Last week, I was asked how the idea for the sequel came about. As you may remember, the story takes place across Siena and Ryan's past and present lives in sixteenth-century Gaelic Ireland and present-day Washington, D.C. The medieval timeline is anchored in the events preceding the plantation of Ulster by the English crown and in the life of the legendary Irish hero and Queen Elizabeth's adversary, Shane O'Neill.
In 1563, at the peak of his rule, he arrived at the English court with a guard of deadly gallowglasses and an elusive mission.
Here is how seventeenth-century English historian, William Camden, describes Shane's arrival:
Shane O'Neill came out of Ireland... having for his guard, a troupe of gallowglasses who had their heads naked, and curled hair hanging on their shoulders, yellow shirts, as if they had been died with saffron, or steeped in urine, wide sleeves, short cassocks, and rough hairy cloaks.
Similar to the painting below, this was an attempt at portraying Shane and his retinue as uncivilized. Of course, fashions and customs of the Irish nobility and warrior class differed from those of the English, so Camden's bias renders his account unreliable.
While historians speculate about the purpose of Shane's trip to London, many think it was to marry an English noblewoman or even the queen herself! We may never learn the truth, but we know Shane didn't receive a warm welcome.
Always and Forever trilogy falls squarely into the alternative history genre, which equals more creative license for me. As I did research, I wondered how Neave would react if such a trip led to Aedan's compulsory divorce and politically arranged marriage. In the present time, I wanted to explore how the echoes of the past affect Siena and Ryan as their lives unravel in a shocking parallel. The result is not only time travel romance, but also domestic suspense and psychosexual thriller!
Did that leave you wondering about Worgen/Würger? Rightly so! We weren't quite done with him in book one, so not only does he make a chilling appearance, but he does so from his own perspective. Buckle up. That being said, the story of Into the Lure of Time is not about the heroine vs. the villain, but about the heroine vs. herself. Double buckle up.
Stay tuned for the cover reveal, sneak peeks, book trailer, and so much more!
Vera
P.S. I'll tell you about the butterfly in the next post!
P.P.S. If you haven't read the first book yet, it's available as an ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook here.
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