Latest news with #LaurenRoberts
ABC News
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
How Powerless author Lauren Roberts became a bestseller at just 22 years old
The idea for Lauren Roberts' debut novel came to her when she was just 18 years old. So she did what any teenager with access to a phone would do next: start a live stream to share her idea with BookTok. "And [my followers] were like, 'We want to read it!' Telling me to add this trope and that trope," the US writer tells ABC Arts. She spent the next three months writing Powerless, which went on to become a bestselling YA romantic fantasy (romantasy) novel, in between studying at college and working a part-time job. "I'd be up until 4am every day writing, and then I'd wake up and go to school and then [to my job] and do all of that all over again." After finishing the first draft, Roberts hired a freelance editor to help shape her manuscript, asked her mum if she could leave college and moved back home, where she Googled: "How to self-publish a book." Somehow, in 2023, she pulled it together and published her debut just after her 19th birthday. The world was very interested, as it turns out, in Roberts' protagonist Paedyn Gray, a pickpocket from the slums of Ilya considered a powerless Ordinary in a society that only serves Elites with special abilities. Until, that is, she unwittingly saves the life of Prince Malakai and is thrust into the kingdom's annual purging competition, a series of deadly trials meant to showcase the most powerful Elites and reinforce the tyrant King Edric's rule. By late 2023, Roberts had signed a deal with a traditional publisher who wanted to pick up the first instalment in her dystopian tale of romance and political intrigue. Since then, she's written four more books (the third novel in the Powerless trilogy, Fearless, came out in April) and become a New York Times bestselling author. And a TV adaptation is underway. All this by the age of 22. "I can't believe this has happened. I didn't imagine this would ever be a thing," Roberts says of her success. She says life has simultaneously changed "so much" and "not at all". She's still living in the same apartment with her cats. But she's quit her part-time job and is now writing romantasy full time. "I get up and I just write most of the day. But, aside from incredible [book] tours — when I get to meet so many people that love these books and it's like, 'Whoa, this is crazy' — it doesn't feel big. It's just me in my apartment." Roberts is still learning to navigate the pressure — and scrutiny — that have accompanied her success. Not only is she a young author new to the publishing world, who started out as a BookTok influencer, she's also faced criticism over what some readers believe are similarities between her debut and popular YA fantasy series such as Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen. Roberts has been open about this for years. "Absolutely, there are similarities to The Hunger Games … and to so many other amazing books out there," she says now. "And that's how it is because there are billions of works." Still, the Goodreads pages for her books are filled with reviews by readers arguing the Powerless series is, at best, derivative and too heavily reliant on romance and dystopian fiction tropes and, at worst, a rip-off of various fantasy novels. Roberts says this "can be a little frustrating". "But I do remind myself that, a lot of the time, they're 14-year-olds and we know how the internet is. And at the end of the day, there's inspiration from every angle, and tropes are something that are in every book. "On the internet, I don't feel the need to address it because it's simply not true." This strategy is working — for now, at least. While Roberts can't say much about the Powerless TV adaptation, she confirms, "There are things happening behind the scenes [and] we're very excited." There's also an upcoming international book tour, including Australia. "We're travelling from one side of Australia to the other, with tons of stops, and I'm really excited to answer the readers' burning questions," she says. There are more books in the works, too, including another Powerless novella titled Fearful, out in September. After that, Roberts plans to slow down the release schedule. Not only did she write Powerless in three months, she also finished the first drafts for follow-up books Reckless and Fearless in the same amount of time. Roberts wrote Powerful, the first Powerless novella, in just 28 days. "It is daunting. It's not like, 'I'll just write for two hours today and whatever.' It's definitely three months of head-down writing," Roberts says of her process up until now. "This past year, it has been go, go, go. So I'm reaching a point where I do want to space out the books a little more. Nothing crazy, but even just writing one book a year." Rebecca Yarros, another high-profile romantasy author, signalled plans to do the same in November 2023. At the same time, the publishing industry is facing increasing comparisons to fast fashion, with some readers attributing the "Sheinification of books" to what they perceive as the decreasing quality of fantasy novels. The Powerless series is frequently brought up as part of these conversations online. Roberts doesn't let the criticism get in her way, instead choosing to "focus on the positives". She says her number one goal in finishing the Powerless series is "staying true to what 18-year-old me started". Lauren Roberts will be discussing Powerless at events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth from June 21-29.
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Lauren Roberts to publish 'Powerless' novella 'Fearful': Cover reveal
Lauren Roberts to publish 'Powerless' novella 'Fearful': Cover reveal Reader beware: This story includes spoilers for 'Fearless' by Lauren Roberts, the last novel in the romantasy 'Powerless' series. Lauren Roberts, bestselling author of 'Powerless,' has something to get off her chest. Her trilogy finale 'Fearless' came out in April, but she's not done just yet – Roberts will publish a new companion novella 'Fearful' Sept. 2, she shared exclusively with USA TODAY. We've also got a peek at the cover, chock-full of Easter eggs for fans. The 'Powerless' series follows a forbidden romance between a prince and an ordinary girl who's been masquerading as someone far more powerful than she is. In the series finale, a character close to the heart of the series – Kitt – dies. 'Fearful' will hear from Kitt directly, as well as another new perspective, exploring Kitt's fear of dying and losing his loved ones. New 'Powerless' novella 'Fearful' to publish in September Anticipating readers can look to Roberts' last novella, 'Powerful,' as a guide. 'Fearful' should also be read either in tandem with or after its similar namesake novel, 'Fearless.' The idea is to answer burning questions from the novel through a new perspective. Roberts, whose career took off on BookTok after sharing her work with readers, wants to bring fans (at least some of) those answers. 'I love having almost a face-to-face interaction with the readers and I can ask them, 'What do you want?'' Roberts says. 'It's really cool for them to actually tell me, 'We want to hear about Kitt' or 'We want to hear about this story' or 'What does this mean?' and getting to answer it for them. I think it's really beautiful to have that connection.' Roberts has known she would write a 'Fearless' novella since she wrote 'Powerful' at the suggestion of her publisher, Simon & Schuster. The series has been wildly successful, with 'Fearless' setting a Simon & Schuster record for young adult fiction sales. The series' first novel was the most pre-ordered YA title in Simon & Schuster's history. 'When an author becomes this big, this fast, at such a young age, publishers often use words like 'extraordinary' and 'phenomenon' and 'blockbuster.' All of that is true for Lauren Roberts, but what matters most of all, and what is proven by the way her sales have been building through word of mouth, is that readers really love her books,' said Jonathan Karp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, in a statement. See the cover of 'Powerless' novella 'Fearful' Roberts knows her readers appreciate a well-curated bookshelf. 'Every time we make a cover, I'm like, OK, 'What are the girls saying?'' Roberts says, laughing. The 'Fearful' cover flows seamlessly with the rest of the series' dark design but also incorporates a few Easter eggs hinting at past scenes in 'Fearless' and plot elements to come – a character's key that unlocks an old home, a burning ribbon as a callback to a scene between characters Paedyn and Blair. 'Fearful' will be the 'capstone' to 'Powerless' series but not the end of the world 'Fearful' will be the capstone to the 'Powerless' series, Roberts says. But she's got a lot more lore to the world she's built, teasing a spin-off series. '(Fearful) really does conclude everything,' Roberts says, warning readers not to fret over unanswered questions. 'But there is more to tell within the world, and you can see in 'Fearless' that there's a new map and some new places. So there's definitely more to be said about the world. But as for these characters and this story, this is the conclusion as of right now.' It's 'very bittersweet' for Roberts, who started writing the series at 18. She's now 22. She often gets asked whether she would go back and change parts of the series she wrote when she was just barely an adult. She says yes, but that only propels her to make each new book better. 'These books are a mosaic of who I was at each age,' Roberts says. 'It's really beautiful to look back and see myself grow. And so I'm excited to take what I've learned from this series and put it into something new.' Amazon to produce new fantasy series 'Powerless' Still, there's more news from the series to come – Prime Video is adapting 'Powerless' into a series from Will Gluck's Olive Bridge and Lyrical Media. Gluck's production company did the Sydney Sweeney romantic comedy 'Anyone But You' and is currently adapting 'Funny Story' by Emily Henry. The first season of 'Powerless' will follow the first novel, Deadline originally reported. Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Best books from the internet's favorite genre Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hogsett says he won't resign as fallout continues from investigation, late-night texts to women
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said June 10 he has no intention of stepping down despite calls by multiple members of the City-County Council for his resignation. The mayor is dealing with fallout from an investigation about how he handled sexual harassment allegations in his office by his former chief of staff, and a revelation about his own late-night, personal texts to two younger women who said they felt uncomfortable receiving the messages. Hogsett spoke with IndyStar over the phone the day after an explosive City-County Council meeting where his former deputy campaign manager Lauren Roberts was forcibly dragged out of council chambers by sheriff's deputies while trying to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. Roberts has alleged Hogsett's former right-hand-man Thomas Cook sexually harassed and abused her about a decade ago while the two worked on Hogsett's first mayoral campaign. Two other women have said they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Cook, who served as chief of staff and helped lead Hogsett's campaigns, while he was their boss over the period of about a decade. More: 'I kept saying no': Women accuse top Hogsett aide of preying on subordinates for years Cook also had a relationship with another subordinate city worker, which led to him resigning from the city back in 2020. Hogsett allowed Cook to stay on for 68 days and resign despite a recommendation from the city's human resources director that he be fired immediately. Hogsett responded to several questions IndyStar raised, including about the texts he sent to younger women, which he acknowledged made them uncomfortable. In the same conversation, he categorically denied a city-county councilor's allegation that he was "visibly impaired" during a meeting in 2024. The mayor also said people have lost sight of the most important issues that he wanted to tackle during the remainder of his third term, which ends in 2028. The transcript of the interview is below. It's been edited for brevity and clarity. IndyStar: Three councilors at this point have called for your resignation. Do you think you can effectively lead the city under these circumstances? Hogsett: Yes I do, and I certainly have no intent to resign. We just have still so much important work to do, not only to ensure the confidentiality and the safety of every employee, but my focus and that of the administration for the remainder of my term will be on the promises that we made to create economic and social vitality and growth for the people of Indianapolis. So there's a lot more that needs to be done, and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get about the business of the next two and a half years. IndyStar: You recently said that Cook didn't work with anyone on your 2023 mayoral campaign, but Mirror Indy reported that there's evidence that Cook did work with people directly during your campaign. Why did you say the opposite? Hogsett: Well, I think what I said was that Thomas Cook was an unpaid political adviser on my campaign until I became aware of Caroline Ellert's concerns and her complaints about Thomas Cook. My comment was about his contact with city employees after we removed him in September of 2023. IndyStar: You indicated to Fisher Phillips investigators that you didn't know any personal details about Lauren Roberts, but the text messages between the two of you make it appear that you do know personal details about her, including her then-partner's name and calling her "feisty." What happened there? Hogsett: I didn't recall during the course of my conversation with the folks from Fisher Phillips. I didn't recall. It's been, with respect, 12 years ago or 11 years ago, and how I answered that question in the conversation and the interview that they conducted with me, I stand corrected obviously. But my point is this: I did not intentionally mislead anyone. I may not have recalled it during the course of the interview. The interview itself was over five hours long, so there was a lot of questions and answers in that interview. But that would be my explanation for whatever discrepancies may appear after the fact. IndyStar: Do you think that you acted over the line with Lauren Roberts or Caroline Ellert in the text messages that they provided to investigators? Hogsett: Um, well, I would respond to that question by saying that governing a city and campaigning for that matter has become a 24-hour endeavor. And frankly, I think it has become easier to develop a casual conversation style with those who you happen to work very closely with. And I worked very closely with Caroline Ellert, certainly, during the course of my awareness and knowledge of her. She was an adviser to me. She was the Marion County Democratic Party executive director, so I relied on her and asked for her advice probably with some frequency. Now, I want to be clear, I do understand — even though it was not my intention to make anyone uncomfortable — I do understand now how my words could have been taken out of context. IndyStar: Did you have a habit of texting younger employees personal matters? Are these the only text messages out there, or do you think there are other instances in which you texted other younger women about things such as poetry or their boyfriends? Hogsett: I did not make it a habit of texting anybody in particular at any particular point in time. I'm simply underscoring the fact that I think that most people who work in government and who work on campaigns in particular are used to a 24-hour cycle. That may strike others who go to bed every night at 9 o'clock and get up at 7 o'clock in the morning, that may strike them as odd, but it was not my intent to cause anybody any discomfort or make them feel uncomfortable. It was simply, at least in the case of Caroline Ellert, that I have a greater memory of because it is more recent, it was never my intent to make her feel uncomfortable. But I do in retrospect understand how that may have been something that I change. IndyStar: One of the big points that Fisher Phillips noted was that Cook was allowed to resign more than two months after a recommendation that he be fired back in 2020. Why did you allow him to resign after 68 days? Hogsett: It was based on the information that I was working with at the time. That's the way all my decisions as it related to Thomas Cook's engagement, either in my office or with the campaign, they were always made with what I knew at the time. If I knew then what I know now, perhaps my decision — in fact my decision would have been different. But I was operating with what I knew at the time. IndyStar: Councilor Joshua Bain raised an allegation that you appeared to be visibly impaired in a May 15, 2024, meeting with him. He said he witnessed you stumble into a room, have trouble sitting down. Do you dispute the accuracy of that incident, and were you impaired? Hogsett: No, I was not. I categorically deny that. IndyStar: This is not the first time that allegations of substance abuse have been made. Have you ever been impaired or under the influence while serving as mayor? Hogsett: No. IndyStar: Have you ever sought any treatment for substance abuse? Hogsett: No. We're collectively losing sight of what is most important, and that's continuing to create a safer, more accountable working environment for all city employees. That is my focus. That is my standard. And that's what I'll stick to. IndyStar: You agree that a safe working environment is important. Many people who attended last night's council meeting have said that with you in a leadership position, they feel like it would be impossible to have a safe working environment. I wonder how you'll deal with those concerns and those doubts moving forward. Hogsett: Well, what happened last night was regrettable. But to reiterate something I said just a moment ago, we've lost sight of the most important thing here. We have already made strides in continuing to approve and strengthen city policies and training to create a safer and more accountable work environment for all city employees. It's something my administration has already been taking steps to do, and we will redouble and continue. Email IndyStar Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@ Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09. Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mayor responds to texts: 'It was not my intent to make anyone uncomfortable'
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers May 17
Fiction: The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei. PHOTO: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON 1. (1) The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei 2. (-) You And Me by Jang and Fox 3. (5) Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins 4. (6) Fearless by Lauren Roberts 5. (2) King Of Envy by Ana Huang 6. (9) Lost Souls Meet Under A Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura; translated by Yuki Tejima 7. (-) Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi , translated by Geoffrey Trousselot 8. (-) The Housemaid by Freida Mcfadden 9. (-) Powerless by Lauren Roberts 10. (-) Babel by R.F. Kuang Non-fiction: Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong. PHOTO: BOOK BAR 1. (1) Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong 2. (2) Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah 3. (9) Atomic Habits by James Clear 4. (-) Net Positive by Paul Polman 5. (-) Hope: The Autobiography by Pope Francis 6. (4) The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel 7. (-) The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga 8. (-) Prisoners Of Geography by Tim Marshall 9. (-) Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman 10. (-) Fifty Secrets Of Singapore's Success by Tommy Koh Children's: The Incredible Basket by Quek Hong Shin. PHOTO: KINOKUNIYA 1. (8) The Incredible Basket by Quek Hong Shin 2. (-) National Geographic Kids Almanac 2026 by National Geographic Kids 3. (-) Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber 4. (6) Agents Of S.U.I.T: Wild Ghost Chase by John Patrick Green 5. (-) Dog Man 2: Unleashed by Dav Pilkey 6. (-) Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter 7. (8) Sly The Fly by R.S. Robbie; illustrated by Debbie Yuen and Jessley Sim 8. (-) Secrets Of Singapore: Changi Airport by Lesley-Anne Tan and Monica Lim; illustrated by James Tan 9. (-) Elephants Live Upstairs! by Melissa Ong; illustrated by Javon Chan 10. (-) The Mango Tree by Hidayah Amin This is The Straits Times' compilation of bestseller lists from Kinokuniya, Epigram, Wardah Books, Book Bar and Afterimage bookstores. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers April 26
Fiction: Fearless by Lauren Roberts. PHOTO: KINOKUNIYA 1. (1) Fearless by Lauren Roberts 2. (2) Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins 3. (3) Lost Souls Meet Under A Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura; translated by Yuki Tejima 4. (-) The Vegetarian by Han Kang; translated by Deborah Smith 5. (5) White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 6. (-) Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun; translated by Shanna Tan 7. (-) The Housemaid by Freida Mcfadden 8. (-) No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai 9. (4) Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi 10. (-) Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Non-fiction: Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong. PHOTO: BOOK BAR 1. (2) Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong 2. (1) Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah 3. (5) The Land Of The Rising Sun And The Lion City by Tommy Koh and Ishikawa Hiroshi 4. (8) The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 5. (-) The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel 6. (9) The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher 7. (-) The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt 8. (-) Mornings Are For Mohinga by Bryan Koh 9. (7) Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams 10. (-) What Is Happiness by Pomnyun Sunim Children's: What Does Bear Like? by Igloo Books. PHOTO: IGLOO BOOKS 1. (-) What Does Bear Like? by Igloo Books 2. (-) What Does Penguin Like? by Igloo Books 3. (1) Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey 4. (-) Ten Minutes To Bed: Little Mermaid by Rhiannon Fielding 5. (-) Tiger Tales by Joyceline See Tully 6. (-) The Lucky Red Envelope by Vicki Zhang 7. (-) Ghost Book by Remy Lai 8. (6) Eye Spy Singapore by Pippa Chorley 9. (7) The Little Singapore Book by Sim Ee Waun 10. (-) Spellcasters by Crystal Sung This is The Straits Times' compilation of bestseller lists from the Kinokuniya, Epigram, Wardah Books, Book Bar and Afterimage bookstores. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
