Lake Livingston: August, 1961. Mark Gaitlin is 15, the son of one of the wealthiest men in Texas, and on the most boring summer vacation of his life. His days are filled with the pomp and circumstance of country club life, while his nights are a parade of one embarrassment after another at the hands of giggling teenage girls. But the piney woods above Lake Livingston are dark at night, and hold many secrets for an impressionable youngster on the cusp of becoming a man. And one night, after skinny dipping in the lake with a mysterious local girl, Mark Gaitlin's life takes a crazy turn into the fire and brimstone religion of backwoods snake handlers and abandoned villages haunted by old family secrets. If he can survive the snakes and the ghosts and his own family's dark history, he just might make it out of the woods alive. And something else...he just might become a man.“LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE is just about perfect. A full-blown horror novel boiled down to novella length. It is concise, creepy and compulsively readable. I loved it.” - Bentley Little, author of THE HAUNTED “Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty write with one clear, poignant voice, weaving a narrative as haunting as it is nostalgic." - David Dunwoody, author of DARK ENTITIES “In a singular strong voice, reminiscent of a Stephen King writing at the top of his game, the two Macs develop a compelling coming of age story set in the 60s of hot, humid East Texas. The writing is crisp, the plotting flawless, and there is a relentless undercurrent of unsettling apprehension maintained throughout. Plus...plus, that added grand touch that is guaranteed to scare the pants off every living soul--snakes, lots and lots of clammy, writhing copperheads!” - Gene O'Neill, author of JADE "This story will draw you in just like the Lost Girl draws the story-teller - and like him, you'll be happy to go." - Steve Englehart, author of THE LONG MAN “LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE is an unconventional “coming of age story” as only authors Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty could invent. It is an endearing, evocative saga filled with the familiar as well as the unexpected, infused with wonders of the heart and soul. A tale of dark seduction and innocence, told through a man’s mind, recreated from his boyhood memory. I highly recommend this page turning novella and glimpse into both the past and future with unanswered mysteries lurking in the wings.” - J. R. LaGreca, author of SUBURBAN WEIRD“McKinney and McCarty’s LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE is a haunting coming-of-age story guaranteed to chill readers to the bone.” - Amy Grech, Author of BLANKET OF WHITE“In LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE, McCarty and McKinney have fashioned a vivid family remembrance of youth and days gone by that is both touching and terrifying." - Bruce Boston, author of DARK MATTERS“Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty have spun a wonderful tale with LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE. They are wicked, lyrical and masterful as they paint a colorful picture of decades past and innocence lost. This novella is haunting, mysterious and seductive all at once. These two voices are wonderful and unforgettable. A must read for fans of modern dark fiction.” - Sandy DeLuca, author of MANHATTAN GRIMOIRE“The thoughtful prose of LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE is only surpassed by thebeautifully haunting tale the words tell. The storyline stays with the reader long after the book has been placed on the shelf, lingering like the familiar ghost of an old friend.” - Marcus F. Griffin, author of SLAUGHTER