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#8: How the Powerless Trilogy Was Created (and what's next) with Lauren Roberts

May 8, 2025

Guest

Lauren Roberts

Join Lauren Roberts, the talented author behind the viral Powerless trilogy, who started her writing journey at just 18. She shares the unexpected story of her path to publication and the anticipation that built before fans finally experienced that first kiss. Laurens spills hot takes on the evolution of young adult fiction and discusses her dream of adaptations for her work. They also chat about future projects, including a potential genre switch and her favorite scenes, making for a lively, insightful conversation.

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ANECDOTE

Lauren's Self-Publishing Start

Lauren Roberts started writing Powerless at 18 after a TikTok live reading of a college class script.
She wrote the book in three months and self-published it by learning everything online with her mom's support.

insights

INSIGHT

YA Romanticy Builds Romantic Tension

YA romanticy focuses on tension and yearning over physical romance due to content limits.
This builds deep reader satisfaction with romance without needing early kissing scenes.

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ADVICE

Dog-Earing Shows Book Love

Treat your books like trusted companions: dog-ear pages and annotate to show strong emotional connection.
Messy or loved copies reveal if a book evoked joy or pain in readers.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

From Outings to Ink: A Writer's Journey

01:31 • 14min

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The Rise of a Fantasy Trilogy

15:36 • 12min

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Exploring the Emotional Depth of 'Alone With You in the Ether'

27:30 • 3min

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Examining Happy Endings and Bookish Preferences

30:18 • 16min

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Creating the Powerless Trilogy: Inspirations and Future Directions

46:17 • 1min

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Crafting the Powerless Trilogy

47:47 • 16min

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Reflecting on a Bittersweet Trilogy Completion

01:03:52 • 3min

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Exciting Travel Plans and Adaptation News

01:06:33 • 2min

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A Farewell and Exciting Plans Ahead

01:08:31 • 2min

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The Shadows Between Us

Caitlin Davies

Tricia Levenseller

Alone with You in the Ether

Set in a post-apocalyptic North America known as Panem, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, who volunteers to participate in the 74th Hunger Games to save her younger sister Prim. Alongside Peeta Mellark, the other tribute from District 12, Katniss must use her hunting skills and wits to survive the arena. The Games are a tool of oppression by the Capitol to remind the districts of their defeat in a past rebellion. As Katniss and Peeta navigate the treacherous arena, they also manipulate the audience and sponsors to gain advantages, while sparking the beginnings of a rebellion against the Capitol's tyrannical rule.

The Silent Patient follows the story of Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who shoots her husband, Gabriel, and then remains silent. Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist, becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind Alicia's silence. As Theo delves into Alicia's past through her diary entries and his own interactions with her, he uncovers a complex web of secrets and motivations that lead to a shocking twist. The novel explores themes of mental illness, trauma, and the quest for truth, with a narrative that alternates between Theo's perspective and Alicia's diary entries.

Vicious follows the story of Victor Vale and Eli Cardale, two brilliant and ambitious college roommates who experiment with near-death experiences to gain extraordinary abilities. The novel is structured between flashbacks and the present day, showing their complex and toxic friendship that eventually turns into a bitter rivalry. Ten years after their experiments go horribly wrong, Victor breaks out of prison to seek revenge against Eli, who has become a hero determined to eradicate other super-powered individuals. The book explores themes of power, betrayal, and the blurred lines between heroism and villainy.

Never Lie

Freida McFadden

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for their dream home when they visit a remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished four years earlier. A violent winter storm traps them at the estate, where Tricia discovers audio transcripts of Dr. Hale's therapy sessions. As she listens to the tapes, she uncovers a terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale's disappearance. The story unravels a web of lies and shocking truths, ultimately revealing a horrifying truth about Tricia's own identity and the true nature of her relationship with Ethan.

Powerful

Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

Patty McCord

In 'Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility,' Patty McCord challenges traditional HR practices and advocates for a culture based on freedom and responsibility. Drawing from her experience as the Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, McCord argues against conventional HR methods such as annual performance reviews and retention plans, instead promoting radical honesty, constant communication, and motivating employees through challenging work. The book provides practical advice on creating a high-performance work environment and emphasizes the importance of transparency, trust, and continuous adaptation to business needs.

Sit down with Morgann and Lauren Roberts for a raw, hilarious, and revealing deep dive into the Powerless universe—how she wrote the viral fantasy at just 18, the unexpected path to a book deal, and why fans didn’t get that first kiss until Reckless. They spill behind-the-scenes secrets, react to spicy bookish hot takes (yes, even the hardcover debate), and tease what’s next—including Lauren’s favourite scene, adaptation dreams, and whether a novella or genre switch is on the horizon.

00:00 - 02:02 what happened last night

02:02 - 25: 27 how lauren roberts became an author

25:28 - 29:35 lauren's current reads & fav books

29:36 - 43:05 bookish hot-takes

43:06 - 51:16 fearless deep dive (spoiler free)

51:17 - 58:50 recording the prologue for fearless

58:51 - 1:04:22 lauren's fav scenes & upcoming tour

1:04:23 - 1:06:00 powerless adaptation...

Lauren Roberts

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

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

Read her Books at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/contributor/lauren-roberts/_/N-2zxa

Read her Books at Indigo:

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/lauren-roberts2/

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

The Bookish Club

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebookish.club

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookish.club/

Substack: https://substack.com/@thebookishclub

Off The Shelf

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

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

Hosted by Morgann Book, Created by Bookish Media, Morgann Book, & Thomas Johnston, Produced by Bookish Media, Morgann Book, Thomas Johnston, & Stefanie Maqz.

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

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