Will you defy your past or be consumed by it?
Beneath the
Shadow of Time
Always and
Forever Book 3
by Vera Bell
Genre
Time Travel Romantic Suspense, Historical Mystery
In this riveting conclusion to the Always and Forever trilogy, Ryan's classified new case awakens Siena's greatest fears. As shadows of the past deepen and close in, only Ryan’s fulfillment of his ancient sacred vow can dispel them.
1566, ULSTER, IRELAND.
Neave lives in fear as Queen Elizabeth’s obscene bounty on Aedan’s head turns him into a target. Undeterred, Aedan enlists his allies, the Antrim Scots, in his relentless fight to free Ireland from English rule.
But when greed and treachery hide in plain sight, nothing is as it seems.
After Aedan’s plans crumble in a shocking twist, he makes a solemn oath to heartbroken Neave—one he may have to honor in another lifetime.
Will Ryan uphold his vow to Siena, or are they destined for disaster... again?
If you love time travel romance with elements of reincarnation, suspense, mystery, drama, and a touch of magic, don't miss the grand finale of the Always and Forever trilogy!
Q: What inspired you to write Through the Veneer of Time?
- A: My experience with Past Life Regression (PLR) felt like time travel—vivid and intense, filled with an explosion of colors, sounds, smells, and textures. Though my session ended abruptly and left the story incomplete, it profoundly impacted me and sparked this blend of Irish time travel romance, historical suspense, and FBI mystery.Q: What can readers expect from your novel?A: The plot bridges past and present, weaving a suspenseful love story with a dark historical thriller. Readers will encounter danger, love that transcends time and space, and a heroine who must confront her past life and buried secrets to reclaim her future.Q: How do you approach writing such multi-genre stories?A: For me, writing is like carving stone. I start with a rough draft, then refine each scene, layering in emotions, historical details, and suspense. I often listen to music when I write. It helps me connect with my characters, especially during dark or emotionally charged moments.Q: What was the hardest part of writing this book?A: Writing the serial killer's perspective meant exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche. Balancing themes of trauma and redemption for my heroine was equally challenging, especially in one unconventional scene where the hero must make a morally gray choice to save her. It took months to perfect.Q: Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?A: At its heart, Through the Veneer of Time celebrates love, honor, and resilience. It asks how far a man will go to save the woman he loves and what his wedding vow means when tested—to love in sickness as well as in health. The story explores how a couple can overcome physical and psychological obstacles together, complementing each other's strengths. Ultimately, it's a reminder that love has the power to conquer all.
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BENEATH THE SHADOW OF TIME
Book 3, Always and Forever Trilogy
By Vera Bell
Excerpt
I straightened, forcing down the unbearable tremors that rippled through me like a quake. Ryan was working on an emergency. He’d call me soon, tired and apologetic. And alive. Sorry, love, I couldn’t use my phone where I was. Heading home now.
My brain wrapped in a thick, cold fog, I opened a search engine and typed, “Miami FBI headquarters phone number.” Then, struck by a sudden morbid idea, I ended the call before it went through, tapped on the news, and typed, “Miami FBI.”
The doorbell rang, and Guinness erupted in a deafening clamor of barking and snarling. An adrenaline-fueled rush of a wild, dying hope, mixed with the terror of foreknowledge, carried me to the door through the gunfire of no’s in my head.
Ryan would have used his key. Guinness wouldn’t have snarled. My vision blurred and dimmed as I opened the door to find Emma and Jason standing outside, their faces two pale, immobile masks.
In a sickening flash of memory, the skull grinned at me with its eternal frozen rictus of a corpse. And all around it—wake attendants draped in black, and me in my indecent widow’s gown, and black lace and feathers to mask my horror.
I backed away from Emma and Jason—back into the apartment where only moments ago, I still had hope. I kept moving backward until I came up against something hard.
Guinness—wistful brown eyes fixed on me—followed me in.
“No.” I pierced the flesh of my palms with my fingernails. “No.”
“Sie.” Emma approached very slowly, like I was a ticking bomb. Gently, she wrapped her arms around me. Pulled me close. “Let’s sit somewhere, sweetie. Let’s sit down.”
“No,” I said. “No.”
She walked me to the bedroom, away from the living room where Austin was watching his gaudy cartoons, the actors’ penetrating voices ringing throughout the apartment.
Ha, ha, ha! Let’s see what’s behind this door!
What if it’s a monster? I’m scared!
Look, it’s only—
Aah!
Emma sat beside me on the bed.
Jason stalled by the door. He was dressed in full fatigues, face covered in muck, hair dripping with sweat.
“Jay,” said Emma.
He stepped inside and scrubbed a sleeved forearm across his forehead, smearing the dirt.
I pressed a fist to my mouth. I abhorred the sight of Jason in our bedroom. I hated it more than anything in the world.
Into the Lure
of Time
Always and Forever Book 2
In this gripping sequel to the award-winning novel, Through the Veneer of Time, echoes of Siena’s past life lure her into a shocking indiscretion that threatens to destroy her marriage. She alone can undo the damage, but this chilling revelation is only the beginning of her battle.
"An achingly beautiful story that lingered in my thoughts long after I'd finished the last page."
— Jodi Jensen, Author of Sophie's Key
"Bell had me feeling 'all the feels' as I feverishly turned each page."
— Five Star Review from Reader Views
"Vera's brilliant storytelling comes out in full force again in this exceptional sequel."
— The Bookish Historian Book Reviews
"It's literally taking me a few days to finally come down from the rollercoaster. (I mean that in the best way)."
— Irish Booklover Book Reviews
"BEWARE... this book will leave you with an awful hangover and thinking about it for days long after you've finished."
— Kindle Babe Book Reviews
"Bell's vision is imaginative, sexy, and sweeping. The author offers a distinctive voice for the two time periods and) populates the novel with complex and flawed characters."
— BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
"Not only a satisfying continuation of Siena’s growth process, but a story that simmers with intrigue, passion, historical insights, and thoroughly engrossing revelations."
— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
INTO THE LURE OF TIME
Book 2, Always and Forever Trilogy
By Vera Bell
Excerpt
Everything—the floor, the walls, the air—fell away. Only this parchment in my hand remained.
Chimeric. Foretold.
Somewhere deep down, I knew I stood very still, calm, and mute, my eyes fixed on Aedan’s precise English hand. But I also hovered above, crumbling into bleeding bits. Watching my life’s blood drain out of me and wash the world in crimson, drop by drop by drop—
Kian said something, his voice familiar, ordinary. It cannot be. I shifted my gaze to the broken seal. An English forgery to foment strife. A cruel trickery to break our spirit. But there was yet a paragraph unread—
As I shall be returning soon after you take delivery of this dispatch, I trust that as my loyal subject, you will abide my expressed demand in the proper and expeditious fashion commensurate with the sensitivity of this matter. As well, it is my uttermost wish that you will, hitherto, regard me solely as your rightful ruler, and as such, would not seek my audience in any unseemly or unsuitable manner. Furthermore, shall you find yourself in my presence, I rely on your good sense and proper decorum to act toward me with such deference and regard as befits my rank.
Earl II of Tyrone, Lord Aedan O’Neal
This 5th Day of January, 1565
The hall swayed. The parchment slipped from my fingers. His handwriting. His name. His signature. What forgery?
Kian steadied me with his hands on my shoulders, eyes frozen with horror.
He bent to take the parchment, pinching it between his thumb and index finger like it was something vile to touch. Like it would sully anyone mad enough to lay a hand on it.
“Is…is h-he…dead?”
The dais stood wrapped in saffron and gold, awaiting the O’Neal’s return.
I came back to myself. My eyes burned with salt. My throat chafed with sand. My heart burst into icy, piercing shards. How determined he was to go to London, how callous to slam our chamber door.
Through the
Veneer of Time
Always and
Forever Book 1
For fans of Diana Gabaldon and Susanna Kearsley comes a riveting new tale of time travel and romantic suspense: A haunted painter's past life visions are not the creative inspiration they seemed.
They're a harbinger of her ancient revenge vow, and her FBI husband won't find the serial killer until she fulfills it. But it may already be too late.
1559, ULSTER, IRELAND.
Will Siena and Ryan settle their long-overdue score, or will the past repeat itself in a chilling parallel?
If you love time travel romance with elements of reincarnation, suspense, mystery, fantasy, and a touch of magic, don't miss this thrilling read!
"A true masterpiece. It is a book that once read is impossible to forget."
— Highly Recommended Award of Excellence from The Historical Fiction Company
"The intricate and creative plot is one you will not want to miss. Anxiously awaiting book two."
— Five Star Review from Reader Views
"Vera Bell's novel successfully combines historical fiction, romance, and a contemporary thriller. "
— Historical Novel Society
"Past and present lives collide in Vera Bell's hauntingly beautiful debut. A sexy, sensuous tale."
— Julie McElwain, national award-winning journalist and author of A Murder in Time
"Bell mixes romance, mystery, and history to take the reader on an adventure across centuries."
— BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
"Against the backdrop of love, hate, and a killer’s threat lies the attraction of a thriller’s fast pace and heated twists"
— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
THROUGH THE VENEER OF TIME
Book 1, Always and Forever Trilogy By Vera Bell
Excerpt
His words were a blast that made something inside me snap. Why couldn’t I unlock my eyes from his? Unclench my knees despite an unbearable compulsion to run? I dug my fingernails into my sweaty palms to break the paralysis, drove the graphite shards into my flesh.
“Do you ever wonder what becomes of your characters?” His vacuous smile didn’t reach his eyes. “What comes after your painstaking freeze-frame? Your warrior—” He pointed his chin at the mural. “He’s cocky, but he doesn’t know what he’s riding into. Yet hours from now, he could be lying in some field, stripped of his weapons, bleeding out into the ground as the vultures peck at his baby blues.” His eyes widened. “Leaving his beautiful young widow all alone.”
His impossibly soft voice was a ringing blow in my ears. A tremor braced my throat. I drew a frantic breath against it.
“I’m sorry,” I squeezed out, “I’m not sure I follow.”
“I’m sure you do.” He chuckled. “But don’t look so stricken, Siena Forte. It’s only a painting, a fantasy. Nothing more.”
“Excuse me…” I edged past him, cold all over.
I rushed into the nearest restroom, tossed the broken graphite into the trash can, and locked myself in a stall. I hugged myself. Tight. Tighter. Gasped for air, not drawing any. My vision swam at the edges. Flickering. Fading. My heart thudded, and breath came faster in my chest, choking me.
Fragments of his words whirred around me, and I grasped my head to stop the awful cacophony. But it wouldn’t stop. The image he drew cut like a knife, piercing through something soft and vulnerable inside. Something I’d buried deep down and wished to keep that way. But he’d driven it to the surface and laid it out in the open, raw and exposed.
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