Location: Bound Booksellers, Franklin, TN
Time: 1:00 PM
Greg Howard and Lauren Thoman will discuss Greg's newest middle grade novel The Travelers. This event is free and open to the public, with a signing to follow.
About The Travelers:
Beloved by readers for his sensitivity and focus on iconic LGBTQ characters and serious issues, Edgar-nominee and author of critically acclaimed The Whispers and The Visitors, Greg Howard, makes his highly anticipated return with a twisty mystery wrapped in a heartwarming tale of friendship, found family, and the reassurance that even in death, those we love never truly leave us.
When twelve-year-old Ben Turner’s mom unexpectedly passes away, he's forced into the care of the only living relative he has left—a grandmother he’s never met who lives in a place he’s never been. Rutledge, South Carolina, is worlds from bustling Nashville.
Upon arriving at his grandmother's house, Ben is dumbfounded by the large stone-and-brick building that greets him. Clifton House appears far more like a haunted mansion than a house, and Ben can’t get over the fact that this is where his mom grew up. Inside, Ben is surprised to see clocks—clocks of all shapes and sizes on the walls, mantels, and tables. What’s even more surprising is that none of the clocks tell the correct time, and some even seem to be moving backwards.
Before Ben can ask too many questions, his stern grandmother tells him there are two rules that must be followed at Clifton House: never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor. But on his very first night, Ben hears footsteps and hushed whispers—all seeming to come from the third floor.
Soon Ben begins to suspect there’s something more to Clifton House than broken clocks and dusty old furniture. Is it poltergeists? Hidden passageways? Or something to do with the very fabric of time itself? With the help of two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Clifton House and quickly finds himself in a race against time to save his family and possibly even himself.
Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry where his love of stories blossomed at a young age. Originally set on becoming a songwriter, Greg followed that dream to Nashville, Tennessee, where he spent years producing the music of others before eventually returning to his childhood passion for writing stories.
Greg’s critically acclaimed, debut middle-grade novel, The Whispers was nominated for an Edgar Award and was named a Best Book of 2019 by Advocate Magazine. His second middle-grade novel, Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk! is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick. The Visitors, his third middle-grade offering, was a 2022 New York Public Library Best Book. Also, the author of the young adult novel Social Intercourse, Greg’s next middle-grade book, The Travelers, will be available on August 25, 2026.
Greg writes for and about LGBTQ youth, creating the kind of books he wishes he’d had access to as a young reader growing up gay in the American South. When he’s not writing books, Greg enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends. He lives in Nashville with his ridiculously adorable Mini Aussiedoodle, Sadie.