Maulik Pancholy is an actor whose career has spanned hit TV shows (Only Murders in the Building and 30 Rock), animated favorites (Phineas and Ferb, Sanjay and Craig, and Mira, Royal Detective), Broadway, and films. His debut novel, The Best at It, was a Stonewall Honor Award winner. In Nikhil Out Loud (Balzer + Bray), 13-year-old Nikhil Shah is the beloved voice actor for Raj Reddy on the hit animated series Raj Reddy in Outer Space. But when his mom temporarily moves them to a small town in Ohio to care for Nikhil’s sick grandfather, Nikhil feels as out of orbit as his character. His fame lands him the lead in the school musical – only he can’t sing. And when a group of conservative parents protests that an openly gay TV star is the musical’s lead, Nikhil wishes he could be Raj Reddy full time. Then Nikhil wakes up one morning and hears a crack in his voice, and he knows his job playing Raj will now end. Life on Earth – with new friends, a sick grandparent, and the need for the courage to speak out – doesn’t wrap up neatly between commercial breaks.