Off The Shelf with Morgann Book

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Justin Wu, the director of Sidelined: The QB and Me and Sidelined 2: Intercepted. Justin opens up about his early draw to the arts, breaks down how he discovered Sidelined, the process of adapting a book and if we can expect a THIRD movie? CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction0:55 Justin’s draw to the arts6:02 Being confident in yourself10:30 Photography to directing13:16 How Justin found Sidelined16:01 Script or book first18:30 What does it mean to direct 21:10 The first time Justin said Action22:10 Working with Siena Agudong23:08 Working with Noah Beck26:18 Non-negotiables as a director28:01 Difficulties in directing 31:48 The magic behind angles34:45 When did the conversation start about Sidelined 237:35 What Sidelined 2 looks like41:05 Changes between both movies44:32 A third movie…?FOLLOW US:Justin WuTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teamjwu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwu/?hl=en Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Kate Robb to chat about how this Canadian rom-com queen crafts the best magical realism worlds. From “This Spells Love” to “Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance”, the two dive into how these books (and their character names) came to be… CHAPTERS: 0:00 Hamilton, ON2:41 What was Kate reading growing up4:25 Business school 7:13 Writing your first book9:15 Family reaction to becoming an author11:40 Doubting yourself as an author13:30 Working a corporate job14:58 Is romance slowing down?17:00 Kate’s 2025 favourites 18:40 Blurbling books as an author19:23 Titling books21:06 Day in the life of an author22:32 Type-A 23:05 Kitty St. Clair's Last Dance 28:55 Toronto scene30:22 Med school 33:16 Reeve35:10 How Kate met her husband36:20 Kate’s favourite scene40:30 BOTM42:32 Rom-Com Court49:39 A trope we don’t love51:13 What’s next?FOLLOW US:Kate RobbInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_robb_writes/?hl=en Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/kate-robb/ Find her books at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kitty-st-clairs-last-dance-kate-robb/1146800920 Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Cara Bastone to chat all things romance and audiobooks! The two discuss how Cara transitioned from ghostwriting to writing her own romance novels to becoming an Audible Originals author. Cara also shares the difference in writing romance for physical novels vs. audiobooks and what some of her favourites are! CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction0:55 Fruit Hot takes2:10 Becoming a romance writer4:50 A scene that changed it all 6:35 Ghost writing to published author10:12 Kristin Hannah's Influence on Cara11:06 What Cara has learned along the way12:01 How does ghost writing work?16:00 Author struggles19:00 The scenes that come out of nowhere22:55 Grief in Promise Me Sunshine30:48 Pregnancy Trope in Ready or Not33:01 Cover Design34:09 Live again list (with a twist)40:16 What it’s like to write Audible Originals41:37 Difference between writing audio and physical dialogue47:08 Would Cara narrate an audiobook?48:02 Favourite audible original50:49 Where are romance audiobooks headed?52:11 Cara’s next book releaseFOLLOW US:Cara Bastone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carabastone/?hl=en Find her books on Audible: https://www.audible.ca/author/Cara-Bastone/B085Z38C15 Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

From steamy banter to loveable blue-collar heroes, Tessa Bailey sits down with Morgann to talk about how she keeps her writing fresh across dozens of bestselling novels, why she gravitates toward opposites-attract love stories, and how she balances heart, humour, and heat. We talk TikTok's impact on romance publishing, dialling back the dirty talk (sometimes), and the unexpected research that went into Pitcher Perfect.Plus — we surprise Tessa at the end 👀CHAPTERS: 0:00 Welcome, Tessa Bailey!  5:29 How to keep your writing fresh7:26 Recipe for creating an opposites attract romance8:41 Tessa and blue-collar MMCs10:04 Tropes were NOT doing11:05 Influence of TikTok on writing 13:18 Pitcher Perfect 15:45 Dialling back the dirty talk17:15 Why did Tessa publish her first book 20:20 What would Tessa do if she weren’t a writer23:24 Softball research for Pitcher Perfect26:33 Tessa’s favourite moment from Pitcher Perfect27:34 Crafting the characters in Pitcher Perfect30:19 Solving people’s submitted problems!41:21 It Happened One Summer Adaptation news45:18 Bellinger Sisters book THREE47:38 What’s coming next51:35 Surprising Tessa with…FOLLOW US:Tessa BaileyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authortessabailey?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessabaileyisanauthor/?hl=en Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/tessa-bailey/ Find her books at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/contributor/tessa-bailey/_/N-2xrn Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann shares her favourite romance audiobooks from swoony classics to laugh-out-loud romcoms to sweeping romantasy worlds.Here’s what we dive into:Classics, reimagined: How Audible’s Pride and Prejudice full-cast performance breathes new life into Darcy, Lizzy, and every swoon-worthy moment.Modern love on audio: Why Emily Henry is even better narrated, the audiobook that made Morgann laugh out loud in public, and her go-to pick for the spiciest listen.Romantasy comfort reads: Which fantasy audiobooks Morgann replays like comfort shows, and why Elizabeth Evans is the voice of the genre.CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Pride and Prejudice3:40 Emily Henry x Julia Whelan5:38 Part of Your World6:43 Guess the audiobook11:21 Daisy Jones and the Six13:19 The Roommate14:28 Lights Out 15:35 Throne of Glass Series17:15 A Court of Mist and Fury 18:26 Burning QuestionsFOLLOW US:Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

From writing After on Wattpad to producing major adaptations, Anna Todd joins Off The Shelf to talk about her evolution as a writer, producer, and storyteller. We dive into what it was really like to produce ‘After’, the fuel behind starting Frayed Pages Media, and why storytelling still feels personal after global success. Plus, Anna reveals some behind-the-scenes memories and what’s next in her ever-expanding universe.CHAPTERS: 0:00 Welcome, Anna Todd!3:16 How it all started on Wattpad8:09 Virality of After 9:37 Post Virality 11:40 Morgann reading After12:30 Support circle as an author13:31 Adapting After16:59 Starting Frayed Pages Media21:09 What Anna is reading26:35 Fan Fiction in the literary world30:54 Producing Regretting You33:06 Why Dave Franco? 35:39 Why Anna loves casting 40:36 Favourite set moment41:48 Message of the movie43:06 The beginning of Regretting You45:10 The Last Sunrise48:20 Writing a personal story53:50 What’s next?FOLLOW US:Anna ToddInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/annatodd/?hl=en Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/search?q=anna%20todd%20books&z=1 Find her books at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/series/anna-todds-after-series/_/N-2wl2 Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

From producing Emmy-recognized content in Hollywood to writing her very first novel, Joss Richard joins Off The Shelf! We talk about her journey from Toronto to LA, working on The Ellen Show, Netflix, and Hello Sunshine — and how she went from producing celebrity interviews to publishing her debut romance!CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction and Release day2:06 Joss’ Career Background 9:28 Interview Gone Wrong11:23 First spark to write a book14:43 Deciding to publish16:52 Feeling fulfilled as an author18:05 Why a second chance romance?19:00 Writing a book for the first time20:15 Hard part of writing21:02 Does 74 Perry Street exist?23:13 Inspiration for this book 25:18 Specifc book moments32:17 Guess that rom-com35:21 What’s next? FOLLOW US:Joss RichardTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jossrichardwrites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joss.richard/?hl=en Find her book at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/joss-richard/ Find her book at Barnes and Noble: http://barnesandnoble.com/w/its-different-this-time-joss-richard/1146830426 Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Elsie Silver, the author behind the bestselling Chestnut Springs and Rose Hill series — and the upcoming Fever Dream. From single-dad romances to emotional healing, Elsie opens up about her writing process, living on the West Coast, and the moment she found out Chestnut Springs is coming to Netflix.CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction & Elsie’s new dog!1:22 Chesnut Springs coming to Netflix4:35 Shutting your brain off6:27 The spark behind writing single-dad romances14:57 Hardest book Elsie has written 16:42 Separating from “reader voices”19:03 What does Elsie read?20:18 Rose Hill inspiration 22:50 West Coast vs Toronto 23:59 Does Elsie write with the audiobook in mind?28:06 How the new series will sound29:16 Wild Card synopsis (no spoilers)31:18 Crafting an age-gap / ex-boyfriend dad trope 35:54 Body positivity in Wild Card38:37 Working with a therapist while writing 40:10 Research for Wild Card41:19 Ending Rose Hill Series44:23 What’s next? 46:55 New publisherFOLLOW US:Elsie SilverTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorelsiesilver?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorelsiesilver/?hl=en Find her books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/elsie-silver/ Find her books at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/contributor/elsie-silver/_/N-30q8 Morgann BookTikTok: 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 The ShelfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en Hosted by: Morgann BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiEdited by: Ricki Biramontes