Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Autumn Lytle & All That Fills Us

Please join me in welcoming Autumn Lytle to the blog today to chat about her debut novel (of which I’ve heard fabulous things), All That Fills Us!

Autumn Lytle identifies with a strange group of humans who enjoy running long distances and writing even longer books. Along with being a forever-recovering anorexic and exercise addict, she is a weirdly good checkers player and finder of four-leaf clovers. She spends her days thinking up stories and trying to figure out this whole parenting thing with her son. She can often be found out exploring her hometown of Seattle, Washington, with her family in tow. Learn more at www.AutumnLytle.com.

You can also connect with Autumn on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

ALL THAT FILLS US by Autumn Lytle
GENRE: Inspirational Literary Fiction
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2022
PAGES: 350

Mel Ellis knows that her eating disorder is ruining her life. Everyone tells her rehab is her best option, but she can’t bring herself to go. Broken and empty in more ways than one, Mel makes one last-ditch effort to make hers a story worth telling. She will walk her own road to recovery along the lesser-known trails of the North American wilderness.

Though she is physically and mentally unprepared to face the difficulties that lay ahead, she sets off on foot from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and heads toward Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. During the long journey, she meets strangers with their own stories, as well as ghosts from her past who can no longer be ignored. But though the land she travels threatens her success at every turn, it’s her own dark thoughts she’ll have to overcome in order to find peace in the life and the body she has been given.

With pitch-perfect timing and delightfully witty self-awareness, debut author Autumn Lytle masterfully leads readers on a journey down the hard path toward healing.

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Hi Autumn! Welcome to the blog!

Autumn: Audiobooks all the way. It’s the only way I’m able to read anymore! Also, I really feel like I’ve accomplished something when I finish an audiobook verses listening to an album. I’m sure the rest of the world would agree… Anything not to hear my tone-deaf attempts to sing along.

Carrie: haha!

Autumn: Well, I’m not a barbarian, so over.

Carrie: LOL fair enough

Autumn: Mountains, but luckily for me I now live in Seattle and we’ve got the best of both worlds out here.

Carrie: for the first time in my life, I live in a state with both, too (Georgia) and I’m loving that!

Autumn: Sandwiches! Soup has its moments, but nothing holds a special place in my heart like a really good sandwich. I actually had the courage to talk to my (now) husband for the first time because my friend told me she’d buy me my favorite sandwich from my favorite deli if I did. Needless to say, nothing motivates me like a sandwich.

Carrie: LOL that’s awesome

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Autumn: I guess it would have to be convincing friends and family to train for and run long distance races. This superpower does not make me very popular, believe it or not.

Carrie: I believe it & I think your superpower would meet its match in me. In fact, if you DO see me running, call the police because someone must be chasing me. Hopefully not the police.

Q: Tell me some good books you’ve read recently.

Autumn: I’ve had the immense privilege of reading so [many] truly fantastic books lately. Some of them include: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin, and Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown.

Carrie: ooo a nonfiction reader is among us! 🙂

Q: If I sneaked a peek in your purse right now (which I would never do, I promise!), what would it tell me about you?

Autumn: Well, the purse itself would probably tell you quite a bit since it happens to be a fanny pack. My best friend used to wear one all the time and I would good-naturedly (but relentlessly) tease her for it. She eventually bought me one and I started wearing it as a joke. But it didn’t take long for me to fall in love. I had to admit it was possibly the most revolutionary product I’ve ever used, especially with a squirmy 18-month-old in tow. I didn’t mean for this to turn into a sermon about the life-changing effects of wearing a fanny pack, but the world needs to know!

Carrie: You may have changed someone’s life today 😉

Q: What surprised you about your book or your characters as you wrote All That Fills Us?

Autumn: I was surprised by how much the book-writing process felt like the healing process all over again. While writing the early chapters, there were times when I felt like I was back in that dark space I used to inhabit when my eating disorder ruled my life. I would be sullen and moody the rest of the day without fully realizing why. But as the process wore on and I journeyed with my character towards healing, I would be blown away remembering the grace and love that would so often sweep me up during my own recovery.

Carrie: I’m sure it drained you emotionally to write All That Fills Us but I’m so glad you dared to take that journey to tell this story for those who need the same healing ♥

Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing All That Fills Us, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?

Autumn: I don’t think it’s possible for me to have the whole plot outlined before I dive into a writing project. I try, but the characters always end up taking me in a different direction. I’ve learned just to go with it. It’s so much fun to see where they are going to take me next!

Carrie: I think, many times, those are the most fun for readers to read, too!

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from All That Fills Us?

Autumn: I want readers to know they aren’t alone. Whether they are personally struggling with an eating disorder or they are trying to care for someone with an eating disorder or even struggling with a sense the story they are living out isn’t worth much, I want this book to act like a faithful friend who truly gets it. That friend doesn’t have all the answers and they can’t fix all that’s been broken, but they let you know you’re not going to have to go through this thing alone. I think that’s the best kind of hope I’m capable of offering with All That Fills Us, and I pray I’ve done it justice.

Carrie: i love that. Yes.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Autumn: I only had a one book contract, but I’m forever and always working on future projects! My favorite project right now is the story of my mom’s young adulthood. Still new to college, she found herself pregnant and abandoned by her family. My dad’s family stepped in and introduced her to a life of faith an unconditional love. My parents had told me bits and pieces of the story over the years, but once I heard the whole thing, I knew I had to turn it into a book.

Revell is offering a print copy of All That Fills Us by Autumn Lytle to TWO of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read All That Fills Us by Autumn Lytle?