Navigating a new school is hard, but what if you’re also worried that there might be an alien in your stomach? Join us at The Frederick Center on Saturday, April 18, from 2:00-3:00 pm with author Steven Gellman as we celebrate his new coming-of-age novel Somewhere in Nowhere. This story follows teenager Simon as he’s unexpectedly spending his senior year at a new school with new friends and (maybe) a new crush while also trying to sort out the strange “attacks” he’s experiencing every night. Steven will be in-conversation with Venessa Vida Kelley, bestselling author of When the Tides Held the Moon. Following their conversation, Steven will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Somewhere in Nowhere will be available for purchase at the event.
Location: The Frederick Center – 5 E 2nd St, Frederick, MD 21701
This event is free and open to the public, presented in partnership with The Frederick Center. For accessibility requests, email
aW5mbyB8IGN1cmlvdXNpZ3VhbmEgISBjb20= at least two (2) weeks prior to the event.
About the book: Coming out is hard, especially when you have two gay moms. At least it is for Simon Bugg. He doesn’t want the world to think that having gay parents has turned him gay. And he certainly doesn’t want anyone to know about the alien in his stomach that’s trying to K*ll him.
It’s Simon’s senior year and his world just turned upside down. When his mom scores a dream job, Simon lands at a new school away from the only friends he has ever known. Now, his mom is overworked and chronically stressed, and his dead beat dad is back on the scene. Navigating a new school and new friends is a challenge for a neurotic overthinker, and Simon finds himself turning to his rescue cat and a local barista for support. But when Simon meets the handsome PJ in drama class, he gets talked into a date that he derails in spectacular fashion.
With a little help from his friends — new and old — Simon finds his way back to PJ. But how can he have a real relationship with the boy of his dreams when he’s convinced he’s going to die? No one knows about the nightly alien attacks at 11:22. Why then, and why do they keep getting worse? Simon must face a dark secret inside before he loses his chance with the boy he loves.
About the author: Steven Gellman is an award-winning songwriter turned author. Inspired by his early reading of Judy Blume’s groundbreaking stories, Steven has found his passion for writing coming-of-age fiction that centers LGBTQ+ voices and the real-life challenges of navigating adolescence in an ever-changing world. His debut novel Somewhere in Nowhere will be published by NineStar Press in 2026. When he’s not writing, Steven can be found sipping a cup of Dark Rose tea and plotting new adventures for his book club, Tea & Peril. Steven lives in Maryland’s Piedmont region with his husband and a houseful of rescued companion animals. Steven can be found online at
https://hiddenpoet.com.
About the moderator: Venessa Vida Kelley is a Nuyorican illustrator, sequential artist, and USA Today bestselling author of When the Tides Held the Moon, a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist and Readers Digest Top 10 Books of the Year. Their work focuses on magical realism, fantasy, and romance in a culturally diverse world, and has been featured in The New York Times, Discovery Girls Magazine, Buzzfeed, and in board games and activism campaigns for Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, creator of the La Borinqueña comic series. They hold a BA and MA in English Literature with concentrations in film from the University of Delaware and George Washington University. They live in Washington, DC with their spouse and two sons, and can be found online at
http://VenessaKelley.com .
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