Michael de Guzman

Here are a few things you should know about Leon. He is six feet four inches tall. He is skinny. He is awkward. He learns forward whether he's standing still or moving. Like he's trying to get somewhere with his upper half before his lower half arrives. He tends to lurch. To put his balance at risk When he stumbles he throws his arms out in front of him as a preventative measure. Put a couple of bolts in his neck and he thinks he'd look a lot like you-know-who. Sometimes he doesn't know what he's going to say until he hears it. He's gentle by nature. He's generally good humored. When he grabs hold of an idea it's nearly impossible to shake him loose.  He is twelve-years-old.

The Unexpected Adventures of Stanley the Robot

Published in August, 2022. It may be ordered from your local bookstore via Amazon, from Amazon directly and from other sites.

I am five feet, five inches tall, a height determined to be non-threatening to both adults and children. I can extend my arms to increase my reach. My arms, legs and trunk are in perfect proportion. I am exceedingly strong. I am programmed to be non-violent. I am a READy5000, the latest model of companion robot. I am state of the art. Capable of learning. Aware of my existence. I have a single mission, to take care of and assist a human. To provide that human with a better life. But it turns out that there is nothing typical about me. It could have been a glitch in my assembly. It might have been that I evolved into something more than a robot. Either way, my adventures are filled with disappointments, accomplishments and unexpected adventures.

The Miles Freely Chronicles

Published in June, 2022. It may be ordered from your local book store via Amazon, from Amazon directly and other sites.

The Miles Freely Chronicles includes the four Miles Freely novellas: Miles Freely's Unexpected Year, Miles Freely in Love, Miles Freely Upside Down, Miles Freely Right Side Up. They follow Miles life and adventures from twelve-years-old to fourteen. With the help of his mother, grandfather and friends he faces a series of challenges and overcomes them. In the end his story is one of triumph. Available in hard cover, paperback and as an ebook.

Miles Freely's Unexpected Year

Published in September, 2019, this book can be ordered from your local bookstore, via Amazon, from Amazon directly, and from other sites.

When Miles Freely falls out of a tree, his life begins to take unexpected turns, in small and not so small ways. He experiences failure and success, surprise and heartbreak. Miles shares his ups and downs with his mother and grandfather and his two best friends, Snoddy and Bloom. At the the end, when Miles is at his lowest, he achieves his greatest goal.

Miles Freely in Love

Published in August of 2020, Miles Freely in Love maybe be ordered by your local bookstore via Amazon, from Amazon directly and from other sites.

At the end of Miles Freely's Unexpected Year he met Maria, who promised to return to the park the next day. Miles is convinced that at long last he's made a connection. When she doesn't show up he believes he's been rejected once again. But he hasn't, not by Maria. The problem is her family, especially her older brother who doesn't want his sister hanging out with boys. Miles confronts the family and things seem to work out. Until they don't. Until tragedy strikes and Miles is once again on his own.

Miles Freely Upside Down

Published in October, 2020, Miles Freely Upside Down may be ordered from your local bookstore via Amazon, from Amazon directly and from other sites.

At the end of Miles Freely in Love, tragedy strikes. It happens without warning and Miles is devastated. His world is turned upside down. His heartbreak is made all the worse when his mother marries Tommy and he has to leave his old neighborhood and move into The Warburton, the Co-op that Tommy manages. Meanwhile, Eddie has moved in with Grace, leaving Miles to feel like he's lost and on his own. And to top it all off, he's starting a new school.

Published in March, 2021, Miles Freely Right-Side Up may be ordered from your local bookstore via Amazon, or from Amazon and other sites directly

Miles sits by the river contemplating the upcoming summer. He has plans. His ducks are all lined up. But, as he already knows, things don't always work out the way he thought they would. On the way back to The Warburton, he experiences yet another life altering event. One that nearly takes his life. He becomes increasingly aware that the world around him is changing. His friends are moving in different directions. He withdraws. Once again it's his grandfather, Eddie, who points him in the right direction. In this, the final Miles Freely story, Miles finds his footing in the last place he ever thought he would.

Published in September, 2018, the book is available at bookstores via Amazon, through Amazon directly, and other sites.

According to the adults who rule his existence, the boy is guilty of asking questions, of wanting to live his own life, of being a misfit. At the age of twelve, he's sent on a mission that he must complete if he is to move on with his life. When he returns home,  he's judged a failure. He's adjusted and sent off to work in a garbage dump for the rest of time. His daring escape returns him to the land of his mission. His arch-enemy pursues him. The boy knows that if he's caught, he'll be taken back and turned into illuminated drool. Instead of hiding, he risks it all to find the human who is most important to him.