Guest Post + Giveaway: Tidal by Emily Snow

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Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she's got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that's what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn't really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.

When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she's tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the man she’s falling hard for.

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What I Learned From Writing Tidal

One of the best things about writing is the learning process associated with it. I absolutely love writing about what I don’t know because there’s something incredible about making up an entire novel with elements that are foreign to me. And okay . . . it’s also pretty scary. TIDAL is a book about an actress (which I’m definitely not) who’s a former drug addict (again, not me) set in Hawaii (where I’ve never been). I realized early on that I would have to do a ton of research in order for me to properly tell Willow and Cooper’s story. So what did I learn from writing Tidal?

1. Experience Offers the Best (and Most Heartbreaking) Advice

In my book, the main character, Willow, has struggled with addiction time and time again. Once I came up with the plot for TIDAL, I scoured the Internet for information about celebrities and rehab. When I mentioned what I was writing to a longtime friend, she put me in touch with another friend who has battled drug addiction. This person challenged me to really get into Willow’s head, offering me terrific insight into the mind of someone who’s trying (and succeeding) at putting their life back on track. This person also pointed out that other than the fact celebs live under a giant microscope, celebrity addictions are really no different from anyone else—there’s almost always a heartbreaking history behind the drug use.

2. Google Earth Is My Friend

Okay, so I feel like a character from one of my other novels when I type that, but it’s true. Especially when it comes to describing a locale that I’ve never actually traveled to. Writing Tidal basically made me realize that Google Earth is probably THE BEST technological advance for authors since Scrivener. For anyone who hasn’t used it, Google Earth lets you explore cities using virtual tours, so I was able to experience walking down the streets (or across the beach) of a city I’ve only dreamt of going to. Dear Google Earth: I will be using you once again very soon!

Of course I learned much more while writing Tidal, but that would be a book itself! Thank you so much for being a part of my blog tour, Christine, and for having me on your blog today. You rock!

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (October 2012, January 2013) and TIDAL (December 2012). She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three. Visit her blog at http://emilysnowbooks.blogspot.com for news, teasers, and contests.

Two winners receive $25 Amazon gift cards.

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