Is There Something Beyond the Veil?

Woo-hoo!!

Yep, I’m celebrating and it’s not just because of the thrill, the excitement, the mystery and the anticipation of the New Year. I’m celebrating because I’m now a regular contributor to the BTV blog. Which means, dear readers, you’ll be seeing my posts every other Wednesday.

I write, for the most part, contemporary paranormal romances that are sexy and funny. Occasionally, however, I delve into the darker side of both romance and mainstream fiction. Between taking care of my teenager and my best friend (aka my hubby), my life is filled with both the mundane and the slightly unusual. Which may explain why I feel the need to tilt the world even a little more and dive into the supernatural. After all, a girl needs more than PTA meetings and puppies in her life, right?

As I was thinking about what to write in my first blog, I began to wonder just how many people really believe that something lies beyond the world as we see it. Can at least a few of us see beyond what is right before us to what lies behind the scenery of normalcy? Or, in other words, do we believe that something really does exist beyond the veil?

Based on the information I’ve found, the American population seems split on the belief in the supernatural or paranormal. While only a few brave souls are willing to confirm their belief in ghosts—some even claiming to have seen one—most are at least willing to consider the possibility of their existence. However, people draw the line of acceptance at saying they think beings such as werewolves or vampires might exist. The reason is unclear. Perhaps it’s because ghosts are viewed as spirits, possibly even angels and, thus, tied with people’s religious beliefs, while werewolves and vamps are considered mere fabrications of fiction. Or perhaps the real truth lies in the fact that while one kind of mysterious being actually exists, we know enough—either subconsciously or not—to understand that that doesn’t mean any other kind lives among us. In other words, just because we might accept that angels are real, it doesn’t mean vampires are.

Whichever side of the fence you come down on, I do find it interesting that so many of our books, television shows and movies have the unnatural creatures as their subjects. Even when most of us dismiss the existence of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, we travel in droves to the theatres to see horror flicks, sci-fi stories and tales of beings with super powers. But why do we seek out these cinematic creatures? Do we possess an unspoken yearning for them in our daily life? If given the choice, would we want a world inhabited by these wonders?

Think about it. Would our world be better or worse if the unusual, the preternatural lived among us? Could humans who often don’t tolerate the slight differences between themselves be able to tolerate beings who are vastly different both physically and mentally?

What would it be like to enter the local convenience store, reach for a gallon of milk and have your hand touch the container at the same time as another hand? Except that other hand sported incredibly long claws? Would you close your eyes and hope the owner of those claws was only a mere human trying for the world’s record for longest nails? Or would you prefer to look up into the red eyes of a monster with a craving for dairy?

How about literally running into a merman in a fender bender outside the local pool supply store? With his strength of ten men, would you argue about who was at fault? Or would you allow him to have his way, knowing how grumpy mermen are when they’re not in the water?

Other complications in a world filled with real-life supernatural creatures would occur. Would you—could you—forbid you daughter from dating the boy with the enormous fangs? Would you be afraid his version of necking wouldn’t be the version you’d grown up with? Even in a world where we’re constantly being watched, could you handle a curious gargoyle spying at you from the top of every building?

Still, even though the above examples don’t sound appealing, I think I could learn to live with them if the world also had the likes of Superman or the Fantastic Four to help out. After all, everything’s a trade-off, right? What we might lose in one area, we could gain so much in another.

But, alas, even though some of us may believe in at least one or two supernatural beings, we know most of these incredible entities do not exist. Enter the paranormal author. Paranormal authors like me strive to bring them to life, at least for a short time, on paper. We do so with the hope of bringing that world beyond the veil into your life. Will you open the door and let them in?

Beverly Rae
www.beverlyrae.com
Giggle, Gasp & Sigh with a Beverly Rae Romance