big chips on her shoulder when it comes to relationships. The final straw comes when she finds her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with another woman at a benefit ball. She storms off into the night and crashes her car, sliding into the lake and losing consciousness.

She awakens in 1949, in the arms of a handsome stranger who helps her get her bearings and stirs feelings she’d given up on long ago. He also seems to live in a place that no longer exists, having been flooded to create a man-made lake in Lacey’s present, adding to the miscommunications between them. As I mentioned, she has some issues to work through, but 1949 seems to be the perfect time and place for her to slow down and figure out what she wants out of life and love.

Bobby Reynolds is handsome, polite, and his every innocent touch fills Lacey with heat and longing, although the author keeps the storyline PG-13, with sizzling kisses and closed bedroom doors. A WWII veteran, Bobby is the consummate gentleman. It’s obvious to the reader, if not to Lacey, that he soon falls head over heels for this gal from the future.

This is not a fast read, as the chapters zips between present, recent past, and the long ago past that Lacey finds herself stuck in and not wanting to leave. The author also shifts between the first person POV of Lacey’s perspective to third person narrative to give the alternate timelines.

All in all? A different take on a time travel romance that kept me turning pages well into the night. A really interesting story and solid debut novel from a new-to-me author. I recommend this novel and look forward to seeing what Casi McLean writes next!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Casi is very clever as she travels back and forth through time with this love story. As a man reading romance for the…

By Rickey on September 8, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

I had the opportunity to review this book in rough form a few years back. All I can tell you is I read it in two secessions. It draws your attention at first and then without warning you are hooked. Casi is very clever as she travels back and forth through time with this love story. As a man reading romance for the first time, I had big tears in my eyes. Congratulations Miss McLean on having the story published. I cannot wait to see it on the big screen!

5.0 out of 5 stars

This book is such an awesome read! I loved it

By Hilary K. Johnson on September 7, 2015

Format: Paperback

This book is such an awesome read! I loved it, and I don’t normally read time-travel books. A great love story set in the ’40’s full of mystery and passion. Lots of twists and turns. You won’t want to put it down!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Beneath the Lake by Casi McLean

By Jeannie Hall Author on September 5, 2015

Format: Paperback

I received this story as an ARC for an honest review.

I’m very glad I was given this book to review. I’ve never read anything by Casi McLean before, but I definitely will in the future. Beneath the Lake is a time-travel romance with lots of suspense. Though everything happens in and around the same small town, due to the time travel element, the settings feel very different and unique. The love story takes place over the span of 63 years, but the distance of time only serves to ratchet up not just the suspense, but the romance. Though the hero is from 1949 and the heroine is from 2012, their love is believable, deep, and at some points – heart-wrenching.

There were many times that I wasn’t sure how the author would manage to get this couple out of their difficult situation and into a happily ever after, but she pulls it off beautifully. Watch out for this up and coming author – you’ll be glad you did!

5.0 out of 5 stars

And great characters. It is one of those books that…

By Sarah Scott on September 2, 2015

Format: Paperback

This book had something for everyone—suspense, romance, time travel, and great characters. It is one of those books that you think about during the day, and can’t wait to get a chance to pick it up and read more! It had a surprise ending that I thoroughly enjoyed! I would recommend this book to all my friends!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Fascinating read! Full of mystery, suspense, and romance.

By Bee on August 31, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

The story captured and kept my attention from the very beginning. The history of the lake and time travel was fascinating!

5.0 out of 5 stars

It was a great read! I enjoyed the story line of how…

By TF on August 24, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

It was a great read! I enjoyed the story line of how the lake was developed and escaping back to how things “used to be”.

5.0 out of 5 stars

If time slips were possible, this is how they would work

By Michael W. Bradish on August 18, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

Not my normal genre, but very engaging with some really interesting and “in depth” (pun intended) history regarding the formation of Lake Lanier, with great insight to its impact on the residents and businesses whose property it took, whose lives it changed, the turmoil it caused as through perseverance, denial and resistance winners developed and losers fell into place, and by extension how other such projects would have impacted lives.

If time slips were possible, this is how they would work, with gripping confusion, disbelief, and indecision on how to carry on when you don’t know where/when you will wind up and when you are of the 21st century and find yourself not only out of your time, but out of place in a time when the social norms and constructs you know and live place you at odds with your new reality.

5.0 out of 5 stars

If you love time travels you will love this story!

By Roni Adams on August 11, 2015

Format: Paperback

The author has written a time travel with a believable portal. Some time travels are so unbelievable that you can’t enjoy the story but not so in Beneath the Lake. The history of the Lake is fascinating and what happens to the town and its residents is interesting reading. The romance between the hero and heroine starts very naturally and makes the reader believe and root for the couple even S you know one of them has to give up their time period. The author has promised a series and I’m eager to read the next one. The author paints a vivid scene of life in the late 40s, early 50’s, her research was impeccable. If you love time travels this is a. lol you’d enjoy and an author you’ll want to follow.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Read

By Veebee on July 31, 2015

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

This was a great read. I couldn’t put it down.

Katie O’Sullivan Highlight and review of Beneath The Lake.

Beneath the Lake, by Casi McLean

Published August 5, 2015 by The Wild Rose Press

About the Book:

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–34years 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.

My Take:

First, can I gush a little about the cover? LOVE it! Sweet but menacing at the same time. I’m not sure that’s how I picture the hero, but the artist got the heroine so right! Okay, on to the story…

I love time travel novels, especially when they offer something unique. In Beneath the Lake, author Casi McLean gives readers a new and interesting twist with a novel that shifts back and forth to give us different perspectives on events through time as they happen “simultaneously.”

The book starts firmly in the present, or so the reader thinks. Lacey Madison Montgomery is an Atlanta lawyer with some pretty big chips on her shoulder when it comes to relationships. The final straw comes when she finds her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with another woman at a benefit ball. She storms off into the night and crashes her car, sliding into the lake and losing consciousness.

She awakens in 1949

in the arms of a handsome stranger who helps her get her bearings and stirs feelings she’d given up on long ago. He also seems to live in a place that no longer exists, having been flooded to create a man-made lake in Lacey’s present, adding to the miscommunications between them. As I mentioned, she has some issues to work through, but 1949 seems to be the perfect time and place for her to slow down and figure out what she wants out of life and love.

All in all? A different take on a time travel romance that kept me turning pages well into the night. A really interesting story and solid read from a new-to-me author. I recommend this novel and look forward to seeing what Casi McLean writes next!

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. And I honestly loved it.

Grab your copy on AMAZON

Posted by Katie O’Sullivan at 5:00 AM

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Labels: #Review, #romance, #TWRP, Beneath the Lake, Casi McLean, Monday Book Review, time travel fantasy

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

Still Moments

August 9, 2017February 28, 2018
by Casi McLean

Still Moments Magazine’s

Gives

5 Beautiful Stars To

Beneath The Lake

Read the Review

Between The Pages

By Darlene LF

An engaging romantic historical story with a time travel theme. At 398 pages, this is a long story, so don’t expect to read it in one sitting. However, you won’t want to put this book down. The opening captures the attention immediately. The story then switches from past to present, but the author does a great job of maintaining a seamless flow throughout. The characters are very interesting and well-developed, as well as many of the secondary cast of characters, especially Bobby’s sister, Sandy. The emotion of family and community are compelling. Fascinating unexpected twist and turns. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next in the Beneath The Lake Series. This is my first five star read for 2016. I highly recommend this book as a must read! Rating 5 Stars.

Posted by DarleneLF

To view the entire post, please click here.

Don’t Miss The Second Installment Of Lake Lanier Mysteries

Beyond The Mist ~ September 15th Release

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

Travel Back in Time With Hunk-Hero Bobby Reynolds

August 6, 2017February 28, 2018
by Casi McLean

Travel Back in Time To Sidney, GA Before The Construction of

Lake Sidney Lanier…

Original Post on Wild Women Authors

To celebrate my upcoming new release, Beyond The Mist, Book #2 in my Lake Lanier Mysteries, I wanted to bring back a few of my favorite highlights from Book # 1, Beneath The Lake. Casi Head Shot

When the 2012 lawyer tangles with the 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 the mysterious portal before time rips them apart, or their star-crossed spirits will wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake.

AuthTravel Back in Time With Hunk-Hero Bobby Reynolds

This week Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome fellow TWRP author Casi McLean and Bobby Reynolds from Casi’s latest release Beneath The Lake.

First up is Bobby.

Where are you from? I was born and raised in Sidney, GA, a little town north of Atlanta the skeleton of which now rests beneath Lake Sidney Lanier.

Tell us a bit about Beneath The Lake. I’ve never been a romantic, but when destiny opens a door, you’d be a fool not to walk through it. My sister, Sandy, swears Lacey and I were meant to be, like soul mates, and that fate would draw us together across space and time even if love had to thrust Lacey backwards thirty-four years before she was born to find me. I don’t know about all of that stuff, but I do know that once I held Lacey in my arms, gazed into her emerald eyes, I was mesmerized. I knew I could never let her go. Beneath The Lake is our story; it’s a gripping tale of treacherous bootleggers, twists of fate, a mysterious stalker, star-crossed love and second chances, all in a race against time in a town destined to be erased from the face of the earth.

What did you think the first time you saw Lacey Madison Montgomery?

Drenched in mud, her dress soaking wet and draped around her waist, I can’t say she was a vision of beauty. At first glance, I thought the storm-ravaged woman was dead, but when I pulled the mud-soaked locks from her face, she looked like an angel––bruised, cut, and filthy, but an angel nonetheless.

That is so sweet. What was your second thought? Ornery, stubborn, determined, and fascinating, Lacey stole my heart, like no woman I’ve ever known.

That’s better. Did you feel it was love at first sight? I’ve never thought much about love at first sight, but I guess that’s what happened between us. We certainly had a connection.

What do you like most about her? Her determination and tenacity stands out the most. She’d say fate brought me a strong woman from the future to get my attention.

A determined tenacious woman brought to you by fate. Very cool. Let’s get to the nitty gritty. How would you describe Lacey? Beautiful, sensual, sexy as hell, but most of all, she has guts, compassion and integrity.

Perfect. How would she describe you? Ha, that depends on what I was up to before you ask her. In truth, she has the crazy idea that I’m perfect.

What made you choose architecture as a career? I think I was a born architect. From ABC block towers to tree houses to the homes I built for Sandy and Lacey. Architectural design is just in my blood.

What is your biggest fear? You’ll have to read Casi’s book for that one. If I told you, well let’s just say I’ve never known a woman who could keep a secret.

How do you relax? That depends on the year, dear lady. In 1949, working on my car relaxed me, but in 2012 I found a whole lot more I could get into. Lacey relaxes me too, but I understand the details of that may not be acceptable on this venue.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

Ha, ha. That’s an easy question, Kilroy. I suspect he was way before your time, though. Kilroy was an apparition, and a familiar super GI during WWII. He was always the first one to every battle and the last to leave. A simple note, “Kilroy was here” with an identical notorious scribbled cartoon face showed up everywhere like a familiar buddy. We could always depend on the guy. Eventually the message migrated worldwide.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Without a doubt, when my sister, Sandy, said, “Don’t give up on Lacey. She never gave up on you.”

Hey, thanks for the interview on Wild Women Authors. Lacey has had the spotlight a few times, but this was my first interview and I enjoyed being here.

And we enjoyed having you.

Now it’s time to talk with Casi.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer and why? Madeline L’Engle’sWrinkle In Time inspired me in forth grade. From that moment on, time slips intrigued me. But my first romance was with Nick Montgomery, Jude Deveraux’s Knight In Shining Armor. My heroine, Lacey Madison Montgomery, evolved from Nick. Time travel movies usually catch my attention too, from Back To The Future to The Lake Houseto a little known 1979 love story that starred Lindsey Wagner, The Two Lives Of Jennie Logan. If you haven’t seen it, pick up a copy. It will touch your heart.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I definitely pulled my dysfunctional past relationships into Lace, and some of her broken past. The internal conflict of Bobby and Lacey both came from my past as well. They worked through their issues quite a bit faster than I did, though.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I met The Wild Rose Press owner, Rhonda Penders, at a Georgia Romance Writer’s Moonlight and Magnolia Conference. When I pitched Beneath The Lake to Rhonda, her eyes lit up. The first words from her mouth were: “I want to publish that book, and if you don’t choose The Wild Rose Press, I still really want to read it.” She loves time travel. I was thrilled and inspired. Rhonda and I connected that day and I spoke to her multiple times over the weekend. I received several offers to publish my novel through that conference, but no one impressed me like Rhonda. My experience with The Wild Rose Press has been amazing too. The support, encouragement, and inspiration from the staff and other authors in the group is remarkable.

What project[s] are you working on now? Beneath The Lake is the first book in a three book series with the same title. I’m currently working on book two, Beyond The Mist, and book three, Between The Shadows. I recently bought the rights for my Memoir, Wingless Butterfly, back from the original publisher and I’m polishing that for re-release this year. I have about 6 WIP right now. LOL.

What’s up next for you? We just purchased a home on the north shores of Lake Lanier and who knows what my muse may find lurking beyond the Lake.

To purchase Beneath The Lake, go to:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Lake-Casi-McLean-ebook/dp/B010VXM9I6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449585742&sr=1-1&keywords=casi+mclean

Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beneath-the-lake-casi-mclean/1122237302?ean=2940151140089

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/beneath-the-lake-2

Publisher:http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_177_139&products_id=6335

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/beneath-the-lake/id1019214395?mt=11

To learn more about Casi McLean, go to:

Website: casimclean.com

Blog: casimclean.com/fun4fans

Twitter: @casimclean

Facebook: Casi McLean

FB Author Page: Casi McLean-Author

Goodreads: Casi McLean

Pinterest: Casi Mc Lean

Google+:Casi McLean

Amazon Author Page: Casi McLean

Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 5:32 AM
So how do you feel about your first interview, Bobby?
Casi, I’m impressed with these wild woman. Lacy has my heart, but I have to admit the women in the 21 century … how do you say it?? Oh yes, they Rock.
I agree, Bobby. Thank you for having us on your wonderful blog today ladies!
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RE MullinsMarch 21, 2016 at 5:40 AM
Now this is an out of the ordinary premise – both fun and intriguing. Best of luck.
REMullins
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 5:57 AM
Thank you!!! So happy you stopped by!
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Barbara BettisMarch 21, 2016 at 7:58 AM
There is a submerged town just over the state border from me, Casi. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of that. Love the sound of your book. I’ve absolutely got to move it up on my Kindle!
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 8:53 AM
You’ll have to go visit it and take notes. There’s so much inspiration lurking in the whispers of a ghost town! Let me know when you read Beneath The Lake 🙂
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Laura StricklandMarch 21, 2016 at 8:08 AM
Such an amazing idea for a story! It really hooks the potential reader–you’ve got me wondering how on earth all that can ever work out! Best of luck with the book.
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 8:54 AM
Thank you so much, Laura!
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M. S. SpencerMarch 21, 2016 at 11:09 AM
Very intriguing story line, Casi. I’m looking forward to reading it. The drought in CA and Mexico have uncovered several ghost towns and a 16th-century Spanish church-Settings for more stories? Meredith
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:06 PM
Wow! That’s what happened at Lake Lanier near too. Looper speedway was uncovered in a major drought a few years ago. It was so cool to see ruins of the ghost town and it truly inspired my story. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.
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Pamela S ThibodeauxMarch 21, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Love these character interviews! Sounds like another great story.
Good luck and God’s blessings
PamT
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:07 PM
Thank you, Pam. I hope you get a chance to read Beneath The Lake. 😊
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Tena StetlerMarch 21, 2016 at 1:38 PM
Busy girl, you are Casi. Enjoyed the interview and love the premise of your story. It’s on my ipad waiting to be read. Seems the more you write, the less you read. But I have time set aside as soon as I finish the WIP due end of March.
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:08 PM
That’s very true. I can’t wait to get settled in my new home so I can take a few months and finish several books I’m working on. Thanks so much for stopping bye .
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NightingaleMarch 21, 2016 at 2:08 PM
Another great post and interview and fab book form TWRP. Much enjoyed!! Linda
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:10 PM
Linda, thank you for stopping by. This was such a fun interview to do. I absolutely loved Bobby’s point of view!
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MJ SchillerMarch 21, 2016 at 2:43 PM
I love the concept of this story, and it was nice hearing from the hero. Dude, I’ve got to read that Jude Deveraux book. Everybody and their dog says that’s their favorite book. I think I have it on my Kindle. Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Casi!
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:14 PM
MJ, so nice of you to stop by. That’s funny. I fell in love with romance books when I read Knight in Shining Armor. And I had so much fun with this interview. I’ve done interviews with Lacey, my heroin, but this is the first one with my hero 😊
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Susan CoryellMarch 21, 2016 at 3:55 PM
Chills down the spine! I live on a lake and it’s deep, cold, dark and mysterious. The idea of a world beneath? Well, you got me with that one! Best of luck to you.
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:16 PM
I’m so glad I piqued your interest, Susan. So nice of you to stop by. I hope you pick up a copy of Beneath The Lake… And when you do I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for taking a few moments out of your busy day to stop by and leave a comment. 😊
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Alicia DeanMarch 21, 2016 at 4:10 PM
Yes, chills indeed! Great excerpt. Sounds like a fantastic read!
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:20 PM
Hey Alicia, so nice of you to stop by! That’s high praise coming from such a terrific editor. 😊 I’d love for you to read my book!
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Diane GarnerMarch 21, 2016 at 4:11 PM
What a fun interview! The whole story sounds fabulous!
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Casi McLeanMarch 21, 2016 at 6:21 PM
Thank you so much, Diane. I hope you get a chance to read my story and I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
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Abigail OwenMarch 22, 2016 at 2:05 PM
Great interview and really fun story idea! Congrats!!!
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Casi McLeanMarch 23, 2016 at 6:06 AM
Thanks so much, Abigail. So glad you stopped by!
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Lake Lanier Mysteries

What Inspired Beneath The Lake?

July 30, 2017February 28, 2018
by Casi McLean

What Inspired Beneath The Lake

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 sparked 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.

What Inspired Beneath The Lake? — A portion of the grandstands of Gaineville Speedway, once submerged under Lake Lanier

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.

The birth of Lacey Montgomery evolved through my young adult love for Jude Deveraux’s A Knight In Shining Armor, a time-slip novel of course, and her endearing Montgomery family, with the hope my writing honors her inspiration. The character Lacey’s persona, inspired by my high school friend, Hilary Johnson, slipped perfectly into position. A lawyer, discouraged with defending criminals, yearned to help honest people in trouble, and some of her finer qualities naturally became part of Lacey––but the dysfunctional relationships came from my own personal experiences.

Once these elements entwined…

Beneath The Lake blossomed with an energy and life of its own.

Watch For Book 2 of Lake Lanier Mysteries Series

Beyond The Mist, scheduled for release in September 2017, picks up where the first story ends incorporating two minor characters as the new hero and heroine.

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?

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

Interview With Lacey Montgomery

July 24, 2017February 28, 2018
by Casi McLean

An Interview With Lacey Montgomery

Peggy Jaeger interviewed the herione of Beneath The Lake and as the author, it was an exciting day for me because I got to engage with two amazing women: author and fellow Wild Rose Press sistah Peggy Jaeger, and an interview with Lacey Montgomery, a woman created deep within my muse. BENEATH THE LAKE is the first novel in my Lake Lanier Mysteries Series.

Book Two, Beyond The Mist is scheduled for release in a few weeks. A stand-alone romantic suspense inin its own rite, Beyond The Mist will include a few favorite characters from the original saga, including Lacey. The time slip element again triggers a fateful journey, but this time a new dynamic duo face the terrorism America felt on September 11, 2011. If you haven’t read Beneath The Lake, I’d love to share how the whole saga began. So I included links above to the Amazon page and my publisher’s sales page.

But today is Lacey’s day to shine, so join us for our brief interview:

Lacey: Good morning, Peggy. Thank you so much for your interest in my story. I never would have believed the stream of events if I hadn’t lived through them. I mean the concept of a time slip is intriguing, but I never dreamed the idea held merit beyond books and movies.

Peggy: I agree, but when I heard what happened to you, I felt compelled to share your story with our readers. Let’s begin by telling us a little about yourself and what led to your amazing experience.

Lacey: Well, I’m a lawyer so, under normal circumstances, I’m not prone to fantasizing or hallucinations, but when you walk in on your boyfriend in a lustful tryst with another woman, a momentary lapse in judgment is totally reasonable.

After dumping a vase of narcissus over both of them I took off, not even thinking about the twisting mountain roads or torrential rain. When my car slid out of control I hurtled into the lake. In hindsight, I could have handled the situation with a little less emotion. The accident was on me. But what happened afterwards would freak out anyone.

It sounds like you had a rough evening…

Peggy: but every woman dreams of meeting her soul mate. If you could relive the night, would you react differently?

Lacey: That’s the thing. I wouldn’t. Sometimes events you believe are the worst that can happen, turn out to be the pivotal moments in your life. When the whirlpool thrust me into the murky depths, I was sure I was dead. Even if I had the strength to fight against the swirling current, the water was pitch black and my lungs ached for oxygen.

The next thing I knew, this angel—an angel dressed in jeans and a tight, white T-shirt—was carrying me, soothing me. Was I dreaming, or had I died and gone to heaven?

It took me a while to figure out where I was…or should I say when I was. But I’m living proof that traveling through time is possible. A portal at the bottom of the lake sucked me back in time to 1949, thirty-four years before I was born.

Peggy: I can’t imagine. Weren’t you scared? I’d probably be ready for the men in white coats to haul me away.

I was terrified, at first.

Lacey: And yet, from the first moment I opened my eyes in Bobby Reynolds’ arms, he made me feel safe. He sparked something inside of me I’d never felt before. Of course, my record with men was less than stellar, but as hard as I tried to fight the connection, my heart melted every time we were together. I knew I found the man of my dreams, but the crack in time didn’t get the memo. The gateway had its own agenda.

Peggy: So what happened? Did you end up with the love of your life?

Lacey: Let’s just say after evading treacherous bootleggers, a creepy stalker and a ceaseless search for the key to the portal, we found a happy ending. But if you want to know how and the details of what happened, you’ll have to read Beneath The Lake. I’d sacrifice anything for Bobby and he’d do the same for me. But the future isn’t always in your control.

A note from Casi

Perhaps the existence of a crack in time might be difficult for some to believe, but there’s a hidden cove just north of Atlanta on the northern shore of Lake Lanier where the spirit of a ghost town blossoms and two star-crossed lovers guard the portal that entwined their souls forever beneath the lake.

*** Please take a moment and watch Lacey’s book trailer:

Blurb:

I hope you enjoyed our interview with Lacey Montgomery

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.

Chapter 1

June 2012, one year later at an extravagant clubhouse in Lake Lanier, Georgia

June 9th began like any ordinary day, but for me, nothing would ever be ordinary again. In hindsight, I could see that the rainy night wasn’t the catalyst for my twist of fate. The storm was more like a vortex with currents reaching out beyond imagination. Within twenty-four hours I would lose my ability to distinguish dreams from reality…

Buy Links: Amazon //B&N // Kobo // Publisher // ibooks //

About Casi:

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.

Find Casi McLean here:

Website://Twitter:// FB Author Page:// Goodreads: // Pinterest: // Google+: //Amazon Author Page:

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

What Lies Beneath

July 16, 2017December 26, 2018
by Casi McLean

Mystery, Unexplained Disappearances, and Ghosts lurk beneath the surface of ATLANTA’S LAKE LANIER

Part Three

If you missed part one and two of this series about the mystery and strange phenomenon in Atlanta’s famous man-made Lake Sidney Lanier, you’ll want to go back and read the eerie lore from the beginning. From the moment I first heard about what lies beneath the lake, I knew a fabulous series awaited, begging to be written, and my muse danced.

I can see the lake from my home office and the local lore fascinates me. Homes, churches and businesses still linger beneath the surface. There’s a Lady of the Lake who locals swear haunts the ghost town under Lake Lanier. Swimmers get trapped among the deadfall of sheered-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. What a perfect setting for my romantic time-slip suspense series.

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. Magical Realism, Metaphysical, Destiny or the universe at work, you can’t help but be mesmerized by Lake Lanier’s phenomenon.

So let’s continue with Brent Swancer’s incredible article about Atlanta’s cursed lake.

In another mysterious case, a 16-year-old Gainesville High School student by the name of Hannah Truelove

..went missing from an apartment complex near Lake Lanier where she lived with her mother on the morning of Aug. 24, 2012. The following day, Hannah’s body was found in a wooded area by the lakeside by another resident of the apartment complex. The girl had been stabbed multiple times, yet it was unclear if the wounds were life threatening and the actual cause of death remained elusive, although authorities were able to rule out drowning. Making the case even creepier was a series of tweets Hannah had made on Twitter shortly before her death that expressed general discontent with her life at the apartment complex and her fear of a stalker, with one chilling tweet allegedly stating “So scared right now.”

Hannah’s father would later claim that his daughter had made no mention of being under any duress and had not seemed any different or more upset than usual in the days leading up to her disappearance and death. Authorities were never able to glean any insights or information from the tweets, and indeed no leads would ever come up and no suspects were ever apprehended in the case, despite a major investigation and exhaustive interviews with neighbors and nearby residents, none of whom had seen or heard anything suspicious on the day in question, as well as continuous pleas for any information pertaining to the case. Hannah Truelove’s death remains a mystery.

One of the most notorious deaths associated with Lake Lanier

..is also the source of one of its alleged ghostly mysteries. In April of 1958, a young woman who worked at Riverside Military Academy, Delia Parker Young, and her friend, Susie Roberts, headed off to Three Gables in Dawsonville in Susie’s 1954 Ford for a night out.

They would never return. A subsequent investigation into their disappearance discovered that they had visited a gas station that night and left without paying. The only clue left at the scene was a set of skid marks across the road which seemed to suggest that the car had skidded off of Lanier Bridge on Dawsonville Highway and into the lake below, yet no vehicle could be found. Divers who were brought in to search for the car were unable to locate it due to poor visibility in the murky water and the masses of sheared off tree trunks that litter the lake’s bottom

For 18 months, police were unable to find

..any further clues and no trace of the missing women or the car, but then a fisherman named C.A. Simpson made a gruesome discovery when the decomposed body of what was thought to be that of Delia Parker Young suddenly floated up out of the depths.

Oddly, the corpse, which could not be completely positively identified at the time, was missing two toes from the left foot and both hands. It was never ascertained just why the body was missing its hands and toes or what the cause of death had been. With no way of knowing if the corpse was that of Delia, it was eventually buried in an unmarked grave in in Alta Vista Cemetery. The body of Susie Roberts and the car remained missing, despite repeated searches.

The mystery would baffle authorities for decades until November of 1990, when construction on an expansion of Lanier Bridge was under way. As construction crews were dredging the bottom of the lake in order to set up pillars for the expansion, they uncovered a rusted out hulk of a 1954 Ford which held within it the remains of a human body. The car had been hidden within tree trunks, mud, and other detritus in 90 feet of water on a steep slope.

The body was decomposed to the point of being unidentifiable

..but the belongings found on it, including a purse, rings, and watch were able to conclusively prove that the body was that of the long missing Susie Roberts. In light of this discovery, it was concluded that the other body had indeed been Delia Parker Young, the headstone was changed accordingly, and Susie Roberts was buried beside her. Interestingly, although the deaths of Delia Parker Young and Susie Roberts is an old, mostly forgotten case, it has spawned one of the area’s most persistent and frightening local legends.

It is said that a ghostly young woman dressed in a blue dress and missing her hands can sometimes be seen walking up and down the length of Lanier Bridge, and is said to be the ghost of Delia Parker Young, since she had been dressed in a blue dress on the night of her death and her body had been found minus hands. According to those who claim to have seen the ghost, which has since become known as The Lady of the Lake, Delia’s restless spirit seems to be searching for her missing hands.

Looper Speedway, swallowed by Lake Sidney Lanier, resurfaced in a recent drought.

The reports of mysterious forces pulling swimmers underwater or causing boats to capsize…

and the Lady of the Lake are not the only cases of potentially paranormal happenings on Lake Lanier. There have been occasional reports of a mysterious raft equipped with a lantern on a pole, ridden by a shadowy figure that uses a pole to push it along, and which allegedly appears and disappears out of nowhere. In one particularly harrowing account, two fishermen saw the ghostly raft while out on the lake fishing in a rowboat on one cold autumn night at around 1 AM in the morning.

In this case the mysterious raft was around half a mile away and in an estimated 45 feet of water, yet the rider was bizarrely pushing it along with a pole nevertheless. At one point this enigmatic figure shouted something to the two fishermen and proceeded to jump off of the raft into freezing water to swim towards them.

This alarmed the two fishermen, who pulled in their lines and were in a hurry to get out of there, thinking it was perhaps someone meaning to do them harm. It was at this point that the lantern on the raft abruptly went out. When the fishermen shone their boat’s spotlight out across the water they could find no sign of the raft or the mysterious occupant who had jumped into the water. The black surface of the lake remained calm and the raft would not appear again.

Ghosts, freak accidents, and mysterious murders

are also not the only weird things apparently going on at Lake Lanier. Local fishermen have long insisted that there are gigantic catfish in the lake which reportedly reach sizes of 5 to 7 feet long and are said to swallow dogs that get to close to the water and even attack swimmers and divers. These giant catfish are said to be particularly attracted to the deep waters below Buford Dam, and there are various accounts from divers working in the area to examine the dam or fix bridges who have seen the huge fish for themselves, which were scary enough to supposedly make some of the divers refuse to go back into the water there ever again.

One of the most popular local tales concerning the alleged giant catfish of Lake Lanier concerns a truck carrying live chickens, which supposedly hurtled off of the Thompson Bridge in the 1980s and sank to the bottom along with its cargo. Divers were then sent in to examine the wreckage and to their horror found catfish “the size of 12-year-old boys” gathered about the sunken truck and engaged in a ravenous feeding frenzy swallowing the chickens whole.

Other stories have described fishermen hooking into the enormous fish and having their boats towed around the lake. It is unclear whether these reports of giant catfish in Lake Lanier are true, exaggerations, or pure urban legend, but it is certainly enough to give one pause before getting into the water here.

With its history of abundant accidents and drownings, mysterious deaths, ghostly phenomena, and colossal catfish

Lake Lanier certainly has its fair share of strange mysteries. What is going on here? Are the accidents merely the results of the dangers inherit to a place where many people are gathering and drinking, or is the lake truly cursed? Are the deaths just regular crimes or is there something more at work? Are the ghosts and giant catfish just spooky local lore, tall tales, and superstition, or is there more to it than that? Whatever answers may lie behind these various mysteries, they are certainly strange, and it is hard to look at Georgia’s largest lake without wondering what they may be.

Source: Brent Swancer: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/swancer-brent/73865

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Lake Lanier Mysteries

Freak Accidents And Drownings Plague Atlanta’s Lake Lanier

July 10, 2017December 26, 2018
by Casi McLean

MYSTERY AND STRANGE PHENOMENON IN ATLANTA’S LAKE LANIER

Part Two

Freak accidents and strange disappearances: A rather eerie history and spooky presence of whole underwater ghost towns, derelict ghost ships, and desecrated cemeteries, are far from the only strange things about Lake Lanier, and indeed it has accrued a rather sinister reputation for drawing death and suffering to itself. Over the years, there have been an inordinate amount of deaths associated with the lake, ranging from boating accidents, drownings, and even a fair number of drivers who have lost control of their vehicles to go careening off of roads to crash into the water. There are various stories of boats hitting something in the water only for it to turn out there was nothing there, boats or other watercraft capsizing for no apparent reason, and sudden, dangerous rogue waves that seem to come from nowhere without warning to maraud across the surface.

Many of the drowning cases are somewhat odd in that they have happened very close to shore with strong swimmers and in calm conditions, which considering the history of the lake have given rise to rumors that Lake Lanier is somehow haunted or cursed. Some who have almost drowned here and lived to tell the tale have told of feeling as if they were being pulled underwater or held under by unseen hands, or of having the air suddenly seem to leave their lungs and cause exhaustion with startling suddenness.

In some of the cases, people who drowned fairly close to shore have had their bodies turn up in positions far from where they died, which is probably due to currents but when mixed with spooky rumors becomes a case of ghostly forces dragging corpses through the water before discarding them.

In 2011, this menacing reputation for accidents and deaths began to get more public attention…

When there were a total of 17 deaths on Lake Lanier, many due to freak accidents. In 2012 the trend continued when a quick succession of violent deaths and horrific injuries occurred here which made national news. The first of this wave of deaths happened on June 18, 2012, when 9-year-old Jake Prince and his brother Griffin, 13, were riding a pontoon out on the lake and were struck and killed by a speeding boat driven by a Johns Creek business owner named Paul J Bennett, 44.

Mere weeks after this tragic accident, on July 9, 11-year-old Kile Glover, who happened to be the son of the popular pop star Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Foster, was struck while riding an inner tube by a family acquaintance riding a jet ski and rendered braindead. Although doctors struggled to save his life, he died two weeks later on July 21 and was taken off life support. A 15-year old friend of the boy’s was also seriously injured in the same incident, but ultimately recovered.

These tragic accidents took the media by storm and before long Lake Lanier was being deemed “cursed” and “a death trap” by the news and social media sites such as Twitter, with many people insisting that it was an evil, vile place that was best avoided. While these were perhaps the most high profile deaths to occur on Lake Lanier these sorts of accidents and drownings have been happening with unsettling frequency since the lake was first opened to the public.

While a lot of people have been quick to call the lake cursed…

One of the more likely reasons for these incidents is probably due to the area’s rapid rise as a popular place to visit. Besides being a water source and hydroelectric plant for Atlanta and the surrounding areas, from around 1962, Lake Lanier has become a popular recreational area complete with hotels, full-service boating marinas, restaurants, campgrounds, stables, beaches, a golf course, and even a full water park.

People of all ages come here for boating, swimming, fishing, camping, and other outdoor activities, to the tune of around 8 million visitors a year. Adding to the dangers already inherent with so many droves of people converging on the lake, often with a good amount of alcohol involved, there are also very few regulations for operating boats or motorized water craft and those that are in place are weakly enforced.

With so many people driving around in boats and swimming, in many cases under the influence of alcohol, there are bound to be quite a few accidents. Yet nevertheless, there are still those who insist that even considering these circumstances the number of deaths, weird accidents, and injuries at Lake Lanier is unusually high, and believe the lake is truly cursed, haunted, or both.

In addition to the myriad deaths…

freak accidents, and drownings that constantly plague the area, Lake Lanier has been the location for more bizarre and mysterious deaths and disappearances that still remain unsolved. One such case revolves around a Georgia man by the name of Kelly Nash, 25, who went missing from his home in Buford, Georgia, on January 5, 2015. Early that morning at 4AM, Nash awoke with flu-like symptoms such as coughing and sneezing, and told his girlfriend Jessica Sexton, who was with him at the time, that he felt terrible and should probably see a doctor before going back to bed. Sexton then woke up again at 7:30 AM to find that Nash was gone and had not taken his wallet, car keys or ID with him.

When Nash still had not returned that evening, police were called in and it was discovered that a 9mm pistol was missing from the house but none of Nash’s other belongings were missing or out of place. A massive search would subsequently be launched for Nash, involving authorities, family and friends, and dogs specially trained to sniff out dead bodies, and a $50,000 reward was offered for any information, yet no trace of the man or his whereabouts were found.

It was not until one month after his strange disappearance…

on February 8 that Nash’s badly decomposed body was found in Lake Lanier by a fisherman. Nash was still wearing the pajama pants and dark shirt that he’d had on when he went missing, and although the body appeared to have no major trauma, it was found that he had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. The crime has never been solved and it is unclear why he chose to go out in the middle of the night in his sleeping clothes, how he ended up at the lake, and whether he committed suicide, if there was foul play involved, or if the lake’s alleged curse had anything to do with it.

But Nash’s death wasn’t the last of the freak accidents and strange phenomenon attached to Atlanta’s Lake Lanier.

Click for part three …

Source: Brent Swancer: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/swancer-brent/73865

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