The Cocoa Cafe Chronicles: 10 Sip-Sized Stories of Magic, Mayhem, and Cocoa from LegendFiction Authors
Cozy up! A Piping-Hot New Anthology from the Starstriking Authors of LegendFiction
We present: The Cocoa Café Chronicles. LegendFiction’s latest full-length anthology, ready to arrive at your door, aching to be set in your lap and savored with a warm blanket and a warmer drink.
Where whimsy meets wonder, and every sip of story is brewed with magic.
Inside, you'll meet:
A young shop owner with a dying hearth rune takes on a stray young woman with more power than he realizes.
An aging elf recounts her escapades outwitting a chocolate-drunken fairy festival.
An elderly knight with a screw or two loose is transported to the future and valiantly saves a kingdom-er, cocoa shop.
A teenage girl living in a floating space colony welcomes some rough-on-the-run-miners into her family's chocolate bar. Warm drinks on her.
A new inheritor finds that her late uncle had not just debts but pirate debts.
A young man risks his life to rescue his younger brother from the Governor's Arena.
A weary cat scrounges for life-and love-in the underbelly of a down-on-its-luck harbor.
Two singers find a once-in-a-lifetime love by the seaside.
Two chaotic brothers make a myriad of zany attempts at evading the notorious, diminutive Darius K. Truffle.
A young human resists siren songs to protect a helpless customer.
A con artist schemes his suspicious uncle into buying an abandoned cocoa café.
The Prince of Death house-flips the rotting-away chocolate tavern that once belonged to his mortal mother.
Come for the cocoa. Stay for the stardust, the soul, and the storytelling.
The mugs are warm. The tales are wilder than you expect.
Welcome to the café. We saved you a seat.
Authors: Kathryn Zurmehly • Maria Pasquale • Emma Adams• Daniel Staudt • Grace Schroepfer• I.M.J. Wood • Katelyn Gardens • Ellie Sullenberger • Connor McGwire • Isabella Miller • Dominic de Souza • Gabriella Batel
PREFACE FROM THE EDITOR
Some of the best things start off the cuff. Like this anthology. Last Christmastide (yes, Christmastide not Christmas time because we are cool here), on a whim, our mentor Dominic posted a quick prompt to fit the winter mood: you’ve inherited a hot chocolate shop—two things go great and one thing goes very wrong.
Go.
And our community did.
They ran with it. We hadn’t seen that many comments on a single post in a long while. Maybe ever.
So, later, as Dominic and I were discussing the possibility of a quarterly anthology by LegendFiction and were debating what our first theme should be, the answer came quickly: a cocoa café.
Our community came through a second time when it came to picking the title. I provided a roughly brainstormed list, and the overwhelming consensus was—you guessed it.
The Cocoa Café Chronicles.
(Side note: I did not think that one was going to get picked, but I’m so glad it did.)
Our community’s homey, cozy, magic idea was growing. To shape it, Dominic and I established four essential characteristics we were aiming for, honing the atmosphere we had in mind.
Chocolate.
The inheritance.
A harbor setting.
A speculative take.
And once again, our community took it and ran with it. Some emphasized certain aspects over others. Our winners are the stunning stories that did the best job capturing our vision, masterfully interweaving all the elements. Our honorable mentions are stories par excellence that took a different route. All of them are an undeniable testament to the talent, creativity, and hard work of our LegendFiction community.
Cheers, all. (Clinks hot chocolate mug.)
Gabriella Batel
Editor and Head Chocolatier
Story Summaries
“A HEARTH IN WINTERBANE” by Kathryn Zurmehly
Owain Talaver just wants to keep his parents’ café afloat and his head down. But when a red-haired stranger shows up needing shelter, the books start balancing, the hearthfire glows a little brighter—and the city’s top wizard starts sniffing around, hunting a dragon that has mysteriously vanished.
“Owain would have been out there in the commotion, half frozen but warmed by the thrill of the crowd. If he did not have an account book to stare at in bewildered horror.”
“A TALE OF TWO ELVES, A SORCERER NAMED PHIL, AND A HORDE OF HOT CHOCOHOLIC FAIRIES” by Maria Pasquale
Running a chocolate café is sweet—until the fairies get tipsy. When an ancient fairy tradition crashes into the charming Cocoa Hideaway Café, a young elf scrambles to keep the sugar-fueled chaos under control. Between broken, well, everything and drunken pixies, it’ll take more than hot cocoa to save the day—possibly some flour and a dramatic cape, and definitely a bold decision that could risk her ancestors’ gift to her
“Every evening, when the Cocoa Hideaway Café closed and Mrs. Kent, the elf who ran the café, began to scrub away at the dirty tables and dishes, her daughter Nora would take two mugs of hot chocolate and four chocolate orange scones from the kitchen.”
THE LUNACY OF ISEMBART by Emma Adams
Sir Isembart Wymont has rescued 127 princesses, dabbled in sorcery, and misplaced his sanity somewhere along the way. When his king unceremoniously banishes him through time, Isembart awakens in a half-flooded cocoa café in modern-day Maine. Luckily, Isembart knows what to do: declare himself king, rename the shop Isembartopia, and rally his sole subject (a kind-hearted barista named Lucille) to save the day in a bardic tale equal parts farce and farewell.
“In Sir Isembart Wymont’s 97 years of life, he had managed to save 127 princesses, learn a bit of sorcery, and lose his mind.”
“NEW KEY WEST, INNER OORT CLOUD” by Daniel Staudt
On the frozen edge of the solar system, where the chocolate’s hot and the weather’s hell, Anabelle runs her family’s café like it’s the center of the universe. When a wandering old miner stumbles in from the storm, he brings six broke comrades and a secret older than New Key West itself. Between brewing GMO yeast cocoa, dodging questions, and hiding friends in the pantry, Anabelle uncovers a family secret that is beyond this world.
“She’d seen the back of his jacket when he came in: it read, ‘Key West, Florida: Weather’s Always Perfect.’ Now, she could only see the front: ‘New Key West, Inner Oort Cloud: Weather’s Always Crappy.’”
“GOLD DUST” by Grace Schroepfer
Irene didn’t inherit a cocoa shop: she inherited a pirate infested disaster with a jinxed window. All she wanted was to run a cozy café in the harbor, but when a frostbitten war walrus of a man demands his cut of her late uncle’s gold and a slightly scorched young swordsman crashes in with warnings of danger, Irene finds herself dealing with crossbow ambushes and gold-fueled battle plans. Because this café isn’t going under—not without a fight.
“I leaned forward, pursed my lips, and blew. My breath caught up the small mound of gold dust in the palm of my hand, lifted it into the air, and swirled it in front of me. I licked my lips and snapped my fingers.”
“DARK CHOCOLATE” by I.M.J. Wood
Jason has lost everything. The cocoa café he was raised in is rubble. His parents are dead. His brother was taken, slated to be tortured to death in the Arena—but Jason can still save him. Teaming up with an army colonel and a priest, Jason takes advantage of a final precaution, a gift stowed away by his family. But as he risks everything for his brother, he wonders if his own hate will drown him.
“The soft lapping of waves against dock posts pierced the night’s stillness as Jason slid into the shadows alongside an abandoned ticket booth.”
“COCOA HEARTS” by Katelyn Gardens
Betrayed, wounded, and starving, Cocoa stumbles to the doorstep of a fading harborside chocolate shop, where she watches the girl inside struggle to save her mother’s dream from collapse—and where a tomcat offers Cocoa the care she’s never had and is too suspicious to accept. But when the past returns in the shape of a bloodthirsty Doberman, Cocoa must choose: is alone really safe, or should she risk her heart one more time?
“‘Are you ready, Cocoa?’ The low, challenging meow rang in her ears.”
“CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHORDS” by Ellie Sullenberger
In a chocolate shop perched on a seaside, one bard strums her way into hearts—and into one in particular. Cassandra sings for cocoa and croissants, for curious customers and a certain best friend with a voice like butter and a habit of sneaking up on her. When teasing turns tender and harmonies start sounding a lot like home, Cassandra might just find that love, like music (and chocolate), is best when shared.
“Cassandra’s fingers strummed her guitar, plucking occasionally as her rich, melodic voice carried around the sweet-smelling air of the chocolate shop.”
“ONE SMALL TRUFFLE OF A MATTER REGARDING DROWNING IN A MINOR OCEAN OF DEBT” by Connor McGwire
When their grandfather’s seaside cocoa café gets reclaimed by a pint-sized crime lord with a cocoa addiction and a reputation for creative debt collection, the Brothers Ganache have seven days to save their home. With a block of decades-old chocolate, zero business sense, and a knack for spectacular failure, Francis and Bernard do what any sane, desperate, questionably employed duo would do: try absolutely every crazy thing.
“‘Look,’ said a tall and suave young man with an exotic accent. ‘It is the same chocolate shaver he’d had since we were in diapers, yes?’”
“THE MOON AND HER OCEAN” by Isabella Miller
In a coastal town where chocolate is brewed like poetry and danger simmers beneath the whipped-cream surface, Runa stands guard over her late father’s cocoa shop—a place of warmth and safety. But when a frightened noble girl stumbles in and triggers a hidden codeword for help, Runa is forced to fight back against two ruthless siren kidnappers. All she has is her own wits and fists, training from a siren love, and a fierce instinct to protect her father’s memory—and that is more than enough.
“I close my eyes, inhaling the aroma of chocolate—not overbearing but strong. It blends with the soft, earthy scent of wood when I stride into the dining area. That’s how my father smelled every night when he came home.”
“THE COCOA KING OF SALTBYRN” by Dominic de Souza
Rink thought he was pulling one last con to escape town—a quick sale of an old cocoa café he never cared about. But the deal with his suave, cane wielding uncle turns brutal fast. The soldiers want Rink’s head. The mafia wants their cut. The assassin across the street wants an excuse. But Rink hasn’t gone down yet, and he doesn’t intend to start now. He’ll prove who’s the real cocoa king.
“Rink fidgeted constantly, waiting. It had been hours here in this unused, abandoned café just off the harbor, and his uncle hadn’t shown up. If this took much longer, he’d have to abandon this plan.”
“THE BITTERSWEET DARK” by Gabriella Batel
Prince Ending—Death incarnate, heir of shadows, 2,000 years old and grieving still—returns to the seaside ruin that was once his mother’s beloved chocolate tavern. What he finds is worse than rot. It’s neglect. It’s desecration. It’s his own shame. With the help of his infuriatingly stylish friend, Rare, Prince of Miracles, Ending sets out to restore the tavern to its former glory—but cleaning mold is one thing. Facing the last you have of your mother is another.
“Prince Ending, the 2,000-year-old heir of night and dark, Death and Sleep himself, stood in front of the chocolate tavern and cringed.”
Meet the Authors
Emma Adams: I’m a Catholic teen who loves nothing better than a cup of tea on a rainy day and a good book nearby. When I’m not writing, I like to play the harp, draw, animate stuff, play video games, attempt to learn Japanese, listen to obscure musicals, and read lots of books. I drink a dangerous amount of piping hot tea every day, so I’m a little insane. My favorite movie is Singing In the Rain, my favorite book is Great Expectations, and I cannot comprehend the concept of having a favorite song. Also, I love snow and lilacs.
Gabriella Batel: I’m a vibrant young woman with an adrenaline craving and a passion for God, family, movies, fanart, and YA. I’ve already written a YA thriller duology, the Don’t series, a dark fantasy mystery called Ending is on its way, and then a whole gamut of fantasy, dystopian, and apocalyptic stories. I’m always writing the next thrill ride. Website: gabriellabatel.com
Dominic de Souza: A Catholic dad and novelist passionate about worldbuilding and sharing faith through fandoms. I’m a graduate from the Writer’s Institute for Children’s Literature, self-published a children’s novel, serial entrepreneur, and work full time in marketing and design. I am married, with a small girl and a smaller corgi. Some day I’ll actually finish my own YA novel series. Website: dominicdesouza.com
Katelyn Gardens: Hiii, you can call me Peaches or Katelyn! :D I’m a Catholic trying to find herself in a messy world. I’m a huge Warrior Cats nerd :’> Giant fan of cats here, hehe. I love to draw, write, code, and read—I absolutely love complicated and long lore, which is probably why I love Catholicism so much: God is the greatest author I’ve ever encountered! He sure keeps me on my toes ;’D I’m an INFP, so I may have my head in the clouds a lot, haha! :) Website: scratch.mit.edu/users/PeachesAndPies
Connor McGwire: I’ve been writing fiction in some form or another since I could hold a pencil, usually in the form of game plots and role-playing adventures. My taste is for a focus on what’s human in all of the thrills of genre fiction: charming characters, deep truths, and the thrill of life. For the last few years I’ve dedicated my spare time to finishing my first full novel, Metanoia, which I’ve revised about 3 times, and whose first part is now available! Website: arscorvi.com
Isabella Miller: My name is Isabella…but you can call me Isa or WinterWidow, whichever you prefer!! I love to read anything fantasy, love taking photos, sewing, and spending time with my family!
Maria Pasquale: A Catholic homeschooled teenager who has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She loves all things J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J. Austen, and L.M. Montgomery. Her poems have been published in several of the “A Celebration of Young Poets” anthologies, and she is the foundress of Ethereal Things Literary Journal. When she isn’t buried in a book, you can find her sewing, crocheting, baking, playing violin, or wandering around in the fores, on the search for an adventure. Her motto in life is, as said by St. Teresa of Avila, “Life is to live in a such a way that we are not afraid to die.” Website: etherealthings.unaux.com
Grace Shroepfer: I am a teen writer with a passion for dramatic, soul-rending stories with the themes of hope and finding your true self. I love animals, martial arts, windy days, and a good story. You will find me in my favorite little corner, typing up my latest world or, occasionally, dancing in the rain. Website: gschroepfer.substack.com
Daniel Staudt: Daniel Staudt is a nobody. He hasn’t done anything significant or worth including in a biography. You really still want to know something about him? Fine. He’s a creatively confused highschooler who can’t figure out whether he’s supposed to build websites or write wannabe literary fiction. His stories (when he manages to make them readable, which is rare) are about the South, desert agriculture, suburban existentialism, and a few other random things. He spends most of his time in a dim basement in rural North Carolina.
Ellie Sullenberger: I love to ramble about anything—book related or not. I always want to hear the crazy plot your Dungeon Master just cooked up, the insane plot twist in your favorite TV show, that movie ending that made you sob (lookin’ at you, HTTYD), or literally anything else. Even if I don’t know anything about the franchise, I’m an ear to rant to! I will likely rant back.
I.M.J. Wood: I am the writing and editing specialist for Extraordinary Mission, a non-profit Catholic ministry. I’m currently enrolled in a Christian, college-equivalent writing program, and it’s my dream to write stories that shine the light of Jesus and the Catholic Church into the darkness of this world.
Kathryn Zurmehly: I am a cradle Catholic from and living in Phoenix, Arizona. Storytelling is my passion, and I am one of the most voracious and fastest readers I know of. I write fantasy and sci-fi of the sort that I like reading—adventure stories with teeth and heart. I have so far stuck to independent publishing, with two books published and a third in editing, as well as putting a few stories on Vocal media. Website: kathrynzurmehly.com
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