Word Count: Approximately 90k
Ease of Reading: Easy.
Estimated reading time: Five to seven hours.
Genre: NA (19-25) black comedy; political; fantasy; 
contemporary; suspense; crime; society
Tagline: What would YOU do if you were the 
most powerful single human being alive?
Story: 
 Kevin Taylor's got problems. 
His maintenance grant is being cut, the leader 
of his protest group has designs on Rachel 
(his far-too-pretty-for-him girlfriend), 
DC are retconning their universe again and the
 local bullies make a habit of standing on his specs.
To top it all, his beloved mum is sick and her long term
 busybody "companion" is constantly in his face.  
And all he really wants to do is play Doom.
Despatched to London along with his streetwise
 best friend, Ricky, his orders are to pick up two 
secret packages donated by a pan-national group 
of hardcore Euro-revolutionaries. A massive 
demonstration is planned and the group need
 these to raise the stakes.
When Verna -a mysterious and alluring Polish
 freedom fighter - donates a mysterious third
 package that no-one expects nor knows 
anything about, Kevin Taylor quickly comes 
to realise that his problems are only just beginning.  
And his life as he knows it, and the life of everyone
 around him, is about to change forever.
Other information:  The story takes place over ten
 days in the immediate aftermath of the British 
public's decision to leave the European Union 
and in the context of the consequently collapsing
 economy.
Who may enjoy the book?:  Young people, 
young at heart, liberals, lefties, 
anti-Trumpers, Remainers/Remainers
 in need of therapy;  fans of comedy, 
black comedy and books with a 
multi-character narrative. Fans of suspense 
and thrills. Crime readers. Historians. People 
from Nottingham.
Who may not? Read the Amazon preview. 
Green Wizard is an exposition-free micro publisher. 
*wink*
Warning: Minor incidences of strong language.
Like a Sample? Click here: Chapter Two



Interview time!
How long have you been a writer?
I have run my publishing company Green Wizard since 2012. I started writing fiction for publication in 2009, with my book Hollywood Shakedown.
Tell us about yourself?
I live on the fringes of Sherwood Forest in Great Britain, have one son and am fanatic about reading, comics, football (Notts County FC) and horse racing. I have seven books out there including my latest, Kevin And The Atomic Bomb.
Are the characters in your book important?
They are in all my books. My books are character rather than plot led. I look around Indie and see a massive focus on story, but I’m not necessarily part of that movement. You can pluck characters from Book A written by author B and transplant them to Book Y written by author X and you would achieve the same outcome. 
Most people say my books are original and innovative and they remember the characters. I like that. I worked as a psychologist for years as well as teaching psychology. That validates things a bit.
Tell us about your latest book and its characters, please.
In KATAB, two young men, part of a protest group, travel to London to bring back items for an upcoming demonstration, donated by an international group of revolutionaries. A third package is included and the boys – reluctant revolutionaries at best – bring it back anyway, despite reservations. Naturally, when one of them discovers the contents of the third package, they soon live to regret that decision.
My characters are mostly young and the story transpires from the perspective of the young. The book is aimed at 19-25 year olds and if I don’t reach them without it, I’ll use paid marketing to reach them. Never done that before, but the marketplace is exceptionally crowded at the moment. I might have to.
Why “Luke Rock”?
This new book, Kevin And The Atomic Bomb, is a huge departure for me. I usually write character pieces and contemporary fiction (with the odd gangster tale thrown in), but this is YA and New Adult. I want to attract the widest possible audience so I gave myself a new name.
 Please share some of the best memories of your childhood. 
It didn’t involve finding an atomic bomb in my mum’s garage, Brenda :-D
Whoosh. What a relief! Thanks for that info.Were you always a writer?
Actually, for the last fifteen years yes. I write contracts and proposals to government bodies to download project funding to address problem areas, such as unemployment or, lately, reluctant reading. I design manuals and project guidance too. Fiction, however, is a recent thing.

I co-run a small social enterprise called Empleo which supports disadvantaged people in my city. I also lecture, train and support a popular Creative Writing project as well as trying to pay my way through the British horse racing season.
What is your biggest source of inspiration in life? 
My dad and brother (and my mum watching down on me from her cloud). The books of Martin Amis, great music, the sunsets in the morning, the sight of racehorses pelting towards the finishing line and my son, Matthew, without whom I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now.
What hurts you most in this world? 
At the minute, Brexit. I am absolutely gutted, Brenda. My country has just committed suicide. Apart from that, I hate watching someone embarrass themselves. I once attempted to break up a wet tee shirt competition because a girl was clearly distressed by the whole thing. It caused some, um, bother, but it was worth it. I can still remember how I felt. 
I don’t like seeing stand-up comedians being heckled either or people walking out of gigs. I think Britain has embarrassed itself lately and I am walking around with a bag over my head – even more than normal, Brenda.
What a shame. You don't deserve that... What is your favorite genre and why? 
Contemporary fiction. I don’t do genre, which is why I am still living in a pokey flat rather than dining on freshly plucked truffles with my typing secretary in our converted cathedral. I adore Money by Martin Amis and just lately, have discovered the work of Tom McCarthy  - a book called Satin Island is my favourite book of the year. I am also heavily into comics and graphic novels.
What are your future plans? 
Three more books coming in 2017, including the sequel to Carla (a popular book of mine) and the sequel to The Night Porter (an award winner). The other is a surprise. If they sell, I’ll carry on. If not, I’ll get a job-type-job and leave all this behind in 2018. Except for one book, which I promised an old friend I would write back when I first started, I’ll be done. 
I’m not one of those obsessed writers who get palpitations if they don’t write eight thousand words a day, nor am I one of those people who can withstand a lifetime of rejection to achieve my goals. I can leave it behind and with one actual best seller (the football novel, Ultra Violence) and my proud association with you and your Punk Rocker series, I have achieved something with my life. I have also had a noted writer once say that Carla is the proudest possession on her bookshelf and that, Brenda, is something not every writer can boast. 
I’ll have no regrets. Je’ ne regrette bien. Apart from not being able to afford a converted cathedral to live in. And a racehorse…and a…
What top four things do you consider while writing a book? 
Climax. Character. Prose depth. Ease of reading.
What is your dream destination on Earth?   
Del Mar in August. Can I sleep in the shed at the bottom of your garden?
Anytime Mark. My garden is your garden! :-)Are you reading anything right now?
I’ve just re-read Punk Rocker. Erin’s story is my favourite – she’s lovely that woman. Also liked Jim’s stuff – my, he’s angry. Proper punk. Am about to read Eden Baylee’s latest thriller, if she gets round to sending it to me as it isn’t available over here. I am also re-reading Satin Island.
What is a good book for others to read that you would convince others it is a MUST-READ?
Burnt Promises by Brenda Perlin. Makes me p**s myself with laughter every time. I’m surprised you didn’t have to go into a Witness Protection Programme, Bren.
You sure know how to humor me! Thank you.Between the two ex’s one never knows. I might have to come across the pond near you one day. 
My Review
Kevin And The Atomic Bomb by Luke Rock rings eerily familiar considering what's happened in Great Britain just recently but this story is meant to be fantasy. Mostly, I suspect. 
This quirky, dramatic adventure pulls no punches, is hard hitting, mysterious and irresistibly entertaining. Hard to stop reading once I opened the book as I had no idea where I was being led but I became even more curious as I got further into the story. 
Kevin And The Atomic Bomb is both poignant and disturbing. Yet, there's just enough humor to lighten the mood. The author uses his imagination to string us along from start to finish. I enjoyed the unexpected turns and found this to be a smart,cunning story with an insightful spark.
The timing couldn't be better, as it cuts like a knife but at the same time there is hope for something better. A  clever account of what if?!
Quote ~
"He realizes. As he looks at the laptop screen, that no one talks about Hiroshima any more. He is unaware of anything other than the merest detail. In school, they didn't teach history like that, not like they used to, they taught social history and cross cultural history and the history of textiles and the history of printing. They taught American history (a lot) and European history (a bit) and political history and geo-history and the history of the feminist struggle, the emancipation movement. They didn't teach military history and they didn't teach what the Americans did to Hiroshima."

Mark Barry is a multi-genre writer and novelist. His work includes the minor cult hit Ultra Violence about football hooligans at a small Midlands football club and Carla, a quirky, dark, acclaimed romance with shades of Wuthering Heights. 
He is the co-designer of the innovative Brilliant Books project aimed at engaging the many, many reluctant readers amongst young people.. He has one son, Matt, on the brink of University, with whom he shares a passion for Notts County Football Club. 
Fast food, comics, music, reading, his friends on the Independent scene, and horse racing keep him interested and he detests the English Premier League, selfish, narcissistic people and bullies of all kinds. 
He is based in Nottingham and Southwell in the UK, the scene of most of his fiction.


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