South Paw: The Bodyguard Protocol
Some heroes are born. Others are reluctantly hired.
Meet South Paw--Native American, Cherokee tribe, trained fighter since age four, Junior Olympics finalist, and all-around serious guy with fists like cinder blocks and luck like a cracked mirror.
Raised in the shadows of his older brother Pip--a boxing prodigy with style, swagger, and a growing fanbase--South Paw has always been the overlooked one. The quiet one. The one still trying to prove he's more than a number on someone else's scorecard. Born with a birth defect and shaped by hardship, he's had one constant in life: keep fighting.
So when he's offered a job at 17 to become the bodyguard of a chaotic genius scientist, it seems... off-brand. Especially since that scientist is Dr. Rhea Nocturne--a lab-coated whirlwind of explosions, enthusiasm, and questionably ethical gadgets. She's brilliant. She's unpredictable. And she definitely doesn't come with hazard pay (though she claims she invented it).
Now South Paw's job isn't just keeping Rhea safe. It's keeping the world safe from Rhea.
Together with Carl the Glove (his grumpy mechanical hand with opinions), the unpredictable HugBot 9000, and Pip (now also along for the ride and stealing the spotlight), South Paw is pulled into a madcap world of:
Rogue inventions like the Neuro-Noodle 7 and Sassy Snake Translator
Muffin-based teleportation experiments
Golems made of bad decisions
Dinosaurs. Probably cloned. Definitely angry.
And a lab rulebook rewritten in glitter and fire.
All while South Paw tries to maintain his trademark seriousness, despite glitter-related incidents, interdimensional gnomes, and Carl's never-ending commentary.
As the missions get more dangerous, and as a mysterious organization sets its sights on Rhea's inventions, South Paw finds himself facing something even scarier than science gone wild: purpose. Identity. And the possibility that he's more than just a fighter in someone else's story.
This is a tale of fists, friendship, fire, and finding yourself--one teleportation misfire at a time.
Perfect for fans of mad science, dry humor, reluctant heroes, and emotionally intelligent robot uprisings.
Dr. Donald High is a storyteller, innovator, and lifelong believer in the power of imagination. With a career that spans cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence, and federal innovation, Don has always found joy in transforming the complex into the magical. Now, he brings that same spirit of creativity to the world of children's literature.
A proud grandfather, former Chief Data Architect at the IRS, and current Chief AI Officer, Don's love for storytelling began not in boardrooms or data labs--but in bedtime stories. Inspired by his granddaughter, Leanna, and the whimsical way children see the world, Don set out to write stories that spark wonder, encourage perseverance, and remind every reader that sometimes the best kind of magic is the kind we make by accident.
His debut series, Cedric Thistlewhump and the Academy of Accidental Arts, follows the misadventures of a well-meaning but bumbling boy wizard who never quite gets it right--but never stops trying. Alongside talking owls, musical ferrets, and a book that might be alive (or just very rude), Cedric reminds readers that failure is just the beginning of every great adventure.
Don's writing is rich with humor, heart, and hidden wisdom--gently nudging children toward resilience, curiosity, and kindness. Each chapter ends with a mirrored Old English journal entry written by Cedric himself, who doesn't realize he's done something wonderful. He simply keeps going. And that's the point.
When he's not writing, Don enjoys weightlifting (he's in training for a bodybuilding competition!), going on adventures with his real-life diva partner, and turning everyday chaos into creativity. He also holds over 300 technology patents, teaches university-level blockchain courses, and has helped shape some of the most innovative data strategies in the federal government. But his proudest title is "Grandpa."
Don believes that every child deserves to see themselves in the stories they read--whether they're twins like Cedric and Ellie, musical like Rook, curious like Whindle the Owl, or a little bit all of the above. His books aim to be inclusive, joyful, and just a bit mischievous.
Welcome to the world of accidental magic, improbable heroes, and the kind of fun that gets a goose floating through town. Because in Don's world, mistakes aren't the end of the story--they're where it all begins.
