Michelle Guerrero
Author | Book Consulting | Graphic Design | Confectioner
Support indie bookstores!
My books can be found on the shelves at Noley’s and in their online shop.
For Young Adults
For Children
Click to learn more about The Runaway Wish, Mud Pies, and The Christmas Witch!
Coloring books & journals
About Me
Three things about me:
1. My spirit animal is a unicorn.
2. I manage a bricks and mortar indie bookstore.
3. When I write, it's like dreaming while awake.
Children's Books
Mud Pies
A story about moving through grief and finding happiness
Treemates Fox and Squirrel are good friends. But when one of them doesn’t come home, the other begins a journey through feelings of worry, sadness, anger, and loss. Until one day they turn a corner and find happiness. Moving through grief can be messy, but sometimes comfort is covered in mud and waiting to be discovered.
The Christmas Witch
Christmas is the only time of year that Celeste likes more than Halloween. When the other witches fly south for the winter, she stays behind to zap her house into candy and drape spiderweb tinsel. But the forest can be lonely with the others away, and she misses being helpful. Luckily, her cat has a brilliant solution that calls for a trip to the North Pole!
The Runaway Wish
Lydia wants more than anything for her birthday wish to come true, but it floats away. She chases her wish, but when it fizzles on a star, she worries it will never come true. Lydia wakes in the fairytale adventure of her dreams and realizes she might get her wish after all.
Cabin In The Woods Coloring Books
Magical Horses & Things with Wings
This book has three-hundred pages to doodle, dream, and journal!13 fairy tale-inspired horse illustrations
11 dreamy floral patterns
19 Art Nouveau-style birds and flowers
5 butterfly and dragonfly mandalas
1 lovely queenThere are 147 lined pages for journaling
and another 100, decorated with
Art Nouveau accents, for doodling.
Color Meditation With Yogi Unicorn
Illustrations were sourced from various artists. The Yogi Unicorns were created by Stasia Kolodii. Page design by Michelle Guerrero.
The Rise of Camelot
When a childhood illness landed Eileen Szychowski (“sha-huski”) with a life-changing disability and "you can’t" became an all too familiar phrase, she began to believe that her horse dreams were no more than that: dreams. But then she met Josef, a mysterious man who lived in the redwood forest and saw obstacles as dragons.There are uncanny parallels between Eileen, the girl who raised Camelot in the Sonoran Desert, and Arthur, the boy who founded the medieval kingdom of Camelot in England. Both heroes fought for justice. They lived their lives with chivalry. And they had a mystical mentor who always seemed to be at least two steps ahead of everyone else.Eileen blazed trails through the Grand Canyon, bringing disability awareness to the National Park Service, before starting the first therapeutic riding center in Arizona. But before she could fulfill her destiny, there were dragons to slay…
Hardcover | Paperback | Ebook
Feel good about buying! All proceeds from the sale of this book benefit Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship in perpetuity.
Winged
A Unicorn Queen Novel
Seventeen-year-old Tessa O’Sullivan has no idea magic exists. She figures she’s having a rough year plagued with black-outs, memory loss, and sleep deprivation. She doesn’t know her true self is bound in human form because the ancients punished her for defying them or that she ticked off a god who’s bent on destroying her.When Tessa’s family disappears, she’s thrust into a world of magic and deadly curses with two boys. Musician Cyrus Burns may be her soulmate, or a thief sent to destroy her with a kiss. And Cyrus’s enemy Edric is a family friend who in reality is the Elven King of Tir Na Nog, Tessa’s former lover from a past life who wants to keep her safe, even at the expense of her freedom.Trusting either of them is impossible because they both keep dangerous secrets. If Tessa doesn’t save her family, they’ll be lost forever, and she’ll be pulled, hooves kicking, into the underworld for all eternity. She’s about to learn as an immortal unicorn queen, past lives can catch up to you and there are some fates worse than death.
Paperback | Ebook
About Me
Michelle Guerrero wanted to grow up to be a mermaid and ride unicorns. She decided the next best thing to having fins was being a writer. She’s a mom of four who lives in a cabin in the woods with her husband and two youngest boys. She’s often spotted walking through the trees, surrounded by horses, pups, goats, and kids. Michelle’s degree is in journalism, but she writes anything from articles to books. She’s currently living out her “You’ve Got Mail” dream by managing the cutest indie bookstore and art gallery in her small town.
How can I help?
Please sign up for my future newsletter. I'm not up and running yet, but hope to have something brilliant to share soon! ;)
I don't share or sell contact info.
Anastasiia Khmelevska
Anastasiia Khmelevska enjoys illustrating children's books and creating whimsical works of art. Her favorite mediums are watercolor and digital art. She lives in Lviv, Ukraine.
Bojana Stojanovic
Bojana Stojanovic is an award winning illustrator currently living in Belgrade, Serbia. She found her calling in children’s publishing and has illustrated numerous books for young readers. Bojana’s art is inspired by nature and the animal kingdom. She loves to draw adorable creatures that are able to tell a story at first glance. She also loves experimenting in traditional and digital media to develop her art even further.
Laura Proietti
Laura Proietti was born in Palermo, Italy. She was a lively, crafty, chubby girl whose hair was always messy. When she first picked up a pencil, she understood that this was what she was meant to do. It became her magic wand, and she painted throughout her childhood. Eventually, she enrolled at the School of Comics in Palermo and studied illustration and animation. Her work has been published by DeAgostini, Harper Collins, Giunti Editore, Learning Without Tears and many other foreign and Italian publishing houses. Laura continues to see her pencil as her wand, but the true magic comes from the deep love she feels for her work.
Services
I've built a life around helping people realize their potential and fulfill their dreams, in one way or the other. And I spent years learning the nuances of the publishing industry to achieve my own goals. Now, I'm here to combine these two passions. How can I help you? A rising tide lifts all boats and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
Here are some of the things I can help you with, along with why I'm qualified to do so. Once I start taking on clients, it will be on a limited bases because I love my day job!Fair warning: some things here may change because I'm still sussing out the details of this new business venture.
Book Consulting
I've self-published three children's books, two books for young adults; one is a fantasy and the other nonfiction. I've also published a coloring book and a coloring book journal. I'm experienced with IngramSpark, KDP, and other books publishing platforms. I also have the unique perspective as a book buyer for an indie bookstore.I would be cautious taking on projects involving economics, politics, religion or sports (unless it's horse related. Bring it on!). But there are always exceptions to the rules. I have professional experience with horses and People First Language.
Writing
In addition to being an author, my articles appeared monthly in several magazines for about ten years. I managed and edited a newsletter for twelve or thirteen years. (I still edit this newsletter on a volunteer basis because CamelotAZ.org rocks!). I've also done some freelance grant writing. I'm experienced writing press releases, ads, and a plethora of random things.My degree is in journalism, so I'm trained in AP Style and often argue with myself about the Oxford comma. My focus was public relations.
Editing
Most people shy away from the editing process, I lean into it! This is where you mold a good idea into a masterpiece. I've edited for magazine editors, executive directors, business owners, and authors.I'll consider developmental edits and line editing for manuscripts. I would consider copy editing for small works, including children's books, or larger manuscripts that grab me.
Social Media
For several years, I was the social media manager for a high-end motorsports company where I managed their Facebook and Instagram pages. Currently, I handle social media for Noley's Books, Art & Whatnot.I enjoy photography. Most of the photos in this website are mine. Fair waring, I don't have experience with TikTok.
Marketing
I'm experience in marketing and public relations. I was the director of community relations for a nonprofit organization in North Scottsdale, AZ. I worked there for fourteen years. I continue to do marketing and public relations in my current job and for myself.
Graphic design
I can design business cards, promo cards, bookmarks, logos, banners, and flyers. I've also designed book covers, done book layout, and created ebooks.
Websites
While I wouldn't call myself a web designer, I did build this website and a few others.
Rates & Details
My hourly consulting and graphic design rate is $45 with a hour minimum.
Proofreading and copy editing: $1 for every 100 words.
Consulting jobs: Provide me with a list of questions in advance, and I'll give you an idea of how much time I think we'll need. But I'm flexible and will do my best to stick within your budget. I do require payment up front. I'm happy to meet over FaceTime. I can also meet in person if you're local.
Manuscript support: I'll provide you with a quote for work before we get started and require half down to begin and the second half before providing you with the finished work.
Finding the right editor is like dating. Not everyone is a good match! I'll do a sample page at no charge to see if you like the way I operate.
I won't edit books that are handwritten, however, I can put your book in electronic form if needed. Standard rates apply.
I prefer to edit in Word so that I can track changes and leave comments. If you work in a different format, let me know in advance.
I accept cash, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, and can take payment via Square.
Accepting local orders soon!
In 2022, I started making fudge once a week for a delightful shop called Sweet Country Charm Fudge & Gifts. When I was hired, I had no candy making experience, but Rebecca, the store owner, thought I could do it. She wasn't wrong, but I give her teaching skills the credit!Later, she encouraged me to get a cottage license so that I could make candy from home to sell in her store. Since I have kids with sensitivities to food coloring, I challenged myself to develop healthier recipes.I don't make fudge these days but continue to whip up small batches of candy to sell in the shop because it brings me joy!
MENUSea Salt Dark Chocolate made with Maple Syrup
Dark Chocolate with Strawberries
Butter Mints
Lavender Sugar
Payson Crystals (Kohakutou Crystal Candy)
Honey Lollies
Lemon Lavender Lollies
Pizzelles
References
"When I asked Michelle to write a short piece about a dear friend, something that expressed my love and caring for this person, we began by just talking about her, her friendship, and what we had experienced together. Michelle asked a lot of questions. By doing this, she drew from me what I wanted her to say and how I wanted her to say it. The final piece did just that. She used my words but she wrote with her heart." Donn Morris, artist
“I love having Michelle on my team as our company newsletter editor. She provides timely feedback and elevates my writing, giving my articles a polished and professional feel. Michelle has also written grants on our behalf and was successful obtaining funding. She has a long history with our nonprofit organization, previously as an employee and now as a volunteer." Mary Hadsall, executive director of Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship
"I highly recommend Michelle, my go to graphic artist, who has delivered exceptional results on various projects, including art and business cards. Her commitment to excellence is unwavering, earning her a flawless 10 out of 10 stars rating!" Shannon Devra Ropp, owner of Cuddles & Care, a pet sitting business