John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for a murder he didn’t commit, he knows the cops are closing in on him and that he’s facing life in prison—or death by lethal injection. Then, as if out of nowhere, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start again: a new face, a new home, a new beginning.

Soon Shannon finds himself living a life he never dreamed possible. In a ruined city trying to rebuild, he finds work as a carpenter and a wood carver. He meets the beautiful Teresa Grey and for the first time falls in love with the sort of woman who could make him a better man.

All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth. Derek also leads an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.
Each chapter explores a specific protein’s taste and flavor considerations and then tours through impressive recipes including:

Beef: Beer Marinated Bavette Steak with Creamy Corn Salsa, Coal Roasted Hanger Steaks with Thai Chili Sauce, Black Garlic New York Strips with Bone Marrow Butter, Spiced Rum-Marinated Tri-Tip
Pork: Cotija Crusted Pork Skewers, Cocoa Molasses-Glazed Spiral Ham, Loaded Chorizo Sandwich with Chilean Inspired Pebre
Chicken/Turkey: Rotisserie Chicken with Alabama White Sauce, Maple Whiskey Chicken Lollipops, Smoked Tequila Lime Spatchcocked Chicken, Honey Habanero Rotisserie Turkey Legs, Smoked Spiced Whole Turkey
Fish/Seafood: Garlic-Crusted Tuna with Spicy Avocado Salsa, Baked Lobster with Buffalo Chive Butter, Coal-Roasted Lemon Herb Trout, Sweet Tomatillo Grilled Salmon, Seared Scallops with Beer Pan Sauce, Honey Sriracha Shrimp Skewers, Fire-Crusted Oysters Kilpatrick
Game/Lamb/Duck: Cast-Iron Bison Ribeyes with Caramelized Red Wine Onions, Bison Steak Frites with Spicy Gremolata Butter, Coffee Crusted Elk Medallions, Hanging Leg of Lamb with Chimichurri Aioli, Smoked Honey Cider Lamb Ribs, Seared Duck Breast with Black Cherry Tamarind Sauce

The sweet spot … where brainiac meets brawn in a fake relationship that could turn real …
Blakely Donelson, a professor of psychology, never expected to get dumped by her colleague … and she certainly didn’t anticipate crossing paths with a hunky mixed martial arts fighter.

Blakely finds herself in the uncomfortable spot of being the last of her friends who have yet to find a significant other. While she tells herself that she’s perfectly happy being single, her heart has other ideas.

She agrees to go an impromptu cruise as a way to soothe her broken heart. A snap decision to help a guy in need morphs into a complicated fake relationship that turns her world topsy-turvy.

Swept away by the passionate Prince Khalil Khan, Dora Nelson can hardly believe her new fairy-tale life as princess of El Bahar. Until she uncovers Khalil’s real reasons for marrying her…

But somehow, she can’t seem to control her feelings for him, and she certainly can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. And unless Dora and Khalil agree to meet halfway, their fiery marriage threatens to consume them both.