Autumn Cornwell

Squat toilets, profuse sweating, jumbo centipedes, ear nibbling -- these are just some of the delights Autumn Cornwell encountered in her global adventures, which inspired her first young adult novel, Carpe Diem, published in the U.S. by Macmillan, followed by foreign editions in Germany, Holland, and China. Carpe Diem is a comedic coming of age adventure about a Type A teenage girl forced to backpack through Southeast Asia with her wacky bohemian grandmother. She sweats, falls in love, hones her outdoor survival skills -- and uncovers a family secret that turns her whole world upside-down. Autumn's work with the refugees and persecuted minority groups of Burma created a passion for personal and religious freedom which became the backstory of her second young adult novel, Never Sorry Ever Jolly. In this comedic adventure, an atheist joins a church youth group in a desperate attempt to score a girlfriend -- and soon finds himself following the girl of his dreams on an outreach trip to the refugee camps of Thailand. The team leaders immediately get detained as suspected drug smugglers, leaving the teens to fend for themselves. His focus shifts from love to survival to the meaning of life. The fascination with other countries and cultures began during Autumn's childhood as a missionary kid in hot and humid Southeast Asia. That is, until her fourth grade year, when her parents moved the family to overcast and soggy Washington State -- talk about culture shock! Autumn attended Biola University in Southern California, where she got a B.A. in Communications, as well as an M.R.S. degree -- that is, married her college boyfriend. Writing and speaking about physical, creative, and spiritual adventures (with humor!) has been Autumn's lifelong calling -- whether the format is novels, scripts, testimonies, films, podcasts, or memoirs. When she's not losing luggage internationally, Autumn can be found attempting to write about those experiences at home in Pasadena, California with her husband and two children. To check out what crazy adventures she's up to these days, visit www.autumncornwell.com.