How about a snippet?

They say ("they" being a few professionals in the literary field I've spoken to at conferences) that a lot of editors and agents won't sign a novel if it's previously been published--even if "published" means self-published or posted online. I'm not sure if posting little clips counts as something that would cause a publisher to cross themselves and back away from my manuscript...

But darn it--I tend to get more excited about a work-in-progress if I'm sharing a bit here and there and getting feedback. (Especially if feedback involves statements such as, "You can't leave me hanging there, what happens next? I can't wait to read this!")

So who cares? I'm going to start posting little teasers every once in a while, for lack of a better idea of stuff to blog about. I can always remove them later, if posting turns out to be an issue. Besides, it's not like "they" are looking here anyway.

Alrighty, then. Here's a bit of Chapter 16:

***

The oak shuddered more violently, and a knot formed in my stomach as I realized what was happening: They had axes and were trying to cut it down.

“Burn it!” a gruff voice cried. “Fill the air with smoke until she falls out of the branches!”

I closed my eyes and swallowed. They just might set fire to all of Vangirron if I stayed hidden here.

Theryn was gone; so many Aronaurans had already been killed or caught; yet the Wall remained strong and secure, as long as the intruders within were eventually driven out or destroyed. They were desperate to get to me--word would spread of my hiding place, until more and more would join them, and Vangirron would be overrun. I had nowhere else to go.

It was time.