Have you heard of Saundra Mitchell?  Let me tell you a little bit about why she's so cool.

She's a young adult author.

This may seem like a pretty simply concept, I mean how many of them are there out there right now (and how many more are typing away dreaming to become one)?  However, Saundra is the very first author to send me an ARC of her debut novel.  Way back when I was just starting to blog, I didn't really understand very much about the whole thing.

I made some newbie mistakes, but Saundra was kind enough to overlook them and graciously answered my e-mail requesting a review copy.  In fact she sent me TWO, one for myself and one for my sister's HS bookclub.  The book? Shadowed Summer.  Saundra was my second author special edition (you can read the review and interview here).

She helps young adults reach their dreams.

In addition to be a young adult author, Saundra is also involved in helping teens with their passion for film-making and writing.  Between her work with Fresh Films--a national filmmaking program that helps bring teens together to work on a film they create from start to finish, her Girls in the Director's Chair work and recently her call for submissions to her first anthology she's editing (Defy the Dark
) Saundra is doing her best to promote creativity and outlets for that creativity in today's youth.
So basically--she rocks.  End of story, take no replacements.  Thanks to Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books, I get to have Saundra come by for a guest post that really rocks.  Musically that is :)

Take it Saundra!


by: Saundra Mitchell
The crazy thing about writing historical novels is that I still want a playlist to listen to while I
work. Sometimes this works out well. I love classical music, and that's what was common in the
ballrooms my characters frequent in THE VESPERTINE. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of
folk-Americana, which is what would have been appropriate for THE SPRINGSWEET.

So the challenge becomes finding songs that fit the mood of the book, without jolting me out of
the time period. (No matter how hard I try, New Wave doesn't go with a prairie setting.) What I
did with the playlist for THE SPRINGSWEET was instead choose a time signature: a waltz. All
of the music, modern or classic, that I listened to when I wrote THE SPRINGSWEET is in 3/4 or
6/8 time.

It's turned out to be one of my most favorite playlists, so I'm excited to share it with you!

Love Will Come Through – Travis


I’m With You – Avril Lavigne


Falling Slowly – Kris Allen


Waltz – Juniper Loop
I can't find a video for this one on youtube (I know crazy right?), but you can hear a .

Sing – Travis


A Song for the Lovers- Richard Ashcroft


Welcome to Mystery – Plain White T’s


River Waltz – Cowboy Junkies


New Morning – Alpha Rev


Dionne Reel / Mouth of the Tobique – Traditional


Haymaker’s Hoedown – Traditional


Midnight on the Water – Luke Thomasson


That last one, I found on YouTube. It's really the theme song of the book. It's a tune that's stuck
with me, and can actually make me tear up when I listen to it sometimes. You can listen to this
beautiful rendition by Black and Tan on YouTube. When you do, think of the prairies, and
leaving home for the first time—I bet you'll tear up, too.

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She's the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and the forthcoming The Elementals and Mistwalker. She's also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dares are too easy. Visit her online at saundramitchell.com

*edited: jeez I spelled her name wrong in the headline...just kill me now. :sigh: