Saundra Mitchell is the author for this Thursday's Author Tales! Saundra's debut novel Shadowed Summer was released February 10, 2009! You can check out me review of Shadowed Summer, here! For more information on Saundra Mitchell and Shadowed Summer, check out her website.
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What initially drew you to tell this story?

I'd had Iris slumming around in my head for a couple of months and no idea what to do with her. I thought, well, I'll write a supernatural romance then! A book that would make people feel the way Annette Curtis Klause's "The Silver Kiss" had made me feel when I was 17.

But Iris wasn't interested in romance and neither was Elijah. With the early chapters, I really was heading for that supernatural romance, but once the witchboard got to talking, that's not what happened at all.

I spent a lot of time prodding Iris- she was stubborn and unhelpful- the bullheaded little sister I never had, but we got there in the end. (And yes, I rewrote the first chapters!)

Which character did you relate to the most?

I really relate to them all. They're all little slices of me- my bad temper, my melancholy, my stubbornness- so it's hard to say which one I relate to the most. It's like asking what my own favorite mood is. But I'm the most sympathetic toward Daddy. Poor Jack Rhame never asked for any of this- I think he's the one who lost the most in this book, and earned the least.

Have you ever been haunted by a ghost?

No, but I stayed the night with a friend once who was being haunted. He swore that the ghost talked to him in the shower, saying all kinds of embarrassing things. It hid his keys- kept him up all hours of the night with their barking dogs. I was actually worried my friend needed a psychiatric evaluation- that's why I came to spend the night. I wanted to prove he wasn't hearing anything, so he'd get help.

We had an uneventful evening, and turned in around midnight. Then suddenly, around 2 am I woke up because it was *freezing*. I could see my breath in the air, and I figured the oil heater had gone out. Then the barking started. It sounded so close, but it echoed. It was an awful noise and it went on and on and on until my friend and I both got up and spend the night in a booth at a Waffle House.

My friend moved out shortly thereafter- and funny enough, once he lived in a new house, he never lost his keys.

What was working as a phone psychic like?

Some nights, it was a lot of fun, but most nights, it was really sad. People don't call psychics for visions of the future. They call because they already know the answer to something, and they just want someone to agree with them.

Those are the folks who want to know if their sweetheart is cheating on them, for example. They'll tell you the whole sordid story- you don't have to be a psychic to figure out that the boyfriend who comes home with a hickey is cheating.

And even sadder were the calls from people who didn't need a psychic at all. They were lonely, and they wanted someone to talk to them, even if they have to pay $4.99 a minute for the company. I took a few too many of those calls toward the end- that's ultimately why I quit. I still have my tarot cards, though!

What are you hoping young readers will take from this novel and possibly apply to their own lives?

I'm not a real big lesson writer myself, just because I don't feel like I have all the answers yet- who am I to advise? But I hope that anybody who reads this book feels- for an hour or two, at least- that they're not alone.

Who are what inspired you to become a writer?

I've always written, since I was little. But I didn't focus on writing stories until high school. My English teacher, Mrs. Redman, helped turn me into a lover of words. She let me play with them- she gave me room to explore. And I wrote my very first non-assignment story for my friend Braden, who encouraged me to write another, and another, and another...

Why did you decide to write for young adults?

I've been a screenwriter for fifteen years, working all the time for several short film series for teens. Having the opportunity to talk to creative teens, to hear their ideas, to see what's important for them- that's definitely centered my thoughts and my ideas in that place and time. All the discoveries, all the firsts- they make the best stories, I think.

What do you like the best about connecting with your fans?

I have to tell you- right now, it still trips me out that there are people who have read the book that aren't related to me, at all. I haven't gotten to interact much at all. It's all so new!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

My best advice for aspiring writes is to read, read, read, and write, write, write. In fact, I think the best way to learn your craft and to start working on your art is to get involved in fandom and write fan fiction. Not only do you make lifelong friends who love the same things you do, it's an incredibly supportive environment in which to learn to write. It's an awesome place to keep writing, too! Between us? I may be produced and published, but I still write fan fiction (under a pseudonym, of course!)

Who are some of your favorite YA authors?

Ooh, I love Maggie Stiefvater, John Green and Maureen Johnson. And I promise this year, you're going to love Carrie Ryan, Sarah Rees Brennan and Sarah Cross.

What is your favorite genre to read? And what is one adult and one young adult novel in that genre, that you would consider your favorite?

When it comes to adult books, I tend to read non-fiction. I love everything by Anneli Rufus, Mary Roach and Jon Krakauer- and I recommend "The Farewell Chronicles" by Rufus as one of the most insightful books on dying, and the many ways we approach it, I've read- ever. (I know, sounds like a blast, right? But it's really beautifully written!)

In YA, I like a little bit of everything and I have a hard time choosing favorites- I'm not a super-big science fiction fan, but I thought "The Hunger Games" was incredible. I'm not a big fan of faeries, but "Knife" and "Lament" knocked my socks off. I can't pick a favorite! There are too many exceptional exceptions!

If you could date a fictional character, who would it be and why?

You get to hear it first: I am going to marry Alan Ryves one day.

Are you working on any other novels?

And can you tell us a little bit about it? I'm working on a novel right now about a girl who sees visions, but only at dusk. I've now restarted it four times, but I think I'm finally getting somewhere!

Are there any authors you would like to collaborate with?

You remember that box on your report card, where the teacher would write notes? Mine always said, "Does not play well with others." I'm very solitary when I work, and I get derailed easily. It's best if I don't collaborate- for my sake, and theirs.

Thank you so much for having me! It's an honor to be part of The Story Siren!

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I have an extra copy of Shadowed Summer, that I'm willing to part with! If you would like to take it off my hands please leave a comment below. Contest open to residents of the U.S. Contest ends next Thursday Feb. 26, 2009. Thanks!

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