BookLife - Resources and tools for book publishers and writers

13-year-old Mac, who secretly blames himself for his father’s death, runs away to stop his mother from remarrying but ends up seriously injured, miles from home, while clues inadvertently left behind suggest he’s been kidnapped—possibly by Mom’s fiancé—and set his twin sister Tessa on a desperate search to find him.

The Midnight Mannequins and Other Stories

by Michael Daly

In each of the twelve stories in Michael Daly’s collection, he attempts to cunningly expose our human frailties and foibles with hopefully an expert mixture of humour and sadness at many of life’s challenges. Retirement plans that don’t quite work out, a husband whose wife thought she really knew him well, a pet lover who has to ask an arch-enemy to help her bury her cat, people coping with illness and the lonely lady in London whose life is completely changed by telephoning a random phone numb... more

The Willows

by Kevin Beardsley

An early life of neglect and pain doesn’t deter Jack from being determined to be accepted and then later to realise his endeavours. The journey is fraught with failures, dangers and disappointments. His friendship with the children of an eccentric family who have rented ‘The Willows’, a large but run-down house in the beach resort where Tom is living, proves to be not only a turning point but also the scene of great tragedy. His experience is widened when he goes to university and becomes involv... more

The Chameleon which Lost Its Colour

by Hafdis Hafsteins

On the island of Madagascar, Blaze the chameleon is the most colourful of all the animals. But Blaze has one flaw: he’s quite mischievous, which makes it hard for him to make friends. One day his colours have vanished and it’s up to him to get the other animals on the island to help him find them! Will he succeed?

Mr. Naughty Nine Legs

by Benjamin Thomas Stanley

“Hi, I’m Mr Naughty Nine Legs. In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a spider with nine legs. Yes, you read it right, nine legs! I get into all sorts of trouble. I’m a very naughty spider. I see you have my book in your hand. Why not open it up and take a look? Read about my adventure if you dare. I meet my biggest fear, maybe it will give you a scare.”

Escape from the Shades

by Anthony Edwards

Brother and sister, Tom and Bobby, are orphans growing up rough, with their dog Tag, in the Victorian East End of London. Helped by Dr Barnardo, they have begun to make progress when Bobby is attacked in the notorious Rookeries. Tom comes to the rescue but finds himself arrested, in a cell, and then before the Beak. His trial is at the Old Bailey where he is not allowed to speak in his defence. Then Tag comes to his rescue!

The Wonderful World of You

by Alan Portmann

Have you ever reminisced about learning life’s simple lessons through the innocence of a child’s eyes? Would you like to teach your child valuable lessons in empathy, kindness and grace? The Wonderful World of You takes you on a delightfully humorous and whimsical journey of discovery learning about love, honesty, integrity, sharing and more from a child’s perspective. Written in a Dr. Seuss rhyme scheme, these short stories are designed to build character values and improve vocabulary developme... more

The Girl Who Tried to Change History

by Melissa Kaplan

The Girl Who Tried to Change History is a story featuring a time-traveling heroine who gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in a complex experiment to alter the history of the twentieth century. Vivienne Riley is a stressed-out graduate student about to earn her doctorate in European history, with a focus on the Second World War, when she is approached by a mysterious man to join what she refers to as the “Experiment”—an effort by the world’s top scientists to erase... more

The Skye in June

by June Ahern

The MacDonalds emigrate from Scotland after a family tragedy but cannot escape the youngest child's strange insights that threaten to expose her mother's secret past in the Scottish Highlands. The youngest child's fate is sealed the day she is born when her mother defies her husband by not giving their new daughter a saint's name as is their tradition. This doesn't keep the father's dominance over his four daughters from creating often hilarious tactics to divert his wrath as they come of age du... more

Puppy Pals and Puppy Tales

by Johnette DeRose

Puppy Pals and Puppy Tales is the second book in the Letters From Liza series. Liza is a chocolate Labrador Retreiver and she loves to describe the adventures she has with the two children in the family, Sam and Bea. Each chapter is written in letter format and describes common events in children's lives, like losing a tooth or learning to ride a bike. Children enjoy seeing their own stories come to life through the words of the playful family pet.

The Black Alabaster Box

by Franes Schoonmaker

It had been quiet along the Santa Fe Trail for more than a year when the Stokes Company set out for California, the Willis family among them. A reluctant traveler, young Grace Willis longs for her fortunate, safe, and comfortable life at home. Just as she is learning to negotiate life in a wagon-train, Grace is kidnapped by fellow travellers and taken into Oklahoma Territory. She must decide if she will cave in to despair or muster the courage to run away and search for her parents. Grace finds ... more

Once Upon a Cloud

by Salene Hill

Once Upon a Cloud is a collection of poetry. Each line brings a colorful and creative thought for everyday living, comical satire, and giving back to our beautiful world. The book will make you laugh, cry, and wish that you were in the event. I wrote the collection to remember my father, sister, grandmother, and aunt. Many people will inspire your life over a period of time.

The Unusual Penguin

by Madeleine MacRae

When you are different, it's not always easy to unlock your destiny This story captures the pain of being misjudged, the sorrow that can arise out of being atypical, and the transcendent joy that can be found when you discover who you truly are and learn to value yourself accordingly.

Desert Friends

by Linda Harkey

Animal friends in the Arizona Sonoran Desert are found in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Rodney, a Roadrunner and his best friend Quincy, a Gambel’s quail spend days racing each other through dry creek beds called arroyos. One day Rodney and Quincy meet two hunting dogs—Gator and his three-legged buddy Tripod. Danger surrounds the four friends as a thunderstorm sends tremendous amounts of muddy water down the arroyo. The force of water swept Tripod away. Who will come to his rescu... more

The Love That Haunts Us

by Laurie Berkshire

Most of us have a love from our past that haunts us. First love, unrequited love, forbidden love, star-crossed love, lost love, old love. Chronicling how the lives of two generations of three early twentieth-century Chicago families become intertwined, characters captivate and as the story unfolds, The Love That Haunts makes certain that the reader will not forget. Emilia Brauer, pregnant at sixteen and sent away from the only home she has ever known leaves behind her beloved Liam, give... more

Discover Books

General Fiction (including literary and historical)

Chemistry, Nine Stories

MacKenzie's Last Run