#47: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Writing With Dyslexia with Haley-Grace McCormick

#51: Why Matt Haig Reads 1-Star Reviews of The Midnight Library

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 [https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook [https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook]  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook [https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook]  Matt Haig Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/ [https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/] Find his books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/matt-haig?id=811768428 [https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/matt-haig?id=811768428] Find his books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/matt-haig [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/matt-haig] Off The Shelf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast [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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

#50: Lauren Kate Was Rejected 76 Times Before Writing 'Fallen'

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 [https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook [https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook]  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook [https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook]  Lauren Kate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkatebooks [https://www.instagram.com/laurenkatebooks] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenkatebooks [https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenkatebooks] Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/lauren-kate?id=889940567 [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 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/series/lauren-kates-fallen-series] Off The Shelf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast [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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

#49: Why Heartless Hunter Was Kristen Ciccarelli's Last Chance

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 [https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook [https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook]  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook [https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook]  Kristen Ciccarelli Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenciccarelli/ [https://www.instagram.com/kristenciccarelli/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenciccarelli [https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenciccarelli] Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/kristen-ciccarelli?id=875238864 [https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/kristen-ciccarelli?id=875238864] Find her books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/kristen-ciccarelli [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/kristen-ciccarelli] Off The Shelf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast [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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

#48: Why Brooke Averick Used Her Own Anxiety in Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It

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 [https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook [https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook]  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook [https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook]  Brooke Averick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick/ [https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefron [https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefron] Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/products/phoebe-bermans-gonna-lose-it [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 [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/ [https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast [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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

#47: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Writing With Dyslexia with Haley-Grace McCormick

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 [https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook [https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook]  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook [https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook]  Haley-Grace McCormick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleygracemccormick/ [https://www.instagram.com/haleygracemccormick/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haleygracemccormick [https://www.tiktok.com/@haleygracemccormick] Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/haley-grace-mccormick?id=855748417 [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 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enemy-of-time-haley-grace-mccormick/1147688428] Off The Shelf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/]  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast [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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.