Saundra Mitchell

Saundra Mitchell is a renowned author, known for her work in young adult fantasy and non-fiction for middle graders. Her published works include "The Vespertine," "Shadowed Summer," "The Springsweet," and "The Elementals," among others. She is also the author of the non-fiction series "They Did What!?" and the editor of the YA anthology "Defy the Dark." In 2010, "Shadowed Summer" won The Society of Midland Authors Book Award in the Children’s Fiction category and was nominated for the Edgar® Award the same year.

Mitchell has a varied background, having worked as a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer, and a layout waxer. She has also had a number of unique experiences, including dodging trains, enduring basic training, and hitchhiking from Montana to California. In addition to her writing, Mitchell has also worked for twenty years as the head screenwriter and an executive producer with Dreaming Tree Films on their various teen filmmaking programs. She has earned Academy Award eligibility ten times during her tenure.

Mitchell is a frequent guest expert on Urban Legends & Folklore and was interviewed by the New York Times and the BBC for her part in exposing the Kaycee Nicole hoax. She is a passionate writer and editor, with a dedication to creating engaging and thought-provoking works for young adults. In her free time, she enjoys fandom, studying history, papermaking, and spending time with her wife and daughters.