James Beard Award Cookbooks Novels & Stories

“She’s just a sweet, simple girl. It was never going to last anyway.” Maddison Carter’s ideal graduation day was a ruined disaster that left her broken and abandoned. That was, until a voice…a powerful one, provided a dangerous offer to her: “I can show you a life of a completely different kind.” So she stepped into CEO Grant Harrison’s world; the thrilling, dangerous world that was filled with corporate giants and hidden enemies of the billionaire. When a scandalous photo is about to ruin her, Grant makes a shocking announcement in public that shakes everywhere. Now, Maddison is being hunted by a past that won’t stay buried. Can Maddison go from a heartbroken Top of the class graduate to a Top CEO who can save her empire and the family she never expected to have?

Scott Maynard and I were in love for eight years. I once believed he was my soulmate. We joined Doctors Without Borders together and ventured into war zones side by side. But everything changed the day Piper Ellison appeared. To protect her, he shoved me into danger during a rebel siege, using me as a scapegoat. Then, he fled the country with Piper, and left me to rot in the prison. Three years later, Miles rescued me. Yet upon returning home, the first thing I saw was Scott staging an elaborate proposal, surrounded by nine thousand roses. He twisted the truth about what had happened in Asternis, and those around us believed him. I revealed my wedding ring, and Miles stepped forward to shield me. Despite that, Scott still refused to let go. He became obsessed and relentless, even threatening his own life to force me back. This love, riddled with betrayal and cruelty, finally came to a complete end with his death.

“Olivia.” His voice was husky with want. “I’m going to make you feel so good, baby.” She took his one hand in both of hers and pulled the index finger into her mouth, gently sucking on it, then releasing it. Her eyes were bright with lust, and his cock hardened as her tongue flicked the end of his finger, teasing him. “I believe you,” she whispered. She moved his hand over her breasts now, down her flat stomach. His fingers found her hot, wet centre and they both groaned. “Touch me, Dallas.” Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she shifted her hips to give him greater access. “Please…” **** Olivia Jameson has it all: beauty, fame, money, adoration. But one fan wants more than her image. When his messages turn obscene, then terrifying, and he crosses the ultimate line by appearing inside her home, Olivia realizes her perfect life is a carefully lit illusion. She needs protection. Now. **** Dallas Foreman is a former sniper turned bodyguard: big, lethal, disciplined. He’s wanted Olivia for years, but wanting her and protecting her are two very different things. His job is simple: keep her alive, keep his hands off her, and stop the man hunting her. Desire can wait. **** Until Dallas uncovers a truth far more dangerous than a stranger in the shadows: the stalker may be someone Olivia trusts. As the walls close in and violence strikes close to home, Dallas must choose how far he’s willing to go to save the woman he loves. And if Olivia survives, will fear leave room for trust – or for him?

He kissed her over and over again, and she responded: she said yes. All female heat and need; so soft and curved against his muscle and hard planes. King kissed her like he owned her and she ached to just let him take her. Any way he wanted; as many times as she could take him. King shifted her again, held almost her whole weight on one massive forearm, freeing his other hand to move over her now. His fingers tightened on her cheek as he kissed her, the metal of his rings cool against her flushed skin, then he moved his hand down her body. She arched when he caressed her throat and stroked down slowly. **** Naomi Abbott had it all once: talent, success, momentum. Now she runs a nonprofit art program for autistic adults and counts her days sober instead of her sales. She’s smart, beautiful, and barely holding herself together. One year into recovery, Naomi knows the rules: no chaos, no temptation, and absolutely no romance. Especially not with him. Matt “King” Kingston is danger wrapped in muscle, a scowling ex-Marine with a garage, a shadowy side hustle, and a laser-focused obsession with Naomi. He wants her. All of her. And he’s never been good at walking away. But the closer he gets, the harder she resists... because letting King in means risking everything she’s fought to rebuild. As trust grows and walls crack, King becomes Naomi’s anchor. Until she spirals. When the past comes roaring back, Naomi must decide if she’s strong enough to survive it... and if King’s love can endure the wreckage.

For ten years, Cal Mercer and Ethan Locke have been the hockey league’s favorite scandal: fists thrown, penalties stacked, a rivalry so vicious it sells jerseys. Then a trade puts them on the same bench... and everything ignites. Their chemistry isn’t friendly or forgiving. It’s brutal, exacting, and charged with tension that feels far too personal. Cal, feared for his massive body and punished for his powerful temper, secretly craves rules that he was never allowed to name. Ethan, ice-cold and commanding, thrives on control, until Cal’s instinctive submission cuts too close to a need Ethan has so far refused to acknowledge. As the season tightens and scrutiny mounts, their power struggle stops being accidental and becomes chosen. Lines are drawn, boundaries are negotiated, and a Dom/sub dynamic is explored. What begins as hatred turns deliberate, dangerous, and achingly intimate – something neither man can afford, and neither can resist. 'Thin Ice Between Us' is a forbidden M/M romance set inside a league that celebrates sanctioned violence while outlawing intimacy between men. This isn’t love at first sight, but something sharper: dominance earned, submission chosen, and conflict transformed into trust. On the ice, they’re allowed to destroy each other. Everywhere else, wanting becomes a real risk... but being discovered will cost them everything

When Emma’s fated mate rejects her to marry the Alpha King’s only daughter, she thinks losing him is the worst betrayal of her life. But then he destroys her family’s pack and dares to offer her a place—as his secret mistress. Her answer? “I’d rather warm your father’s bed than be your dirty little secret.” Adrian Blackthorn—the Alpha King’s father—is a ruthless, dangerously charming Lycan with the kind of power that makes enemies vanish overnight. He never touches the same woman twice… until Emma crashes into his world with vengeance burning in her eyes. What starts as revenge spirals into an intoxicating game of dominance, secrets, and forbidden desire. But behind the passion lurks a deeper danger—because in this war for love, loyalty, and power… someone always bleeds.

When secrets hide in the shadows, love becomes the light that dares to expose them. Amber, a brilliant aspiring lawyer, and Miguel, a captivating student with a guarded past, find themselves entangled in a web of desire and truth. As their hearts collide, so do the risks—because this love could heal their wounds… or tear them apart. Step into a world of emotion, risk, and redemption. Amber and Miguel’s story will leave you breathless.

One night of reckless drinking to forget a cheating ex-boyfriend was supposed to be a fresh start. Instead, Elena wakes up with a bite mark on her neck she mistakes for a rough hickey and memories of a man who moved like a predator. When she walks into her Advanced Law seminar, she’s horrified to find her "beast" standing at the podium. Professor Alaric Blackwood is cold, professional, and lethal. But Alaric isn't alone. He’s a triplet, and his brothers—the billionaire CEO and the outlaw biker president—can smell her on him. They are Lycan royalty, they are a unit, and they’ve decided she belongs to all of them. Elena is thrust into a world of fangs and war, carrying a secret that will change the Lycan hierarchy forever.

Arian Smith had one rule which was to keep his head down, work well as the president of the book club, and hold tight to the scholarship that gave him a second chance at life. But when he’s falsely accused of stealing funds from the school’s prestigious Book Club, the orphaned student is thrust into a scandal that threatens everything he’s worked for. Kael Palmer has everything including money, power, and a last name that opens doors. What he doesn’t have is the academic award that stands between him and his graduation. The Book Club was supposed to be his ticket out until Arian’s scandal threatened to shut it down. Desperate to graduate, Kael strikes a risky deal with Arian. “Clear Arian's name to get the best member award”. But as both boys dug deeper, they became closer to the forbidden. What will happen to them since they live in a world where love between boys is forbidden?

During the award ceremony at our annual dinner, my boss, Hank Reid, suddenly announced an impromptu addition to the agenda. “Annual department competition! The department that ranked last has to come up and receive a little award of motivation!” The screen lit up. They scrolled through all the departments’ results. The sales department got first place, the operations department got second place, and the marketing department got third place. However, there was nothing from the administration department. That was because the administration department did not have KPIs. Hank smiled at us. “Let’s welcome our colleagues from the administration department to come up and receive their awards!” Two of my colleagues carried a whole basket of brooms onto the stage. Everyone was laughing. “You should sweep away your bad luck from last year. Let’s hope you won’t get last place again next year!” Hank personally passed the brooms to all of us. Cameras flashed as people took photos of us with their phones. The sales department was laughing the loudest. “Finally, the administration department has some recognition!”