Q & A with Sarah Brownlee

The Experiment of Professor Polgas

by Sarah Brownlee 

If you were an animal, what would you be? This is the question Blaise, Ash and Dinah unexpectedly stumble upon during the summer holidays when they enter a strange internet café. A mysterious woman asks them to take an online test to discover what animal most closely matches their own personality. They are happy to oblige. Online tests are always fun and this one comes with its own special perks.

But what they don’t realise is that not far away, in the heart of London, a mad professor is watching them. Professor Polgas is preparing something; something that will change them forever; something that will have them on the run for their very lives …

This fantasy novel from Sarah Brownlee is a thrill ride of twists and turns, ready to surprise at every corner and sure to delight both children and adults alike. 

Paperback, 394 pages

Published October 12th 2016 

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Read It & Reap:  April 29, 2018

Sarah Brownlee is a Young Adult and Children's author based in London, England. Her debut novel 'How the Wolf Lost Her Heart' is a YA Paranormal Romance set in a grim, futuristic London where thugs and criminals run the city and Morphers (people who can transform into their spirit animal) exist. Its sequel, YA Fantasy Dystopian 'How the Tiger Faced His Challenge' was released in October 2015 and centres around a city at the brink of civil war. In 2016, she released her first children's novel 'The Experiment of Professor Polgas' which tells the story of how Morphers came into existence.

When Sarah is not writing, she can usually be found walking dogs, battling the forces of darkness and dreaming of living in the beautiful English countryside.

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Q & A with Sarah Brownlee 

Tell us a little bit about your main characters. 

Blaise, Ash and Dinah are thirteen and fourteen years old. Blaise and Ash are brother and sister; Dinah is Blaise's best friend. Each is able to transform into their spirit animal as the story progresses and they all have their own quirks and shortcomings. Blaise is pretty feisty and stubborn at times; she is able to transform into a wolf and like the wolf, she is loyal, bold and would do anything to protect her loved ones. Dinah is sweet, kind, sincere and very often the water to Blaise's fire; like her spirit animal, the beaver, she is a homebody and loves to take care of others. Meanwhile, Ash is smart, sarcastic and more level-headed than the other two; like his spirit animal, the eagle, he is sharp and insightful with an uncanny knack for finding solutions to tricky problems.

Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?
My cover design backstory is a little unusual in comparison to other authors. My first novel 'How the Wolf Lost Her Heart' was designed by John Muriel Photography. The second 'How the Tiger Faced His Challenge' was designed by myself; and 'The Experiment of Professor Polgas' was by Luke Ahearn at Creative Covers. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that designing my own cover was a process that didn't exactly thrill me to bits; oh, I was very proud of the fact I actually did it after many trial and error hours of frustration; but from now on, I'm leaving it to the pros!

Describe your ideal writing spot.
A quiet, secluded cafe with my trusty laptop, a green tea on one side and a cheese and ham toastie on the other.

What is the best advice you have been given?
Never give up, never surrender. (Actually, it wasn't given to me; it was taken from the wise words of the wonderful Sir Winston Churchill.)

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An author or a vet.

Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
Hardback and paperbacks definitely!

 If you could have any supernatural power, what would you choose and why?
Oh my gosh, this is so hard! But I suppose there can only be one answer. I'd want to be like Blaise, Ash and Dinah and be able to turn into my spirit animal (this is all depending on if I have a spirit animal that is actually going to do me any favours, of course. Imagine if your spirit animal was a mosquito or something like that; what a total waste of an ability, plus you'd probably be squashed to death within seconds.)

What book are you reading now?
The Red Book by Carl Jung. Truly brilliant.