BookLife - Resources and tools for book publishers and writers

Once I Was Very Very Scared

by Chandra Ippen

A little squirrel announces that he was once very, very scared and finds out that he is not alone. Lots of little animals went through scary experiences, but they react in different ways. Turtle hides and gets a tummy ache, monkey clings, dog barks, and elephant doesn’t like to talk about it. They need help, and they get help from grown-ups who help them feel safe and learn ways to cope with difficult feelings. This story was written to help children and grown-ups (parents, teachers, and othe... more

Boliche polar: Un cuento sin palabras (Cuentos sin palabras nº 1) (Spanish Edition)

by Karl Beckstrand

(Wordless Humor, Spanish) El oso polar que juega a los bolos. “Kids will delight” – Natasha Yim. Un oso polar va a la Antártica. Él nunca ha visto a un pingüino -- él se ven como algo divertido con el cual jugar (niños de 2 - 6 años). The adventures of a polar bear who hitches a ride to Antarctica. He’s never seen penguins before; to him they look like something fun to play with. Children (ages 2 – 6) love to make up stories to go with clever pictures created by Ashley Sanborn (The Dancing Flami... more

Fargo's Terrific Idea

by Robert D. Karrick

Due to a severe drought, Fargo the frog and his duck friends must move to a new pond far away. The journey proves to be more hazardous than a venturesome frog might expect. Plenty of giggles, a few surprises, and a clever twist are found in this gently humorous tale about three friends who are willing to try almost anything to stay together.

The Four Disciples

by Gary Welsh

Seventy-year-old Matthew Kern is introduced to his new home for the aged. The next stage of his life begins when he learns from resident Tom and his four ?disciples? about mysterious deaths at the home. Tom is found dead, and Matthew becomes the disciples? leader. They uncover mistreatment of residents; seduction attempts from the manager, Sylvia; and mysterious meetings in the basement. Matthew?s interest becomes personal when he falls in love with the beautiful Donna, another resident. With he... more

The Believers in the Crucible Nauvoo

by Alfred Woollacott, III

From the author of The Immigrant, another stimulating novel that will linger with you regardless of your faith or beliefs. After enduring early parental deaths, Naamah Carter discovers renewed meaning to her strong Christian beliefs through Joseph Smith’s testaments. His following in Peterborough, New Hampshire flourishes, yet Naamah, her beloved Aunt Susan, and other believers suffer family strife and growing community resentment. She leaves her unfriendly situation and journeys to Nauvoo to ... more

Animal Heart

by Paul Luikart

A cabbie with a booze problem pities a murderer and helps him flee into the desert. A homeless woman teaches a businessman how to dance. A bank robber on the run does the only compassionate thing he’s ever done in his life when he encounters a band of wild horses. A man hunts and kills his romantic rival, then presents the love of his life with a token of his affection. The desk clerk at a fleabag hotel blesses the dead. The short stories in Animal Heart pay attention to raggedy characters ... more

Brief Instructions

by Paul Luikart

In the midst of lives punctuated by blood and fear, mercy arises in surprising places. Turtle glimpses what could still be, even after he shoots himself in the head. Neal owes money to bad men, but a noisy bird in a tree saves his life. Marnie loves Trig and she’ll get them from Chicago to Seattle no matter the cost. The flash fiction pieces in Brief Instructions, my new chapbook, reveal characters struggling like their lives depend on it for a second chance at real life. Fans of Nelson Algr... more

The Runaway Dandelion; Adventures in SustainAbility

by Jill Regensburg

A once idyllic meadow, home to animals, birds, insects, wildflowers and ancient apple trees is clear cut by a bulldozer to make way for new construction. Miraculously, there is one survivor...a lonely little dandelion. When her golden petals turn to white fluff, she takes flight in search of a new home. We get a bird's eye view of her journey over many big houses and manicured green lawns. When she spots a lush green meadow, surrounded by wetlands, we follow her down to earth, and cheer as she p... more

Ladybug Junction, Book IV

by Renee Barnes

A wave of terror ran through the tiny mayor as he received the news that the crows were on a rampage and planning to attack all the insect villages within the Evergreen Wood. While frantically considering his options, Spike the turtle appears and offers his assistance. Spike suggests they go over to see Katrinka the frog and perhaps she will have a solution. To save time, they all pile on Spike's back for a rather wild ride to Katrinka's place. There were several forest friends alread... more

Futura: A Novella

by Jordan Phillips

By the year 2050, Paris is a stark contrast from other large cities, which had long ago morphed into ultramodern metropolises, where every new building was practically a city within a city. Even in France, humans cannot escape the fact that the Invisibles have taken over. Some come in the form of microscopic chips that are embedded practically everywhere, while others are more visible because they power robots. Humans were suddenly underutilized, and they would be forever.

Past futurist... more

4 Spanish-English Books for Kids: With English-Spanish Pronunciation Guide

by Karl Beckstrand

(Language learning) 4 libros bilingües para niños. Comes with full text and pronunciation guide in both languages, beginning vocabulary, finding and counting activities (ages 3+/ESL), multicultural characters; 100 illustrations, about 2,500 words by award-winning author Karl Beckstrand (The Bridge of the Golden Wood), additional art by Channing Jones and David Hollenbach; available in English-only, Spanish-only; soft cover, hard cover, and ebook; 8”x10” children’s Spanish picture book with diver... more

To the End of Days

by Arnold Holtzman

Adult fiction, action saga begins in 1898 in the Ukrainian forests near the Polish border. Before her death in the wake of a Cossack pogrom, a mother delivers a mysterious, cryptic message/prophecy, to her two very young sons who alone escape the killings. A tale with rich Old Testament narratives, the two children are soon forcibly separated. Neither the passage of very violent years, the eventual crossing of oceans or the uncertain, aggressive ambitions of those whose lives merged with their... more

Ellie Anders: The Impossible School Project

by Craig Kunce

Ellie Anders has a good life. She has wonderful parents, a furry dog named Sam, and a pretty-okay little brother. She plays tennis, eats pizza, and swaps toys and games with her best friend Lex. But a new school project is threatening to disrupt it all. Her free-spirited teacher, Miss Parker, has assigned an impossible project. Ellie must choose who’s more important to her—her mom or dad.

Pepper Zhang, Artist Extraordinaire!

by Jerry Zhang

"Pepper Zhang, Artist Extraordinaire!" is a children's book born out of a father's mission to write a book for his daughter that doesn't currently exist: an inspirational book with a strong Asian girl as the main character. Yes, Pepper Zhang is Asian, and no this book is not a book about Asian culture -- it's just a fun and dynamic story that children of all backgrounds can enjoy! At its core, "Pepper Zhang, Artist Extraordinaire!" is an extraordinary story... more

Forlorn

by Gina Detwiler

"They're closer than you think." A group of teenagers take on the demonic world in order to free one of their own from an eternal curse.

Bad luck seems to follow Grace Fortune wherever she goes. She was orphaned at a young age, and her musical talent got her accepted to a prestigious school for the arts, where she was caught in the middle of horrific school shooting that nearly takes her life.

But then she meets gorgeous loner, Jared Lorn, and falls madly in love. Th... more

Raising the Blackbirds

by Edward F. Moncrief

Raising the Blackbirds traces the life of Sixto Torres, a Mexican national who comes to the U.S. at the age of twenty four in search of greater opportunity for himself and his family. The story begins with Sixto’s life as a child in San Ciro; his “coming-of-age” experiences as a student attending a Catholic seminary and his struggle to lay aside that vocation. It follows Sixto’s efforts, after the death of his father, to care for his mother and siblings; and describes his marriage to Elida and h... more

Discover Books

General Fiction (including literary and historical)