Interview with Pauline Harris (Author of Mechanical)

This week, I am excited to welcome Pauline Harris, author of Mechanical, to the blog to talk about her book and who she thinks would save the world from a robot invasion.

About the author:

Pauline C. Harris is a seventeen-year old author living in Northern Idaho.  She started writing short stories when she was eight, and after she self-published her first book when she was fourteen, moved on to write the Mechanical Trilogy.  She loves anything that has to do with science fiction, including Star Trek, and her main hobbies are writing and playing the violin in various orchestras and quartets.

Mechanical is her first professionally published novel.

You can haunt Pauline Harris at-
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Interview

1. In three words can you tell us about Mechanical?

Hmmmm…robots infiltrate world.

2. Why did you choose to have Drew be an android?

Well, I knew I wanted to write a story with androids as the subject and I thought what better way to do that than have the main character be one herself?

3. Which chapter was the easiest to write, hardest? Can you share with us a two sentence teaser from your favorite chapter in the book?

I think the easiest chapter to write was the first one. For some reason, first chapters are always really easy and fun for me. And that would probably have to be my favorite chapter as well, so here’s a quick paragraph teaser (sorry, I couldn’t just pick two sentences :P):

I wasn’t human, they’d told me. I was made up of parts; millions of parts put together to resemble human form. I wasn’t a real person, I wasn’treally alive. I was a robot, synthetic. A thing to be used when needed. I was mechanical.

As for the hardest chapter to write…chapter 31. It’s in the middle of the book and basically it’s just a bunch of scenes that needed to happen in order for the story to unfold, but I was having a hard time finding the inspiration to write it at the time.

4. What did you enjoy most when it came to writing about Drew and her story?

I loved how different it was because Drew isn’t even human – she’s a machine so I had to come at it a completely different way.  She had to act and think so differently and that was a challenge but definitely fun as well.

5. Since your book, Mechanical, is sci-fi can you share with us three of your favorite sci-fi books and authors?

The Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson (these books really inspired me in the first few stories I wrote when I was younger)

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

The Across the Universe Series by Beth Revis

6. If you could visit any fictional world for a day which would you choose and why?

If this counts TV shows, I’d have to choose the world in Star Trek.  It’s basically just a futuristic Earth, but with lots of space travel which I would love.  I wouldn’t mind spending a day in space aboard the Enterprise.

7. I see that you have conquered NaNoWriMo. What are your thoughts on that experience? Hardest things about doing NaNoWriMo?

I wholeheartedly loved NaNoWriMo.  I’ve done it twice and I recommend it to all writers out there.  The hardest part is just sitting down and forcing yourself to write the allotted words each day (about 1600 or so) but once you get into it you’re so consumed by your story and by the end it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

8. The world has fallen to a robot invasion and only one heroine/hero can possibly save the day, who do you choose? 

Choosing from various main characters, I’d have to pick Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles.  She’s smart, which would be crucial in a fight against robots and her journey so far in the series shows she’s pretty much capable of anything.

9. Care to tell us about your writing cave (include picture if you want)?

My writing cave is basically the dining room table. :P  I have my laptop set up and lots of books and papers stacked up on a shelf behind me.  The dining room is also covered in windows so I can see out into our yard, which is really beautiful with trees and flowers and such – it helps when I need inspiring scenery.  Also, my brother sits across from me with his laptop, which is great when I need someone to bounce ideas off of.

10. Any upcoming projects that you can sure with us?   

I’m currently working on publishing some fairytale retellings I’ve written.  Staying true to my favorite genre, they’re science fiction retellings of popular fairytales, so I’m super excited about those.

Pauline, thank so much for stopping by! I, too, think that Cinder would do an excellent job of saving the world from a robot invasion. You just reminded me how much I need to catch up on that series.

Readers, Pauline Harris well be doing a Goodreads giveaway for her book Mechanical between April 29th and May 29th, so, be sure to check it out for your chance to win a copy -> HERE <- .="" p="">

Mechanical by Pauline Harris, May 24, 2013. Published by Melange Books, LLC.

Drew is an android. From the very beginning of her existence, she has been programed by her creators to understand her superiority and overwhelming responsibilities. She was created for a mission, a mission more important than anything she could ever have imagined. Drew is sent to a high school to observe the humans and report back to her creators. But when she begins to form friendships with these humans and starts feeling strange human emotions, she doubts the creators' ways of dealing with her and wonders whether her mission is as wonderful as it once seemed. As Drew falls deeper and deeper into the mystery surrounding her mission and her creation, she's suddenly left with a choice. Does she follow through with what she's known all her life or does she act on what she now knows is right?

Don't forget, you can add Mechanical to your Goodreads shelf.