Beach Book Festival Names ‘Escala’s Wish’ As Its Winner
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