Unveiling the Unexpected: Reader Choices for "Melissa" Part II

 

A closer look reveals hidden depths

As my beta readers delved into the first ten chapters of "Melissa," a fascinating question emerged: which minor character captured their imaginations and deserved further development in Part II?

While I anticipated familiar favorites, I received a vibrant tapestry of choices, reminding me of the surprising power well-crafted supporting characters hold.

The usual suspects were passed over in favor of unassuming figures like Gera, the lab assistant. Her unique blend of scientific discipline and artistic spirit, coupled with her dedication to environmental causes, resonated deeply with some readers. Their eagerness to uncover her motivations and hidden depths highlights the enduring impact even seemingly minor figures can leave.

Gera

Meanwhile, the enigmatic Monica captivated others with her captivating personality and intriguing history of multiple marriages. Her veiled intentions and ambiguous role within the story fueled speculation and anticipation, making her a popular choice for further exploration. This underscores the effectiveness of crafting characters shrouded in mystery who pique the reader's curiosity.

Monica

Beyond these, the diverse perspectives of my readers shone through. Some championed Mark Brown, the protagonist's grounded friend, appreciating his unwavering loyalty and contrasting outlook on life. This choice exemplifies the beauty of diverse perspectives and how different readers connect with characters in unique ways.

Mark Brown

The sheer variety of responses has been incredibly enriching. It demonstrates the true power of minor characters to enrich a narrative, adding depth and dimension to the fictional world and offering endless possibilities for exploration. As I embark on writing Part II, I carry this invaluable feedback close to my heart, knowing that even the most seemingly minor player can hold the key to unlocking a reader's imagination.

What memorable minor characters have you encountered in other books? Share your thoughts and predictions for "Melissa" Part II in the comments below! It will be beneficial for "Melissa" Part II.

From Script to Novella: The Birth of "Melissa"

 

Melissa's painting "Black & White" 

For several years, "Melissa" brewed as a captivating screenplay, simmering with the potential for a deeper dive into the human psyche. But scripts, like blueprints, lack the nuanced tapestry of prose. I craved to explore the labyrinthine depths of my characters, to illuminate Melissa's and Nathan's, unspoken thoughts and desires.

The title page of "Melissa's" screenplay.

That's when "Melissa" embarked on a metamorphosis. Guided by the strong foundation of the script, I embarked on a journey of transformation. AI tools like Bard, GPT-4, and Sudowrite became my writing partners, whispering suggestions for the improvement of vivid prose and unlocking vibrant possibilities for word choices within the narrative.

Sudowrite Story Engine

Each keystroke became a brushstroke, meticulously painting a world where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blurred. The psychological thriller I envisioned evolved into an intertwined horror, faith, and the insidious poison of false pride.

A flashback "Funeral"

Currently, we are running a beta reading program, which will last five weeks. The human feedback of "Melissa's" story is crucial and truly appreciable.

Beta Reader Evaluation Process

This isn't just a story penned on paper; it's a story reborn, one that invites you to question your own perceptions and delve into the darkness within. Are you ready to face the chilling realities of human pride, the transformative power of faith, and the promise of redemption? 

Scene "Ghost"

The stage is set, the curtain rises, and "Melissa" awaits your presence.

Follow the beta-reader program updates on our blog to learn about the engaging and insightful process of being a beta reader, and potentially join the program for "Melissa," Part II!

#Humanpsyche, #Falsepride, #Betareaders, #psychologicalthriller 

Why War? Part V

The Spiritual Choice of a country (nation) is the most fascinating because we can trace the consequences of the Choice on the historical timeline. 

spiritual direction

As for the Higher Powers, a Spiritual Choice of the country is an effective tool for checking the spiritual orientation of a significant number of people.

Just as with the Spiritual Choice of one person, the country must choose one of the Spiritual Directions - the Direction to Light or the Direction to Darkness. Degradation, as a sub-path, exists as a worst-case scenario and should be avoided.

leader as a key decision maker

A key decision-maker in the Spiritual Direction is the leader of the country.    

The duration of the Spiritual Choice, as in the case of a person, is unpredictable and can sometimes reach several years.

In this part of the article "Why War?" we will take a look at the Spiritual choice of Russia, which happened about a hundred years ago (illustration 1).

Illustration 1.

To simplify the analysis, we shall skip the "Degradation" sub-direction.

programs

So, first of all, we must understand that before each Spiritual Choice, the Higher Ones design programs for both Directions, i.e. Light and Darkness.

This work is carried out in the form of holograms, on a subtle plane, accessible only to a clairvoyant.

spiritual strength

We must also realize that the Choice towards Light is much more difficult than the Choice towards Darkness, and requires a certain Spiritual strength of the leader.

beginning of the 20th century

So, let's plunge into the beginning of the 20th century when Russia was an empire with a population of 200 million.

In July 1914, the ruler of the Russian Empire, Tsar Nicholas II, must decide whether his country will enter Serbia - Austria-Hungary war or not.

Russian prophet

Two years earlier, the Russian prophet Grigory Rasputin dissuades the tsar from entering the war in the Balkans.

However, now the seriously wounded Grigory is in the hospital and does not have the opportunity to personally talk with the tsar.

Rasputin

As a clairvoyant, Rasputin sees both programmed holograms based on the tsar's future Spiritual Choice - without war (Choice to Light) or entry into the war (Choice of Darkness). He tries to convey his vision to the tsar, but fails - driven by false pride, the Russian leader decides to mobilize the Russian army.

Find more about Grigory Rasputin in the article "Grigory Rasputin - Light or Dark?"

predictions 

All predictions of Grigory came true.

As a result of the Tsar's Spiritual Choice towards Darkness, Grigory was brutally murdered, the royal family, along with his relatives, were killed, and Russia fell under the control of the Dark Ones with their representatives - V. Uljanov-Lenin and J. Dzhugashvili-Stalin. 

law of karma 

Despite the fact that there were armed forces that opposed the Bolsheviks, the Law of Karma ("God's Wrath" by Grigory Rasputin) allowed the Darks to seize power in Russia and occupy the entire country. 

Millions of souls turned to the values of Darkness.

VALUES OF DARKNESS

SLAVERY
HATRED
WAR
COWARDICE
FALSE
INJUSTICE
DESPAIR
CRUELTY
CHAOS
GREED

However, what would be the alternative future of Russia if Nicholas II made the opposite choice?  You can find it in the "The Tsar's Choice" Screenplay on Smashwords! 😀

Why War? Part IV

In Part IV, we will look at what will happen to Free Will if a spiritual entity constantly chooses Darkness, as well as who and how tests and tempts us and why.

Free Will

free will as a key for freedom

As we learned in Part III, Free Will is given as a gift that allows us to enjoy individuality and freedom.

However, do we have any obligations to Our Spiritual Father who gave us this gift? The answer is Yes and No. 

Let's deal with this.

free will and spiritual direction

A  Spiritual entity moves towards the Light

In the event that the spiritual entity moves more or less towards the Light, Free Will remains with it until the final exit¹ from the physical world.

B.  Spiritual entity moves towards the Darkness

However, if the spiritual entity repeatedly makes  Spiritual Choices towards Darkness and crosses the point of no return², Free Will is taken away ( illustration 1).

Illustration 1.

The logic of this step is simple - if you follow the Values of Darkness, where SLAVERY is the main value, you do not deserve freedom, which is given by Free Will.

VALUES OF DARKS

SLAVERY
HATRED
WAR
COWARDICE
FALSE
INJUSTICE
DESPAIR
CRUELTY
CHAOS
GREED

selling soul to satan

The loss of Free Will is often compared to selling the soul to Satan, since the soul, which originally belonged to God, consciously or subconsciously choosing the priorities of Darkness and rejecting the values of Light, becomes a SLAVE of SATAN.

The process of giving away his Free Will is the last will of man.

who tests and tempts us

But who is interested in depriving a person of Free Will and why?

As we already mentioned, the most interested party is the CEO of Darkness - Satan. Having taken away a person's Free will, Satan  replaces his will with OWN WILL and subjugates the man to himself. 

loss of control

The man can no longer control his own decision.

From the point of view of outsiders, it looks like the person has acquired an irrational pattern of behavior.

 

This can be compared to how a person drives a car to a certain place and knows the route well, but suddenly he makes an unexpected turn in an unnecessary direction, not understanding why he is doing it.

beneficiary of free will loss

Satan is the direct beneficiary of man's renunciation of free will.

He not only becomes the full owner of the soul which loss Free Will, but now he can use this soul as His own when and where he wants it.

satan's tools and tricks

In order to lure more and more people into his bondage, Satan has developed a number of seductive tools to help him achieve his goals ( Illustration 2.).

Illustration 2.

sex,  money, drugs, power

Tools such as sex, money, drugs, power, etc. help Satan test and tempt people. Very often He affects a person through his arrogance and false pride.

The first step for Satan is to hook a person on one of His tools, and then on to the next one. 

human pride

Human pride is a premise to become hooked by Satan. 

Making a person more and more dependent, Satan forces him to step over the values of Light, delving into the Values of Darks.  As a result of this process, a person makes a Spiritual Choice towards Darkness, not realizing the danger of this step.

Find the Spiritual Choice towards Darkness, its consequences and the role of Satan in the screenplay "Heaven".

Summary

• Free will is a gift given to us by our Spiritual Father (CEO of Light). 

• We can exercise Free Will as long as we move more or less towards the Light.

• Once Spiritual entity has made its Ultimate choice in favor of Darkness, free will is taken away and replaced by the will of Satan, the CEO of Darkness.

• Satan is the direct beneficiary of the loss of man's free will, because in this case he can lead man to where He wants

• Therefore, Satan has developed some tools to push man to make a Spiritual choice towards Darkness.

Notes: 

¹ Final Exit - is a liberation from the physical world, no return.

² Point of no return - a point of the Final choice towards Darkness

Spiritual Choice concerns not only an individual, but also a group of people and even a nation.

In Part V we will look at the Spiritual Choice towards Darkness by the Russian ruler Nicholas II in 1914.

Why War? Part II

To move on to further analysis of why humanity experiences wars, let's take a look at the hierarchy of human consciousness.

Fig. 1

consciousness of mankind 

Let's take a scale for measuring people's consciousness from zero to one hundred.

0-25 levels of consciousness

Then at levels 0 to 25, we will get young souls who have recently entered the world of humans from the animal kingdom (illustration  1).

As a rule, young souls have a limited vocabulary and disabilities in learning, and as a result, they do mostly only physical work. 

energy quality from young souls

The energy the young souls produce for the High Ones is crude and of low quality. 

Their salaries are relatively low, which does not give them the opportunity to travel and visit theaters or museums.  And this again does give another portion of low-quality energy.

25-50 levels of consciousness 

It is conditionally possible to call the souls between 25-50 levels "techies". 

techies

The techies reincarnated many hundreds of times and accumulated great knowledge about human life. Their ability to learn gives them the opportunity to get a bachelor's degree and become a programmer, accountant, teacher, or nurse.

Because of higher wages, they can have more sophisticated holidays, such as trips abroad, and richer cultural and social life than young souls.

Consequently, techies produce a higher (but average) level of energy than young souls.

50-75  levels of consciousness 

Souls between 50 and 75 levels can be called "high professionals".

high professionals

It is not a problem for the "high professionals" to learn earthly things, and they may have a doctorate or a couple of master's degrees.  Some of them are high-level intellectuals, linguists who speak a dozen languages, high-profile multi-entrepreneurs, and so on.

The number of these people on the Earth is smaller than techies. These are the highest-paid people, and they can afford to live in the best conditions with exquisite hobbies and recreation.

Consequently, "high professionals" produce a higher (but average) quality of energy than techies.

75-100  levels of consciousness 

The smallest group of people that we can call the "Treasury Fund" has the highest level of consciousness.

the highest quality of energy

This treasury fund has nothing to do with money, but with the highest quality of energy, they are able to produce on a daily basis. 

creativity

This group consists of artists, musicians, spiritual preachers, writers, healers, etc., as well as any person who is able to generate IDEAS and be CREATIVE. 

spiritual choice

Some of these highly conscious souls came from other galaxies, from less dense planets than our Earth, but some of them developed these wonderful qualities, reincarnating here on Earth, making multiple Spiritual Choices towards Light.

are we good?

Someone will say: "Great! We have guys who are able to give the highest daily energies to the Highest Ones! What else?"

However, let's take a closer look at this group.

money

Most people in this group are active in their youth. The subtlest vibrations of their souls push them to realize their creative projects. But where to get the money?

Governmental or private grant support for artists applying for funding for their projects is only 10% of all applications, i.е. only one artist out of ten will receive some financial support. This support is given for a few months and coverers only basic needs - food and dwelling.

general attitude

With the exception of eminent artists, which are just a few, the general attitude towards artists is more dismissive than respectful.

For example, some wealthy people in Great Britain prefer to send their servants to meet an artist who has come with his paintings to decorate their house than to go out to see him in person.

healers

Because public education only provides human anatomy, most people have a largely materialistic view of themselves.

Most people do not aware of the seven-bodies structure of a human, and knowledge of chakras and energetic channels in the Western world is existing only in esoteric literature.

Human Chakras

As a result, prana-, energy- and spiritual healers, along with alternative medicine, for example, traditional Chinese medicine or Indian Ayurveda, receive little or no government support.

spiritual preachers 

Spiritual preachers who are raising a spiritual awareness of people contribute to their organizations exclusively for free. As a rule, they work part-time somewhere else for a small salary.

film industry

The film industry is one of the worst for a creative soul to survive because film production is very expensive.

To get into the film industry, writers try to hone their writing skills. At best, they are hired by a major movie studio to write a remake or sequel to a burgeoning television series, and they waste their precious time on other people's projects, abandoning their own ideas.

value of an idea

Since most people do not understand what an idea is and what is required for its occurrence, the value of an idea in the modern world is very low.

Struggling for materialistic survival, artists often lose their creativity by working for wages. With age, they lose the ability to generate their own ideas and engage in creativity, as before.

conclusion on part II

The highest quality energy requested by the Highest Ones comes from the "Treasury Fund". However, today's societies do not recognize the true value of artists, musicians, healers, preachers, etc., who are able to give this energy.

In Part III, we will look at how the souls of the Artists are trying to survive in the material world, and also assess the chances of replenishing the "Treasury Fund".

Grigory Rasputin - Light or Dark? Part III (B)

Aron Simonovich wrote in his book RASPUTIN: The Memoirs of his Secretary that Rasputin had a very good chance of getting rich, but he never had a monetary goal.

G. Rasputin and the Tsar's Family

Money

Having received some money from representatives of high society, ministers and businessmen, Grigory immediately spent it on the poor who came to him for help*.

modest lifestyle

In Petersburg time, Grigory led a very modest lifestyle, and only the room of his daughters was furnished with more or less good furniture. There was no luxury or anything like that in his apartment. He ate the same as in his homeland in Siberia - potatoes, sauerkraut, homemade crackers. He always observed the fast and never broke it.

Nicholas II family 

Note that he never demanded a salary from the Nicholas II family, being the spiritual healer of the tsar himself and, most importantly, the heir to the throne from dangerous hemophilia. The only expense covered by the royal family was the monthly rent for the apartment. 

Grigory with the tsarina, her children and nanny. 1908

More about the relationship between Gregory and the royal family in the screenplay The Tsar's Choice.

incorruptibility

Many hated Grigory because they could not make a puppet out of him and offered big money for him to leave Petersburg. 

For example, one of the ministers, who was thwarted by Rasputin, offered him 200,000 rubles ($2 million today) to leave the capital for his village of Pokrovskoye, but Grigory refused.

Was Grigory Not Tempted?

A logical question arises - if even Jesus was subject to the temptations of Satan, were there serious trials for the soul of Grigory?

Certainly! 

Grigory was no exception because everyone who came to the dense physical world is tested.

Olga Lokhtina

He was tested through a high society lady, the pretty blonde Olga Lokhtina, the general's wife. 

Olga Lokhtina

Publicly and privately, she persecuted Grigory, demanding reciprocity in love. 

Once Rasputin committed adultery with her and, repenting of his sin subsequently rejected all her attempts to establish any further relationship with her.

pride 

Following Rasputin with declarations of love, she was obviously very tempted to challenge such inner qualities of Gregory as pride, i.e. high opinion of yourself. 

However, Grigory passed the temptation "cleanly".

Conclusion

Following the qualities and values of Rasputin, as well as viewing his reaction to Satan's temptations, we must recognize that Grigory is pure Light, without a single sign of Darkness!

The Holy Bible advises us to separate the wheat from the chaff, and this is one of the most important tasks we must do. This article, written in accordance with this advice, gives a direct answer that Grigory Rasputin was a spiritual being moving towards the Light.

G. Rasputin with Tsarevich Alexei. Icon of N.Guryanov

missionary

All his qualities, values, and lack of predilections indicate that he was a man of high energy and high spirit, most likely, who voluntarily took on a difficult mission and sacrificed himself for the sake of a better future for Russia.

After the brutal murder in 1916, Grigory's body was buried in Alexander Park, from where later on was taken out and burned on the orders of A.F. Kerensky.

The symbolic burial place of Grigory Rasputin.

Unfortunately, most Russians still have an internal problem of separating the wheat from the chaff. Many blindly believe in the propaganda and do not use their own thinking.

godless Lenin

Until now, statues of the godless Vladimir Ulyanov/Lenin, the leader of Bolsheviks who brutally murdered the royal family, are kept in the center of every Russian city and even carefully keep his corpse in heart of Moscow.  

But this man pitted brother against brother, unleashing a civil war in 1917, which killed between 7 and 12 million people, mostly civilians.

Lenin Mausoleum

In contrast, Grigory carried pure Love and Peace to all: " I am your brother sent by God…" 

prophet and pacifist

Rasputin was a Russian prophet and pacifist who tried to convey to the Tsar the danger of entering the First World War.  Unfortunately, Nicholas II wasn't able to make the Spiritual Choice towards Light.

predictions

All Grigory's predictions about the death of the royal family and the terrifying future of Russia came true. It became time for the Dark Ones...

In Russia, there is not even a memorial plaque to Grigory Rasputin, and the only museum opened in his native village of Pokrovsky is funded from private sources.

House-Museum of Grigory Rasputin

__________________________

Find an alternative choice of the tsar and future of the Russian empire in the screenplay "The Tsar's Choice".

Grigory Rasputin - Light or Dark? Part II of III

Elder Macarius, Bishop Feofan, Grigory Rasputin

In this part, we shall cover the rest of the values/qualities of the Dark Ones and will compare them with those that Grigory Rasputin had.

5.  Atheism (godlessness)

Grigory not only had Faith but also knew that God exists. His prayers were distinguished by sincerity and lack of copying.

He spoke to God without servility, in his own words, as with a close friend: 

“In You, Lord, I trust and I will never be ashamed of it! I praise You, Lord, and I say in my soul: be my Creator and Intercessor!”

A person with a truly deep faith in God cannot be Dark.

6. Lack of interest in spirituality

Grigory had a deep passion for spirituality and took every opportunity to share his feelings and spiritual revelations with others. He had fans who regularly gathered to listen to him and record his stories. 

In 1907 he wrote his notes The Life of an Experienced Wanderer: “Spring means a great celebration for a spiritual person. As a decorated bright May happens, so the soul of the one who watches the Lord blooms and May arises.”

And in 1915  My Thoughts and Reflections: “They can deprive of everything - even a 

dwelling, but never a soul. The loss of earthly things is a great feat; you need to ask God to give you patience. For the loss of the earthly and the reward is great.”

Passion for the spiritual cannot belong to the Dark, therefore Grigory was Light.

Photo: Grigory with admirers

7. Inability to heal

Grigory was a healer. He recognized this ability as a teenager, treating horses in his native village, alter he started to treat people. In some cases, he used healing Siberian herbs, but mostly he healed with his prayers, i.e. God willing. 

Repeatedly Grigory helped the sick, even those who are considered incurable. Once, in a Ural monastery, he healed a demon-possessed - a woman who had suffered from seizures.

Among the others, his patients were Tsar Nicholas II and the heir to the Russian throne, Tsarevich Alexei.

A healer can’t be Dark, therefore by this criteria, Grigory belongs to Light.

8. No skills to see future

From adolescence, Grigory had the ability to make predictions.

For example, he “saw” when and how a person would die, and told his fellow villagers about it.

His daughter Matryona describes a case when, thanks to Grigory's foresight, a horse thief was found.

Grigory's predictions came true regarding the royal family, the fate of St. Petersburg, the then capital of Russia, the fate of his homeland, and much more.

He predicted: “Darkness will fall on Petersburg. When its name changes, the empire will end". In August 1914 St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd. March 15, 1917, Nicholas II abdicated; this marked the end of the Russian Empire.

And another one: “If my murder is committed by nobles - relatives of the tsar, then the future of Russia and the royal family will be terrible. The nobles will flee the country, and the tsar's relatives will not be left alive; in two years the brothers will rise up against the brothers and kill each other.” 

The royal family, together with the emperor, were brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks, and at the end of 1917 Russia entered the Civil War.

As Darks do not have the ability to see the future, but Grigory does, he is representative of Lights.

9. Chauvinism

Grigory promoted mutually beneficial cooperation between people of different nationalities and countries.

In private conversations with the tsar, he calls him for friendship with the United States and economic cooperation with Germany.

In his own country, he points out the advantages of international marriages and helps Russian Jews through his personal secretary Aron Simonovich*.

Grigory does not fit into the goals of the Dark Ones - incitement of chauvinism, but represents the opposite - therefore he is a Light One.

*Aron Simonovich, Rasputin and the Jews. Memoirs of the personal personality of Grigory Rasputin ( in Russian).

10. Slavery and dependency

Grigory was freedom-loving and this is evident from his travels - within the country and abroad to Palestine and Jerusalem. The presence of a wise wife gave him the opportunity to make long pilgrimages. The pleasure of freedom is felt in his notes "The Life" and " My thoughts".

Grigory never depended on anyone. Living in his village, he was an independent farmer, fisherman, and cart driver. 

When he moved to St. Petersburg, many wanted to make a puppet out of him, but, guided by his mission, he remained incorruptible, causing irritation among the nobles and open and hidden enmity.

Freedom and independence are values of Light, therefore, Grigory is a representative of Lights.

Photo: Grigory with villagers

11. Vision of the devil and demons 

During his life, Grigory had a vision of the Mother of God who appeared to him when he plowed the field. The vision lasted several seconds and left an indelible impression on Grigory. Later, the vision motivated him to come to St. Petersburg.*

A vision of the Queen of Heaven can’t appear to a person moving towards Darkness, therefore Grigory was a Spiritual entity moving towards Light.

*Matryona Rasputina. "Rasputin Why?" (in Russian)

Conclusion 

The conclusion from these analyzes is unequivocal - none of the qualities and values of the Dark Ones fit Grigory's profile.

Consequently, according to these criteria, Grigory does not belong to the Dark, but to the Light.

However, we will not rush to draw a final conclusion, because Grigory Rasputin was accused of debauchery, drunkenness, greed, etc., and in the third part we will conduct additional analyzes.