“I’m Right Here” is Bringing Back Childhood Wonder

When Michelle Grace became a mother, everything shifted. She met not only the little girl who became her world, but a new version of herself. “I feel like I had been blinded before her,” Michelle says. “And now I’m so alive.”

The New York City native had found herself in a creative field young, writing No. 1 Billboard dance hits at age 20. As she continued to carve her path, however, her light started to dim. Almost without her noticing, Michelle had become someone else.

Then came Mira. Appropriately named “my reflection,” she reintroduced her mother to the joys of imagination. Michelle, reinvigorated by her daughter’s spark, found her creative instincts once more, and now they are more vibrant than ever before, with a debut children’s book, I’m Right Here, arriving on bookshelves this month. A love letter to Mira, the story explores the cosmic connection between mother and child. Just as the two stars always find each other in the vast galaxy, a mother’s love will travel the universe to remind readers that they are safe and sound. 

Writing from her Heart 

“I wrote the book when I was completely in my feelings,” Michelle says. “It was an outlet for me to just be creative and express how I’m feeling and freeze a moment in time.” Michelle Grace’s greatest aspiration had always been motherhood. The decision to have Mira via surrogacy was a challenging one. She likened the experience to adoption, as she struggled to connect in the natural way she expected, and felt that they had both been robbed of something. Leading with patience and trust, Michelle threw herself into early childhood development, where she discovered the power of play.

When telling Mira stories, Michelle felt their bond deepen. She saw how children’s brains are wired for wonder; imagination is how they make sense of the world, learning to problem-solve and interact with others. Once she found what worked for them, she ran with it. “Everything we do is a story,” she says. “Everywhere we go, I try to make it play.” This practice guides her book’s message. Michelle wants her work to serve as a tool for parents because what they pour into the early years matters profoundly. Endorsed by Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, Dr. Erica Komisar, and award-winning author Gillian Sze, her mission is to remind parents that creativity isn’t something we outgrow. It’s something that lives inside all of us, waiting to be brought out.

Her Next Adventures

While I’m Right Here is a “thank you” to Mira and her “hello” to the world as an author, Michelle’s second work, My Wild Imagination, dives into a brand new universe. Scheduled to release in the spring, the story follows Anna, a little girl with a big, bright mind. Her “Wild Imagination”, a red furry friend, takes her on bold adventures, splashing through puddles as wide as the sea, sliding down rainbows into magical gardens, and learning to speak butterfly.

The visuals of these stories play a vital role in developing their individual worlds. The illustrations in I’m Right Here came about through fate. After rounds of illustration drafts that missed the mark, Michelle felt discouraged. It ended up being the artist behind the work hanging in her personal office who was able to capture the essence needed. 

My Wild Imagination brings in a different illustrator, as does a third book, Welcome Home, Little Fairy, which is planned for the spring. This was intentional; Michelle wanted to honor each world differently. 

Approaching Each Day with Wonder

Michelle’s days are full of creation. If she isn’t writing or selecting illustrations, she is concocting new characters and making up voices with her daughter. “You sit on the floor with your kid, and you play with them, and you say nothing is more important than this right now,” she says. None of these stories would be possible without Mira. “My daughter reminds me every day to be a kid and follow my heart,” she says. “To have a voice, be expressive, and not hold back.”

Through every page she writes, Michelle hopes families will discover the playful spark that Mira helped her find. Whether it’s the loving reassurance of I’m Right Here, the fearless adventures of My Wild Imagination, or the magic still to come, Michelle is creating more than children’s books. She’s inviting readers to play, connect, and imagine together, one story at a time.

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