1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
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.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I hope this isn’t too weird. It was my first experience with Past Life Regression (PLR). I’ve always had this inexplicable (slightly weird) fascination with Ireland. As long as I remember, I’ve longed for Ireland, even before I knew what that misty emerald place in my dreams was called or why Celtic art and music touched something deep within my soul. Still, as an adult, I approached PLR with an entirely open mind and a sincere intent to meet and experience whatever it would bring. The outcome was startling—a vivid encounter with colors, sounds, smells, textures, even temperature, and my visceral knowledge and feelings that went beyond the immediate. It was a highly charged situation, happening to someone who didn’t look like me, yet was undeniably me, with my entire family present and everything at stake. I tried several times to go back but, sadly, never could. So for several years, I wrote the continuation in my head, until one day, it became so vast and detailed, I could no longer contain it. Chapter Four of my book is an almost precise account of my PLR experience.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Because my story is told in dual timeline—and is also romance at its core—I have two pairs of protagonists. One is a modern couple, and the other is a medieval one. While there are undeniable parallels, each character brings something unique to the table. I would love to hang out with each of them, but if I had to choose, it would be my modern-day heroine. On the surface, she is a girl next door. But underneath her modern exterior is an old soul with a complicated past life (or four), who discovers inner strength as she embarks on a transformational journey to fulfill her terrifying ancient vow. As a result, she sets herself free of demons that were never hers.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Courageous. Passionate. Real.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
My biggest takeaway is that, apparently, I enjoy writing dark, broody stories fraught with all sorts of peril. But it’s precisely the peril, and consequently, the tough choices, that reveal a character’s true personality and result in their growth. Having said this, a happy ending is a must for me, or it’s all for naught.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
My process is similar to stone carving. I start with a rough draft, which is mostly me telling the story to myself, then carve away at imperfections until each sentence is as authentic and honest as can be and flows effortlessly into the next. I work slowly through each scene, returning to it over and over again until it’s as multi-dimensional, nuanced, and complex as can be. Once I’ve written the entire book, I go back and edit ad nauseum.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I’m a huge tea drinker. It’s the answer to all problems. Felling happy? A cup of freshly brewed tea. Kids fighting? A large mug with a generous pour of whiskey. Hours of work lost in a computer crash? A lowball of whiskey with a generous pour of tea.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
My favorite place to write is on my screened porch. It’s a peaceful hideout that overlooks a pond lined with river birches, pines, and magnolias. The only sounds are the birdsong, an occasional humming of tires in the distance, and the soft snoring of my miniature schnoodle, Fiona, who likes to curl up beside me. When it’s too cold or hot outside, I write in my office, which is nothing special except that it’s cozy and filled with all my favorite books and several pretty plants. And Fiona’s beloved faux fur blanket.
10–Who is an author you admire?
I can’t choose. Donna Tartt for her unrivaled art of storytelling that’s somehow at once deeply relatable, completely enigmatic, painfully raw, and stunningly poetic. Charles Dickens for his mind-blowing talent of creating unforgettable characters who live and breathe on the pages. Diana Gabaldon for her unparalleled ability to tell a spellbinding story that breaks through the boundaries of genre and forever captures imagination.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch.” I was blown away by the sheer power of language and how Tartt’s candid, genuine style masterfully tapped into every emotion and brought it to the surface, sometimes raw and bleeding, sometimes pure and shining. I kept rereading sentences and scenes, trying to uncover the secret ingredient to this magic. (It is one hundred percent magic.) It set the standard for me. This is how books should be written.
P.S. Please don’t watch the movie. Ever.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Agent rejections pouring in, I participated in a twitter pitch event (for the heck of it) and received a heart from my now-publisher. It was so unexpected, I almost missed it. I thought it was a random like. Then, they sent me an email, and I realized, “OH MY GOOODNESS, a real publisher has reached out to me and asked to read my pages!!!”
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
There are very few genres I don’t enjoy, but my favorite is literary fiction. I’m in love with words.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
This is a little embarrassing. I could watch “Ghost” my whole life and never tire of it. It has everything: love, jealousy, betrayal, comedy, tragedy, the supernatural. And the scene set to “Unchained Melody” gets me every time.
15–What is your favorite season?
It’s a tie between autumn and spring. It’s hard to choose between the splendor of the changing leaves, cooler evenings, and introspection versus the thrill of the awakening world, fresh blooms, and new hope and optimism.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
The three ingredients for my ideal birthday are being surrounded by close family and friends, sharing delicious food, and enjoying easy, flowing conversation. I’m also a huge sucker for cards and presents.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
This is recent-ish, but “The Lost Queen” by Signe Pike blew my socks off. It’s a brilliantly written story that plunges the reader into the fascinating world of Celtic myth and antiquity from the first pages. Deeply researched, masterfully rendered, it’s a true labor of love. After listening via Audible, I had to buy the hardcover for my bookshelf, which I rarely do.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love authentic, homemade Southern cooking. There is nothing yummier than slow-cooked brisket that bursts with flavor, creamed corn that melts in your mouth, scrumptious pecan pie, and ice-cold sweet tea with a hint of peach to wash it all down.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Write and read LOL. I’ve been accused of falling into daydreams, but if I’m not writing or reading, I’m churning a story over in my head. I suppose my accusers are right.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
Through the Veneer of Time is the first book in a trilogy. I recently finished the first draft of the second book and have started working on the third. Because my characters have several past lives, I’m also working on three standalone prequels. One is a historical enemies-to-lovers romance of a Viking raider and an Irish clanswoman. The other two are retellings of beautiful Celtic myths.
THROUGH THE VENEER OF TIME by Vera Bell
While Siena’s FBI husband is hunting the D.C. serial killer, she is haunted by past life visions of love and prominence in sixteenth-century Ireland. Luckily, the visions help her land a medieval mural commission at the National Gallery of Art. Unluckily, her vivid depiction of the past exposes her to someone she has met before—the serial killer, reborn in this century just like her.
When a vicious attack from the past reverberates into the present, Siena’s life unravels in a chilling parallel. Silenced and alone, she discovers the true reason for her visions. They’re not the creative inspiration they seemed, but a harbinger of her ancient revenge vow, and the killer can’t be stopped until she fulfills it. But there is another person from the past with unfinished business—her husband. And another unwelcome déjà vu—their crumbling marriage, once again precipitated by the serial killer’s crime.
Romance Suspense | Science Fiction Alternate History [Champagne Books, On Sale: April 10, 2023, e-Book, / eISBN: 2940167083776]
Buy THROUGH THE VENEER OF TIME: Kindle | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Vera Bell
Vera Bell is the author of the time-travel romance trilogy Always & Forever, set in sixteenth-century Ireland and present-day United States. Book One, Through the Veneer of Time, is her debut novel. Besides being a writer, she is a wife to her high-school sweetheart, a mother to two teenagers and one fur baby, a former commercial artist and boutique owner, and a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Romance Writers of America. Her favorite place to write is on her porch, overlooking a pond lined with river birches and magnolias. The topics she never tires of are Ireland, past lives, and love that transcends time and space.
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