Guest Post and Giveaway: Tribute Act by Joanna Chambers

We’re so pleased to have author Joanna Chambers joining us today as she tours the internet to celebrate the release of her newest addition the Riptide’s Porthkennack collection, Tribute Act. Joanna is talking tropes with us today, and there’s also a giveaway, so be sure to check out the entry details below.

Welcome, Joanna!

Hi, I’m here to talk about my latest release, Tribute Act.

One of the funny things about this story—which features the romance between stepbrothers Nathan and Mack—is that I only realised after I’d written it, that stepbrothers-romance is an actual trope—with the focus very much on the taboo element I believe? I have to confess, here and now, that this isn’t that kind of stepbrothers book. In fact, my two heroes have never even met at the start of the story much less lived in the same house. They hook up as complete strangers at the beginning of the story, only to discover when one turns up at the family home the next day, that their respective parents are married.

What actually drove this story (rather than the taboo trope) was me wanting to write about abandonment. One of my heroes, Mack, has been estranged from his dad since he was a teenager, and only agrees to see him again because the half-sister he has never met needs a living organ donor—and Mack may be her last chance for a match. I wanted to contrast Mack’s abandonment by his dad with the very different (positive) experiences of the kids in his dad’s second family, and to make that contrast a source of conflict in the romance storyline too.

It’s kind of an everyday story but very painful for people who’ve experienced it, so it wasn’t easy to write. I was lucky to get some fantastic support from a number of amazing beta readers, including one for whom these issues were very close to home. She told me that she had found reading some of the scenes deeply painful and gave me some helpful guidance on a couple of key scenes where I was in danger of misstepping (sensitivity readers are your friends, authors!)

So there you have it. Tribute Act may be a romance about two stepbrothers, but it’s not really about them being stepbrothers. It’s kind of more about family fractures and healing and connecting with others.

~ Joanna

About the Book

Nathan Bridges hadn’t intended to settle down in his hometown of Porthkennack—he just ended up staying after saving the family business from ruin. The truth is, Nathan can’t stop himself from stepping in when problems arise. He’s a fixer, the man everyone turns to. But even fixers can’t solve everything.

When Nathan’s sister needs an organ transplant, it’s his stepbrother, Mack, who the family turns to as Rosie’s only potential living donor. Nathan’s curiosity about the stepbrother he’s never met turns to shock when he realises that Mack is his latest—and hottest ever—one-night stand.

Nathan and Mack agree to forget their single night together, but that’s easier said than done. When Mack moves in to Nathan’s place to recuperate after surgery, it’s not just the sexual tension between them that keeps growing. Against all the odds, and despite Mack’s wariness of intimacy, the two men grow close enough that Nathan begins to wonder what it would take to mend the rift that’s kept Mack and his father estranged for over a decade . . . and whether Mack might consider staying with Nathan in Porthkennack for good.

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About Porthkennack

Welcome to Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history. Legend says King Arthur’s Black Knight built the fort on the headland here, and it’s a certainty that the town was founded on the proceeds of smuggling, piracy on the high seas, and the deliberate wrecking of cargo ships on the rocky shore. Nowadays it draws in the tourists with sunshine and surfing, but locals know that the ghosts of its Gothic past are never far below the surface.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by five award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ romance authors: Alex Beecroft, Joanna Chambers, Charlie Cochrane, Garrett Leigh, and JL Merrow. Follow Porthkennack and its inhabitants through the centuries and through the full rainbow spectrum with historical and contemporary stand-alone titles.

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About the Author

Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown up job, getting married and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna’s muse likes red wine, coffee and won’t let Joanna clean the house or watch television.

Connect with Joanna: Website || Facebook || Twitter: @ChambersJoanna || Goodreads

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Tribute Act, one lucky winner will receive an ecopy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 20, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!