TALES OF A FANTASY WORLD WINS 2026 BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL

LOS ANGELES_ The story of a mystical pixie who transgresses by trying to understand human love is the winner of the 2026 Beach Book Festival, which honors summer’s hottest reads.

Author  David James’s Escala’s Wish (Tales of Valla Book 1) from Trash Panda Publishing  shows what happens when the book’s heroine breaks the most sacred law of the fey. Born with mortal blood that made her curious where her kind was cautious, Escala Winter didn’t mean to violate the laws. But when her reckless attempt to understand human love shatters the balance between realms, the fey Court demands the ultimate price.

Stripped of her wings, her title, and even her fey form, Escala is cast into the harsh mortal world of Valla and bound to an impossible quest meant to repair the damage she has done. But the greatest danger awaiting her isn’t the ancient grudge she has awakened. It’s love.

This fanciful story creates a fascinating world and is well worthy of top honors in the competition.

Other winners:

 BUSINESS

WINNER: 10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire - Calvin Barry Schwartz with Kae Wagner


CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER: It’s Okay To Have Feelings - Patricia Miller

GENERAL FICTION:

WINNER: Escala's Wish - David James

RUNNERS-UP:

• Palimony - Steve Grossman
• The Fateful Voyage of the Empress of Ireland - Cheryl Roberts Gale
• The Echo Man - Jessie Clark
• Justice For Emerson: A Murder Mystery - Karen E. Osborne
• There's a Tortoise in My Hair - Calvin Barry Schwartz
• Breathe Easy - Tammy Donahue

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Callahan's Cottage - Judy Lannon
• Railroad Man: Legacies Son - Dan E. Hendrickson
• I Forgave You - Natia Khaduri
• Pirate's Alley - Thomas J. Leveque
• Chasing The Hummingbird's Universe - George Russsell
• There's a Tortoise in My Hair - Calvin Barry Schwartz
• Breathe Easy - Tammy Donahue

GENERAL NONFICTION:

WINNER: True Crime and Consequences - David Lyon

RUNNER-UP: Cold War California - Gary Francis Powers Jr., Christopher Sturdevant, Franky Ortega

HONORABLE MENTION:

• My Warp Threads - Maureen Jenks
• Custom Maid Palestine for New World Disorder - Peter G. de Krassel

HISTORY

WINNER: Imperial Religious Policy from Constantine to Theodosius - Ferdinando Emilio Abbate

MEMOIR

WINNER: Blood Moon Productions: Its Origins, Its Oeuvre, Its Sources, Its Legacy - Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince

RUNNER-UP: My Warp Threads - Maureen O'Hera

ROMANCE

WINNER: Palimony - Steve Grossman

RUNNER-UP: Please Wait to Cross - Elissa Bass

SCIENCE FICTION

WINNER: Escala's Wish - David James

RUNNER-UP: A Three Body Solution - Ken Breniman


SELF-HELP

WINNER: Give Me a Year - Shonda Scott

SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS

WINNER: Spirit Guides and Angels: Death and Taxes - Wayne Cesaro

WILD CARD

WINNER: 1-2 Lies to Forever - Marlene M. Bell

RUNNERS-UP:

• Blood Moon Productions: Its Origins, Its Oeuvre, Its Sources, Its Legacy - Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince
• Next Time - M. Jacqueline Murray

HONORABLE MENTION:

• T.V. Holiday's Vendetta: Legend of The Iron Warrior Vol. 3 - T.V. Holiday

YOUNG ADULT

WINNER: Seaside Magic and The Lost Amulet - Vianlix Christine Schneider

RUNNER-UP: The Boy Who Earned His Magic - Lynn H. Elliott

HOW-TO:

WInner: The Perfect Reader Playbook Juliet Clark