Jennifer Brown

It's been a few days and I don't know about you, but I've sure worked up an appetite for lunch. Today, as the next stop on my "Lunching with Leads" blog tour, I'm lunching with Iris Rhame, the main character of Saundra Mitchell's YA novel, SHADOWED SUMMER.

About the Book:

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered. 

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy." 

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew. 

What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

I can't wait to get to the table. Where are we eating?

Out at the Tea House by the river!

Ooh, I'm a big tea fan. This is going to be great. What's on the menu?

Etoufee and shrimp cocktail, since it's a special occasion to be eating out!

Special occasion, indeed! In fact, so special, I think we should invite someone else to join us. Who would Iris like to invite?

Her uncle Lee, who is the best lunch date around.

I can't wait to meet Uncle Lee. Is it okay if I call him my uncle, too? Let's see... I want to chat, but I'm a little nervous I'll talk about something that Iris doesn't want to talk about. What subject should I stay away from?

That "incident" with the Rhame girl. It was a temporary lapse, she swears.

Well, we all have temporary lapses, that's what I say. So instead we can talk about...?

Anywhere amazing you've ever been besides Ondine, Louisiana, as Iris has never been anywhere BUT Ondine, Louisiana.

Oh, girl, I've been LOTS of places. I could talk all day about it. But I'm feeling a little starstruck sitting across from Iris. How does she like all the attention she's getting, being the star of SHADOWED SUMMER and all?

It's an interesting kind of curious- she'll be happy to look at them from her window, but actually running up on them might be odd.

Oh, look! It's time for dessert! I love candy for dessert, which begs the obvious question: How does Iris eat a Reeses?

Iris would pop a hole in the middle with her tongue, and then eat the outside ring last.

Hey, I've never eaten one that way. I think I'll give it a try, too.

It's been a GREAT lunch, Saundra, and thank you, Iris, for showing me a new way to eat a Reeses!

To purchase a copy of SHADOWED SUMMER, click here.

About the Author:

A screenwriter and author, Saundra Mitchell penned the screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first feature film, Revenge Ends, debuted on the festival circuit in 2008. In her free time, she enjoys ghost hunting, papermaking, and spending time with her husband and her two children.

Visit Saundra at her websites:

http://www.saundramitchell.com

http://www.shadowedsummer.com

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Be sure to come back for lunch hour on March 27th, for lunch with the main character of Cynthea Liu's THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA.