Off The Shelf with Morgann Book

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with author Molly Fader, who's written more than 50 books under various pen names - including one that made its way into Suicide Squad. They talk about her latest release, Lady X, a vigilante girl gang story set in 1977 New York City that was partly sparked by Taylor Swift's "Vigilante Shit." Molly opens up about switching literary agents after 25 years, the research that shaped the book, and what keeps her chasing that "lightning strike" feeling after six decades' worth of stories.

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Intro & Welcome

02:38 Publishing Her First Book at 25

04:05 Toronto, Harlequin & Learning the Craft

04:37 The Cowgirl Phase

06:20 From Harlequin to Single-Title Books

08:52 The Pen Name Universe

12:34 How Many Books, Really?

17:00 The Suicide Squad Mystery

22:38 Introducing Lady X

24:29 The Spark Behind the Story

27:38 Writing Female Rage & Friendship

28:27 Plotter vs. Pantser

29:52 Researching 1977 New York City

31:18 Her Writing Space, Then and Now

32:24 A New Agent, After 25 Years

34:22 Selling Lady X & Canadian Rights

34:48 What She Wants Readers to Take Away

37:01 What's Next: 1980s Nashville

37:35 The Lightning Strike Feeling

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Molly Fader

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyfaderauthor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daydrinkingwithmolly

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/products/lady-x

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/search?attributes.contributorId=20010981&contributorName=Molly%20Fader

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with bestselling Canadian author Marissa Stapley, whose novel Lucky became Reese's Book Club's first-ever Canadian pick and is now being adapted into an Apple TV+ series starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Drew Starkey, and Annette Bening. Marissa shares the heartbreaking story behind writing Lucky while caring for her mom, how Reese Witherspoon discovered the book, what it was really like keeping the Reese's Book Club secret, and why she always pictured Anya Taylor-Joy as Lucky. 

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Intro & Welcome

00:35 - Why Marissa always knew she'd be a writer

03:25 - Her first novel that never made it to shelves

04:40 - How journalism shaped her writing career

06:02 - Ranking her wildest jobs (including cemetery gardener)

09:06 - Why she writes under multiple pen names

11:06 - How co-writing a novel actually works

12:44 - TV writing vs. novel writing

14:30 - The inspiration behind Lucky

17:06 - Creating Lucky Armstrong

20:22 - Writing Lucky while caring for her mom

22:30 - Becoming Reese's first Canadian Book Club pick

25:23 - Keeping the Reese's Book Club secret

27:56 - How the Apple TV+ adaptation came together

30:40 - Manifesting Anya Taylor-Joy as Lucky

35:04 - Visiting the set of Lucky

40:11 - The biggest changes from book to TV series

42:09 - Which episode Marissa can't stop thinking about

44:04 - What to expect from the Lucky sequel

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Marissa Stapley

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marissastapley/

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/Marissa-Stapley

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/search?attributes.contributorId=16235074&contributorName=Marissa%20Stapley

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with bestselling author June Hur to discuss her journey from writing Pride & Prejudice fanfiction to publishing Behind Five Willows. They chat about countless rejections, finding her voice as a writer, the inspiration behind her latest novel, Korean history, libraries, and why she chose to slow down her publishing schedule.

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Intro & Welcome

01:14 Pride & Prejudice Started Everything

05:30 Growing Up Between Korea, Canada & the U.S.

08:23 Working at the Library & Favorite Books

10:07 15 Manuscripts, 100+ Rejections & Finding Her Voice

16:28 Why She Writes Korean Historical Fiction

18:11 Motherhood Changed Her Writing Career

21:36 Her Writing Process & Writing Korean on the Page

24:27 How Her Books Have Evolved

27:42 Where to Start Reading June Hur

28:18 Behind Five Willows Explained

31:15 Turning Pride & Prejudice Into a Romance

33:36 Book Bans, History & Why Stories Matter

35:23 Writing the Romance & Darcy Inspiration

37:03 A Love Letter to Librarians & Bookstores

39:09 What's Next for June Hur

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

June Hur

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junehwrites

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@junehwrites

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/june-hur?id=883069940

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/search?attributes.contributorId=20658423&contributorName=June%20Hur

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with bestselling author Elle Kennedy, the writer behind the beloved Off Campus books. Elle shares how she knew she wanted to be an author at just six years old, what it felt like selling her first novel, and why she almost never self-published The Deal. They also dive into the biggest behind-the-scenes secrets from the Off-Campus series, including the original plans for Tucker, why Dean almost ended up with someone else, what it was like visiting the set of the TV adaptation, and more!

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Intro & Welcome

02:35 Wanting to be an author at six years old

05:19 Selling her first book & publishing journey

08:41 How her writing process has evolved

12:41 Why The Deal was originally self-published

15:13 Creating Garrett, Hannah & the Briar universe

17:16 The original Off-Campus series plans

18:26 Tucker almost had a very different fate

21:07 Why Dean wasn't meant for Sabrina

24:34 Favourite scenes from the series

26:44 Which Off-Campus characters were easiest to write?

27:57 Expanding the Briar universe

30:45 Off-Campus character superlatives

32:14 Bringing Off-Campus to TV

34:43 Visiting the set & meeting the cast

39:22 Hidden Easter eggs & favourite filming moments

43:50 Season 2 teases

46:03 New YA thriller & returning to suspense

50:07 Outro

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Elle Kennedy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellekennedyauthor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellekennedyauthor

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/elle-kennedy?id=825593661

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/elle-kennedy

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library, The Midnight Train, and Reasons to Stay Alive. Matt opens up about the mental health crisis that changed the course of his life, how writing became part of his recovery, and why The Midnight Library was the most freeing book he's ever written. We also discuss the upcoming film adaptation starring Florence Pugh, the inspiration behind Nora Seed, social media, AI, creativity, and what he hopes readers take away from The Midnight Train.

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Introduction

01:16 Why Matt Reads His Own 1-Star Reviews

04:06 Why Children Are Better Readers Than Adults

06:24 Trouble at School, Neurodiversity & Finding Writing

08:28 The Breakdown That Changed Everything

11:56 How Books Helped Him Survive Depression

14:05 Recovery, Rejection & Becoming an Author

17:40 The Purpose Behind Reasons to Stay Alive

20:17 Mental Health Advocacy & Writing Fiction

27:26 Conquering His Fear of Public Speaking

33:07 The Origin of The Midnight Library

35:12 Writing Nora's Many Alternate Lives

37:50 How Nora Seed Got Her Name

38:52 The Midnight Library Movie Adaptation

40:27 Florence Pugh as Nora & Behind the Scenes

44:30 Inside The Midnight Train

46:14 What Matt Wants Readers to Take Away

49:20 The Dream of Opening a Bookstore

51:24 What's Next

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Matt Haig

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/

Find his books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/matt-haig?id=811768428

Find his books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/matt-haig

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with bestselling author Lauren Kate to talk about the teacher who inspired her to keep writing, the 76 rejection letters she still has, and how Fallen became a global phenomenon. Plus, Lauren shares the latest on the Fallen TV series and why she returned to the world of angels with her newest novel, White Lights.

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Introduction

01:04 International Emmy & The Fallen Legacy

02:04 Ballet, Books & Growing Up Creative

04:12 The Teacher Who Changed Everything

10:12 Discovering Writing in College

13:08 76 Rejection Letters Before Success

16:11 The Call That Changed Her Life

17:52 Working at HarperCollins

19:54 The Origins of Fallen

23:14 Building Luce, Daniel & Cam

30:44 The Fallen Movie Adaptation

36:54 Bringing Fallen to Television

40:04 Inside Lauren Kate's New Fantasy, White Lights

42:53 Why She Returned to Angels After Rom-Coms

46:06 Easter Eggs, Book Two & What's Next

49:15 The Lasting Impact of Fallen Readers

50:16 Outro

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Lauren Kate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkatebooks

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenkatebooks

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/lauren-kate?id=889940567

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/series/lauren-kates-fallen-series

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with bestselling fantasy author Kristen Ciccarelli to talk about the journey from writing stories on her dad's old laptop with no internet to creating the global romantasy phenomenon Heartless Hunter. Kristen shares the inspiration behind Rebel Witch, the surprising moment she realized Heartless Hunter was taking off around the world, why the book has two different titles, and more!

CHAPTERS: 

0:00 - Introduction

1:19 - The Real Story Behind Rebel Witch

2:43 - Writing Fantasy as a Kid

9:13 - Life Before Publishing

12:12 - The Writing Shed

15:00 - Kristen's Writing Process

18:18 - The Inspiration for Heartless Hunter

23:33 - Creating Rune & Gideon

29:06 - Writing the Book She Wanted to Write

31:19 - The BookTok Success of Heartless Hunter

34:10 - Heartless Hunter vs The Crimson Moth

36:02 - Writing on an AlphaSmart Neo

42:02 - The Meaning Behind the Dedication

43:18 - What's Next for the Crimson Moth World

44:13 - Vampires, Werewolves & Future Books

45:59 - Final Thoughts & What's Next

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Kristen Ciccarelli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenciccarelli/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenciccarelli

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/kristen-ciccarelli?id=875238864

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/kristen-ciccarelli

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Brooke Averick to talk about her debut novel Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It, going from teaching preschool to building a career online, and why writing a book felt more intimidating than going viral. Brooke opens up about imposter syndrome, pulling from her own experiences with anxiety, BookTok favourites, and the story behind bringing Phoebe to life. 

CHAPTERS: 

0:30 - Introduction

1:08 - What is Brooke obsessed with right now?

2:35 - Brooke’s Teaching & Creator Career

5:25 - Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast

6:55 - Entering BookTok

14:10 - Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It

31:10 - FIRSTS Rapid Fire

36:30 - Book Cover Design

39:55 - Brooke’s Favourite Books

46:00 - What’s Next?

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Brooke Averick

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefron

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/products/phoebe-bermans-gonna-lose-it

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Brooke%20Averick%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Haley-Grace McCormick to talk about the journey behind her debut novel The Enemy of Time. Haley-Grace opens up about living with dyslexia and ADHD, going viral on TikTok after one unexpected video, and how heartbreak shaped some of the book’s most emotional moments. Plus, we get into fantasy romance, hidden easter eggs, designing her own cover, The Vampire Diaries hot takes, and what she’s writing next.

CHAPTERS: 

0:30 - Introduction

2:45 - Haley-Grace Growing Up

6:30 - What People Misunderstand About Dyslexia

10:58 - Content Creator Life

19:30 - The Enemy of Time

36:50 - The Book Cover Design

41:30 - The Vampire Diaries 

47:27 - What’s Next?

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Haley-Grace McCormick

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleygracemccormick/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haleygracemccormick

Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/haley-grace-mccormick?id=855748417

Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enemy-of-time-haley-grace-mccormick/1147688428

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Louisa Levy, the creator and showrunner behind Off Campus. From adapting one of BookTok’s biggest romance series to casting Hannah and Garrett, Louisa breaks down the real process of bringing Off Campus to the screen. We talk chemistry reads, the pressure of adapting such a beloved fandom, why the “spice” was so important to keep in the show, and how the writers built a series designed to keep you clicking “next episode.” Plus, Louisa teases what fans can expect from Season 2.

CHAPTERS: 

0:30 - Introduction

2:05 - Louisa’s Early Career

8:00 - Signing on to Off Campus

11:40 - Non-negotiables In The Adaptation 

19:15 - What Louisa Changed From The Books

23:35 - Elle Kennedy’s Role

24:50 - SPOILERS!

30:05 - Importance of the First Scene

33:50 - Casting

38:53 - Louisa’s Role in Creating The Show

47:50 - The Future of Off Campus

48:10 - SPOILERS!

FOLLOW US:

Morgann Book

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook 

Off Campus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offcampusonprime/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offcampusonprime

Find Off Campus books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/search?q=off-campus&lgcykwrd=off-campus

Find Off Campus books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/series/off-campus-series/_/N-2xy6

Off The Shelf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast 

Hosted by: Morgann Book

Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston 

Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi

Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.