Guest Nose: Saundra Mitchell

In Shadowed Summer, my main character Iris trails behind her best friend Collette in the getting-to-the-beauty phase of being a teen. It doesn't occur to Iris to think about the way she looks until her uncle brings her a few faintly fashionable odds and ends from a tag sale.
Among these pieces, Iris finds a fitted, blousy shirt unlike her usual beaten-up Ts. And when she puts it on, she feels different. More obvious; more like Collette, who's still delighted enough with her recent transformation