Every book has a beginning, but sometimes the story begins long before the first page is written. For me, Painting The Future began with a moment I never expected. It was April 2023, just before Easter. I was visiting my daughter, Kristina, and we spent the weekend doing something we both love—watching films and talking about stories. At the time, I had begun watching films differently. I wasn't only following the plot; I was paying attention to how stories were built, how characters developed, and how seemingly small details could take on a completely different meaning by the end. Then we watched Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Something about its structure stayed with me. It wasn't simply the romance or the historical setting. I was fascinated by the way the story came together—how earlier moments gained new meaning as the narrative unfolded. When it ended, I turned to Kristina and said something very simple: "I want to learn how to write stories like this." I didn't mean that I wanted to write the same kind of story. I meant that I wanted to understand how a story could carry meaning beneath the surface—how it could entertain you while also leaving you with something to think about after it was over. It wasn't simply about writing for the sake of telling a story. I wanted to create something that mattered—something that could reach people on a deeper level and stay with them long after they turned the last page. And three days later, something happened that I still find difficult to explain. The Moment Everything Changed I was driving to Kristina's house, still thinking about that conversation, when I suddenly felt an intense surge of energy and a burning sensation at the crown of my head. Along with it came an extraordinary sense of certainty—as though something that had been waiting somewhere inside me had suddenly come to the surface. By the time I arrived, I knew. The idea for Painting The Future was no longer just an idea. I could already see the world, the characters, and key moments of the story. And I knew it wasn't going to be one book. It was a trilogy. The experience was so immediate that it felt less like inventing a story and more like discovering one that was already there. That was the beginning of The Lumora Chronicles. The Writing Process: A Journey of Its Own I never planned to become a writer. My background is in civil engineering, and much of my professional life was built around structure, problem-solving, and turning ideas into something tangible. Later, my path led me into psychology and therapeutic practices, where I became deeply interested in identity, human behavior, transformation, and the choices people make when their lives change. Writing brought those different parts of my life together in a way I hadn't expected. What began as a single idea grew into a world, a cast of characters, and a three-book story. And at its center was the question that would eventually define Painting The Future: It's Already Watching: If you could see the future, would you follow it—or try to change it? That question became Jessica's journey. And Jessica's journey became the beginning of The Lumora Chronicles. Welcome to Lumora.