Blog Tour - Trial by Fire (Going Down in Flames #3) by Chris Cannon - REVIEW, Guest Post

Trial by Fire (Going Down in Flames #3) by Chris Cannon

Release Date: April 4th 2016

Summary: 

Bryn’s hopes for a peaceful new semester at school go up in smoke when someone tries to kill her—again. She’s not sure which is scarier, facing the radicals who want to sacrifice her for their cause, or her impending nightmare-of-a-Directorate-arranged marriage to her nemesis, Jaxon.

The one bright spot in her life is Valmont, her smoking-hot knight who is assigned to watch over her twenty-four hours a day. Is what she feels for him real, or just a side effect of the dragon-knight bond? At this point, stopping the impending civil war might be easier than figuring out her love life.

REVIEW:

So, I can't speak a lot about this book because spoilers, being the third volume in the series, but what can I say is that is great and I liked it more than I should have. 

Dragons are one of my favourite fantasy creatures and how they are portrayed in this novel and this series, and how things work out. I try to be everytime critical but I can't because I get excited and surprised and then all the twists are coming and suspense everywhere and action, and things blow out literally or not. So you can't be objective as I try, or at least if you like dragons you can't. But how can you not like them? 

Also, the characters and the writing style and the dialogue. The world building. Everything is great and you should read this series so we can speak about it and be friends with dragons and go on adventures and stuff. 

I know that my review is super short and a bit confusing but I'm still trying to recover after all that happened in the book. And I think that these kind of books have to be read and experienced personally so that you can feel everything and enjoy. Because if I'm here speaking and you judge the book after my babbling then it's like I'm stuffing my face with cake, you eat carrots and say that it's the same thing. So, if you want to read this then read it! If you haven't started this series yet then please do! 

Now I'm going to buy a dragon or befriend one. Or what if I'm one? O.O

About the Author:

Chris Cannon lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and her three dogs, Pete the shih tzu who sleeps on her desk while she writes, Molly the ever-shedding yellow lab, and Tyson the sandwich-stealing German Shepherd Beagle. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures or romantic comedies. 

Author Links:

Chris Cannon’s Tips and Tricks for Aspiring Authors:

Read. Read everything. Read across genres. Read books about the craft of writing. 

Write. Write every day. A famous author said, “Give yourself permission to write crap.” Another famous author said,  “You can’t edit a blank page.” 

 Join a writer’s group. Whether it’s RWA or SCBWI or an online group, spending time with other writers will keep you sane. It will give you peers to learn from and people to commiserate with. Non –writers just don’t understand when you complain that the imaginary people in your head aren’t doing what you want them to do.

Join a critique group of other writers who have strengths that are different than your own. I am the queen of snarky dialogue, but I totally suck at writing settings. In my first drafts, the characters are talking heads, floating in space. My critique group reminds me that I need to include descriptions of the setting.

Know that your first manuscript will suck. And that’s okay. Everyone’s first manuscript sucks. The good news is, you can fix it. You can learn from craft books, and critique groups, and podcasts.

Develop a thick skin. Once you announce that you’re writing a book, everyone in the world will have an opinion or some back-handed helpful advice. Smile and nod and walk away from the people who do not wish you well. Then write them into your book and have them meet an ugly end.  

Most important of all, have fun. Writing should be fun. It should make you feel alive. Editing will make you curse and drink wine, but the act of writing and creating a new world should be joyful. 

Know that you will discover strange things about yourself through your writing. In Going Down In Flames, after Bryn comes into her shape-shifting dragon powers she can eat whatever she wants and not gain weight. Apparently I’m obsessed with food. My characters eat all the time. People who read Going Down In Flames said they had to take a break from reading to get a snack because the book made them hungry. I worked at cutting food scenes in Bridges Burned and my editor still complained that the characters were eating all the time. When I wrote Book 3, Trial By Fire I thought I’d fixed this problem. According to my editor, I was wrong. 

Know that people who read, read a book a day. Other authors are not your competition, they are your allies. They are your tribe. If you support them, they will support you. Janet Wallace from UTOPIA Con said, “Lift as You Climb. It’s only lonely at the top if you stepped on people to get there.”