The Fun of Juggling Manuscripts

As I work on my manuscript for the upcoming Summerbird’s Quest, I’ve also started working on the third book in the An Act of Entreaty series, titled, The Dark Odes of Peregrim. Since one book melds into the next (even though Peregrim takes place approximately three years after the end of Quest), it really is easier to write them at the same time. But it can be tricky, one has to be careful not to place the wrong characters in the wrong place and time! But fun!

And so, here is the synopsis for The Dark Odes of Peregrim:

The Dark Odes of Peregrim, Book #3 of An Act of Entreaty…coming in 2020

Deep within the magical lands of Emythor sits the small castle of Darkleaf. Darkleaf guards the Garden, home of the powerful entity, Treaty. But the Garden does not exist alone, for it, too, guards something. Beyond and yet magically within the Garden, lies the mystical and dark land of Peregrim.

After creating Emythor, Treaty desired a place to live and made the Garden, Treaty fashioned a land of bold Fey warriors to guard it—Peregrim. But Treaty soon realized that all was not well with Peregrim’s people. The then Lord of the Peregrim asked Treaty to give the lands located above the Garden their autonomy; thus Mourshyn, the Riven Land, emerged.

Magic is not welcome in Mourshyn. Over the many years since, the forsaken land has grudgingly acknowledged an uneasy alliance with Peregrim, for they do not trust the Fey. They do not care that Emythor is once again peaceful and prosperous. Despite the trade lines enjoyed with Peregrim, Mourshyn wishes only to be left alone, stagnant in time. As Mourshyn—and Tarfta, the town of the Lord-Governor—are isolated and hostile, they are the perfect quarry for someone—or something—seeking to bring conflict to the Fey. For Treaty cannot forget the last words of the demon Borrea before he died:

There will be others come after me…

Beautiful, dark, verdant Peregrim is ruled by the Lord of the Peregrim, the Guardian of the Garden—Ránulf ai’Wryth. When Ránulf meets Clariss de’Oriste, Tarfta’s Learned Recluse, sparks fly, but these two must overcome a lifetime of mistrust and disinformation their lands have against each other. Clariss loves and defends the people of her village, much as Ránulf does those of Peregrim. But Tarfta’s governors are an unappreciative group of untrusting overseers. In their eyes, the Learned Recluse wields far too much influence over the people; there are sometimes rumors she might have magical abilities.

When Clariss takes the punishment meant for another, she is taken to the Peregrim to save her life. She finds herself in a land that should terrify her. Instead, though grievously wounded, her dreams take her through an exquisite garden, filled with the plants she loves, huge, heady blooms she’s never seen. Fragrance surrounds her, along with something unseen, telling her something that fills were with both longing and fear. The Peregrim are waiting, for the dark and the light, and the over and the under to come to them.

When she relays the tale to Ránulf, he is filled with disbelief. She describes things in the Garden she could not possibly have seen. And the words bring up memories from his childhood, of endless tales told by Treaty to the children of Peregrim. What do they mean?

No sooner do Ránulf and Clariss learn of her connections to Peregrim than they find themselves caught up in a fear-fraught entreaty from Treaty and the King and Queen of Emythor—

Something malevolent has found its way into Emythor through Mourshyn and its evil is already spreading out over the land. The people of the Riven Land will need the help of the Peregrim and even Emythor, itself, if they are to survive this attack. For while trust must be earned and nurtured, sometimes there isn’t time for that. Human must simply trust other humans, because they are, after all, the same.

Books by Debi Ennis Binder https://debiszoo.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=383&action=edit