Throughout publishing The Luke Bright Series, I made Luke Bright carry out the Proust Test three times – once post Atlantic Split, post At Liberty To Live and post An Undercover Dream. If you haven’t heard about it before, it’s a questionnaire that French writer Michael Proust created it to delve into the deepest parts of an individual’s personality. This is now the final part of the questionnaire and it’s fitting that it falls today, on the day A Long Lost Time ends in Luke’s alternate reality as it follows how Luke feels right after this book ends. A lot has changed, but nothing more significantly than our lead character. See how he’s dealing with the aftermath of the book below!

WARNING – THIS BLOG CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS IN THE LUKE BRIGHT SERIES!

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I mean, it’s this. This very moment. How the hell has this happened? How the hell were those past two years completely…faked? I have no idea, I still can’t get my head around it, but being home, being a free man with my family, friends, Vi AND a way to try to end the Atlantic Split…I must be dreaming right? This can’t be real, surely?!

2. What is your greatest fear?

For it to be a dream! And…I’m a bit scared about what I’m going to wake up to tomorrow and having to adjust to normality again.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My depression, although I’m starting to get to grips with it. Either way, I hope someday I can go about my life without it holding me back. Although, right now I feel on top of the world, even that can’t bring me down!

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Lying. And those two liars are just…how could they do that to me? Also prejudice, but I’m working on that one…

5. Which living person do you most admire?

Vi is just…she’s so strong, she’s been my rock through all of this. I don’t deserve her, and I really hope she can be happy now she no longer has to fight my battles for me.

6. What is your greatest extravagance?

Vodka, still find myself craving it. But now I’m back to normality, it’s gonna be food. I’ve got so much food to eat and I cannot wait to just stuff myself with something that isn’t prison food!

7. What is your current state of mind?

I’m honestly in a daze. It doesn’t feel real. This…everything working out like this…it feels like it’s going to come crumbling down. But if it is real, then I’m so damn happy, this is all I ever wanted. But I’m scared too and excited and knackered and confused…my brain is a scramble!

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Accepting things at face value – turns out if you’re too trusting of people they can manipulate the truth around you. It is hard to see the bad in some people but honestly? Some people you just can’t understand, no matter how hard you try.

9. On what occasion do you lie?

I lied a bit in court, only to protect James and Steve though. No biggie – especially considering what went down there today.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I definitely need a haircut right now!

11. Which living person do you most despise?

Marco and Wicks are just…I don’t even want to think about them anymore. I need to put that part of my life behind me now they’re going to jail.

12. What is the quality you most like in a man?

Strength and honesty.

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?

The same really. Strength for sure.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Probably ‘sorry’ – even though I know a lot of it wasn’t my fault, I still feel like I have so many apologies to give out!

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Violet Smith.

16. When and where were you happiest?

Right now! For sure! And also that time I finally saw my parents after all those months of being on the run and making it back here to the UK.

17. Which talent would you most like to have?

I suppose I could try to get a talent now couldn’t I? Between everything else I need to do to fix the world, I guess the possibilities are endless. I can do whatever I want with my life.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d not have this depression or constant craving for alcohol, but I’m working through it.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Making it through all this time with hope and still being able to stand up for what I believe in.

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

That’d be terrible, wouldn’t it? Get everything I ever wanted and then die. Haha, well, I’d just come back as myself I suppose. If I could.

21. Where would you most like to live?

Well, there’s no place like home. Although if I could go back to 92 Lanston Avenue…anyway, another life I guess.

22. What is your most treasured possession?

My Converse! Although that car the Smiths got me is epic! Can’t wait to give it a spin!

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Oh boy, I don’t want to go back there again. When I was caught for sure and…all those moments I thought my life was going to be in jail.

24. What is your favourite occupation?

Acting. Although being an advocate for peace sounds like it’s going to be a great challenge.

25. What is your most marked characteristic?

My strength.

26. What do you most value in your friends?

How much they believe in me and care for me, how much they’re willing to give up for me. They’re so fantastic. They’ve all been rooting for me. I love them so much.

27. Who are your favourite writers?

The author of To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee.

28. Who is your hero of fiction?

Atticus Finch (again from Mockingbird.)

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Martin Luther King Junior – it did kind of feel like I was making an ‘I have a dream’ speech outside that courthouse. I guess maybe that’s how he felt too?

30. Who are your heroes in real life?

Steve and Vi.

31. What are your favourite names?

I mean, I don’t even need to answer that. It’s pretty obvious!

32. What is it that you most dislike?

Liars, racists, bigots, rapists…the list goes on. To sum it up? Bullies.

33. What is your greatest regret?

Not checking that Wicks was actually dead?! Nah, I mean, if he hadn’t fake-died where would I be now? I’d have none of this. I guess my biggest regret was how much Vi had to put her life on hold for me, but now at least I can try to make it up to her.

34. How would you like to die?

No thanks! But at least now I can die a free man if I have to.

35. What is your motto?

Always look on the Bright side. The Luke Bright side. I’ve been damn strong over these last couple of years and that’s how I got through it all. It was an adventure, a crazy adventure, and honestly? I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next now that I am free to change the world.

All four books in The Luke Bright Series is available to purchase NOW! Please follow me on my blog and social media links below, and use the links on my website to purchase a copy of each if you have not done so. Don’t forget to leave a review! Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog post

N.A.K