Background
I began writing this novel way back in 2004, without having a clear idea of the plot. I had the idea, and it was so powerful and important to me – because the subject has always interested me – that I started writing almost straight away, in the hope that the story would unfold as I went along.
Overcome by creative enthusiasm, I hadn’t even established the world of the story, and it began to unfold in an imaginary world. Subsequently, that world became Plovdiv – which, to this day, I consider one of the best creative decisions I have ever made. The city gave shape to the story, and from that shape the other characters emerged quite naturally. These were the people with whom I had the good fortune and privilege to spend my student years – vibrant, colourful and great fun; they were living characters straight out of a book. It’s no coincidence that they fitted so well into this one. I tried giving them different names, but none of them seemed right – it was as if the characters themselves rejected them, or perhaps I simply couldn’t picture them with other names – so I kept the original ones.
After three years of working on the text, I had something of a novella. I must admit here that, due to the circumstances of my life at the time, I was by no means writing tirelessly. Furthermore, my focus was gradually shifting towards screenwriting, and so the novel remained on my computer.
Ten years later, AMG Publishing showed an interest in the idea. I opened the file again (luckily, I’d transferred it from my old computer) and, over the course of a few days, reworked the story so that it was readable. The usual back-and-forth between author and publisher followed. I was asked to add more content, particularly to strengthen the first part of the story. I did so, and a year later the book was published under the title „The Last Conquest“.
The launch was wonderful. However, the market did not take to the novel. Not because there hadn’t been enough publicity. Nor was it because the publisher hadn’t done its job – on the contrary – for them, it was a different, dynamic coming-of-age story with a philosophical edge and a spiritual message, in which they saw potential.
The problem was something else – I hadn’t got round to reading the book myself yet.
When a person sets out in search of understanding, sooner or later they will find it. And they won’t like it one bit. Because understanding (not merely knowledge) comes with trials. If you manage to overcome them, the question arises as to whether you want to carry on. If the answer is still „yes“, then change begins.
That’s what happened to me, too.
The things I experienced between 2022 and 2026, the struggles I went through, the places I visited, the books I read, the conversations with the woman by my side – an exceptional psychologist and spiritual teacher – and, above all, my connection with a true, pure Divine power have transformed my outlook.
And when the author changes, the book changes too. So that it becomes the book I’ve always wanted to write.
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