Class Mom volume 4: Laurie Gelman releases her new book “Smells Like Tween Spirit”

NEW YORK — Tuesday marks the start of the fourth novel in a series of books written by a mom to make other moms smile.

Regular “Live with Kelly and Ryan” viewers have seen Laurie Gelman make occasional appearances on the show produced by her husband, Michael Gelman. The title of his novel is a pun on a rock anthem of his generation.

“Smells Like Tween Spirit” is the fourth in a series of books featuring a fictional mother named Jen Dixon, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the woman who created her.

Gelman’s first act was on television as an entertainment reporter. She even co-hosted a morning show in the early years on the FX Network opposite a young Tom Bergeron.

Her second act came home raising two daughters. She used this experience to write her third act as a bestselling author.

“Finding my voice in writing has been such a gift,” she said. “It wasn’t something I expected, but it fit like a glove, and thank goodness it did.”

When asked the key to writing a good third act, Gelman said, “Finding something that I really wanted to do. Something that maybe didn’t give me joy, but passion. Sometimes I hate writing so much, but it keeps my juices flowing.”

She first found her voice by writing what are sometimes called “mom blogs.” She found that she attracted a lot of comments, both positive and negative, which led her to believe that she must be doing something right.

Gelman drew inspiration from her time as a volunteer class mom where her daughters were in elementary school, but as they got older, so did Jen Dixon.

“She’s the epitome of the sandwich generation,” Gelman said. “She has a child to take care of and then she has parents who need her as much as her child.”

The book may be called “Smells Like Tween Spirit,” but the latest in the Class Mom series allows Gelman to explore issues faced by many women in their 50s.

“Women and sex, getting older, not being able to lose the last 10 pounds, not really being seen,” she explained.

The result is a real connection between author and audience.

“There are many of us, we’re all going through this, might as well talk about it,” she said.

Gelman tells other women that the key is to not be afraid to fail.

“It’s okay to fail because it only makes you stronger and smarter for the next thing you try,” she said.