Backstage with Sandy Kenyon: Laurie Gelman's 'Class Mom'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Millions have watched Laurie Gelman's kids grow up on the show produced by her husband, "Live with Kelly and Ryan" EP Michael Gelman. But when it came to writing her first book, she chose a topic close to home - her years as a "Class Mom."

"I did it because I thought it would be cool," Gelman said. "And the first time I got asked to do it, I thought I'd won the lottery. I was so excited."

Her book is fictional, but the emails inside are real -- hilarious messages she actually sent to other parents.

"And if you don't like what you get, well then, good luck finding someone who cares," one of the emails reads.

Gelman said her husband was "horrified," and eventually she got fired from a job for which she volunteered.

A few years later, Gelman turned lemons into lemonade from the Upper West Side, turning her class mom experiences into the book.

"What it gave me was a sense of accomplishment that I started it, I went through tough times, I finished it, and I'm really enjoying this part of it," she said. "Now that it's out."