Embers

A Butch/Femme Contemporary Fairytale Novella

By Tiffany E. Taylor

A heroic butch and a starry-eyed femme amidst the romance of The Dance, where true love vanquishes evil villains in the end.

If fairy godmothers truly did exist, the only thing in this world Embry Novak would wish for would be the freedom to be herself and live authentically. Her conniving and “fragile” stepmother, however, has Embry’s father convinced he is destined to lose a second wife to illness and death unless Embry does what she says daughters should do: give up their own lives to take care of their parents. Knowing she will be cut off from her butch identity—but racked with guilt at the thought of leaving her still-grieving father to the mercy of her scheming stepmother and her two mean, selfish sons—Embry moves back into his house and bears her hellish life in silence for her father’s sake, dreaming of the day she can finally escape the toxicity.

Sapphire Keene is the incoming chief executive officer of Crunch, an organically sourced produce subscription box service headquartered locally. With one flagship brick-and-mortar store and thousands of online members, Crunch is wildly successful and Sapphire is looking forward to taking the reins from her retiring dad. But her socialite mother nags at her constantly to forget about this stupid career business and find a suitable man to marry—unaware that it has always been masculine of center females who have piqued Sapphire’s femme interest instead. While avoiding males as best she can, despite her mother’s strident efforts to find her a husband, Sapphire indulges in small, secret trysts whenever she has the opportunity—even though she knows those superficial connections have done little to satisfy her deep longing to find a butch mate with whom she can openly live and love.

When Embry—a trained chef—meets the store manager of the Crunch physical location while on a shopping trip, she is unaware that the gay, flamboyant matchmaker smells a probable match between Sapphire and Embry, and sets out to do everything he can to make sure the two of them have their happily ever after. But conniving stepmothers, selfish stepbrothers, nagging mothers, business and family obligations, and a rocky path to love seem determined to put a stop to any potential relationship, even though Sapphire and Embry are falling hard and fast for each other. It’s anyone’s guess if they can circumvent the obstacles the universe keeps throwing in their way.

Unless you have Marlow Matheson on your side, that is. Never underestimate the power of a gay fairy godfather with fabulous sequined sneakers who’s on a mission.

A contemporary butch/femme Cinderella fairy tale in a workplace setting, filled with a heroic butch and a starry-eyed femme amidst the romance of The Dance, where true love vanquishes evil villains in the end.

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