Tirgearr Publishing Holiday Sale!!

🎄🌟 RHYTHM OF MY HEART is on sale for the holidays! 🌟🎄

Just 99c, available on all Amazon platforms

16 December - 16 January

Choose your Amazon platform here:

http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Shortland_Kemberlee/rhythm-of-my-heart.htm

Happy holidays, friends!

And thank you for your continued support.

SPECIAL: Irish Pride Box Set

IRISH PRIDE BOX SET
includes three novels and one novella
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Amazon AU

Or BUY HERE

SALE

$2.99

Hello readers!

Celebrating the start of a new year, I'm offering my Irish Pride series box set at the special price of just $2.99 (value $17.96!)

This sale is only available via Amazon (all sites). Get yours while you can.

And I'd love to hear your comments when you've read the books. Please leave a review on the Amazon site where you've purchased the series.

What to expect of this box set?

This box set includes:

Rhythm of My Heart - Eilis Kennedy, gave up a singing career to become an Artists Representative with Eireann Records. Kieran Vaughan is just the talent she needs to contract who will really launch her career, while at the same time getting her out from under her boss's thumb. Fergus Manley vows to have Eilis in his bed at any cost.

A Piece of My Heart and the short story sequel, Constant Craving - Ten years after their break-up, the addendum in Mick's father's will forces Mick and Kate together to save Mick's heritage. Kate thought she was falling in love with Mick all over again, but a new revelation is too much for her. She is determined to finally say goodbye forever to her childhood sweetheart. Mick has other plans for Kate's future. And none of them involve goodbye.

Shape of My Heart - Gráinne moonlights at The Klub! to earn money for college tuition. John ‘JD’ Desmond is an undercover detective. The Klub!, owned by Jimmy Malloy, is being used as a drug front, headed by the notorious Taylor 'The Hunter' Wade. JD wanted Gráinne to snitch for him, but things get complicated when they fall in love. When Gráinne witnesses Jimmy’s murder, she and JD are forced to run for their lives.

If you've already read books in this series, and have reviewed on the books' pages on Amazon, perhaps you'll copy those reviews onto the box set page as well. I can only obtain ad space for the box set once I meet the minimum reviews quota. Thanks!

Happy new year, everyone. I hope your 2017 is wonderful!

AVAILABLE NOW

IRISH PRIDE SERIES BOX SET
by me...Kemberlee Shortland :-)

Price: $7.99 (SALE $2.99 through Sept!)

Buy Here: Tirgearr Publishing

This box set includes all of the stories in the Irish Pride Series:

Rhythm of My Heart - Eilis Kennedy, gave up a singing career to become an Artists Representative with Eireann Records. Kieran Vaughan is just the talent she needs to contract who will really launch her career, while at the same time getting her out from under her boss's thumb. Fergus Manley vows to have Eilis in his bed at any cost.

A Piece of My Heart and the short story sequel, Constant Craving - Ten years after their break-up, the addendum in Mick's father's will forces Mick and Kate together to save Mick's heritage. Kate thought she was falling in love with Mick all over again, but a new revelation is too much for her. She is determined to finally say goodbye forever to her childhood sweetheart. Mick has other plans for Kate's future. And none of them involve goodbye.

Shape of My Heart - Gráinne moonlights at The Klub! to earn money for college tuition. John ‘JD’ Desmond is an undercover detective. The Klub!, owned by Jimmy Malloy, is being used as a drug front, headed by the notorious Taylor 'The Hunter' Wade. JD wanted Gráinne to snitch for him, but things get complicated when they fall in love. When Gráinne witnesses Jimmy’s murder, she and JD are forced to run for their lives.

I can't keep calm, it's Irish Pride Week!

I hope you're all looking forward to Irish Pride Week as much as I am. I have lots in store for the week, including book excerpts, Q&A, a quiz or two, and much more.

I'm giving away spot prizes, and at the end of the week, there's a grand prize which has been donated by Macroom Land trust . . . your very own piece of Ireland!

And let's chat about Ireland.

‪#readmeimirish‬ and ‪#‎irishprideweek‬ will get you there at Facebook, or click this link and go direct --

https://www.facebook.com/events/420936188042159

The books in the Irish Pride Series are releasing this week --

7 April - Rhythm of My Heart
9 April - A Piece of My Heart
11 April - Shape of My Heart

To celebrate this series, my publisher, Tirgearr Publishing, is offering the Kindle titles at just 99c through April!

Today, I'm celebrating the re-release of Rhythm of My Heart. Follow me over to Facebook for all the excitment!

Let's rock and roll!

I can't keep calm. It's Irish Pride Week!!

Irish Pride Week 7 - 11 April

Join me on Facebook for the week of 7 - 11 April to celebrate Irish Pride Week.

This is an all week event to relaunch my popular Irish Pride Series.

Monday 7 April - relaunch RHYTHM OF MY HEART
Wednesday 9 April - relaunch A PIECE OF MY HEART
Friday 11 April - release SHAPE OF MY HEART

The series has been re-covered by the amazing Kim Killion, featuring some of today's top romance models.

The week will be filled with fun and prizes, so head over and join the event today. Tell your friends.

https://www.facebook.com/events/420936188042159

#readmeimirish and #irishprideweek will get you there too.

Join me! The craic will be mighty ;-)

Music To Write By

At 4pm EST/9GMT, I'll be on Red River Radio talking with some friends about the music we write by and what inspires our writing. I thought I'd post a few of those songs here for your listening enjoyment, along with some of the expected questions.

I hope you get a chance to listen. If the time doesn't suit, click the link when you have time, as the show is streamed afterward.

• • •

Were any of your books inspired by a song? If so, which?

My stories aren't really inspired by songs . . .  I don't hear a song and say "I'll write a story to go with that." But all of my published books are titled after songs. Some songs to resonate in the stories though, as a line in a song might reflect a scene or a character's mood or thoughts at the time.


Do you find yourself including music within your books?

Do you mean adding song lyrics into stories? That's a tough call. The Fair Use Laws say you can use about 10% of a total work but doesn’t specify lyrics. Record lables say 0%. But record labels are also the ones trying to copyright performers' names . . . Cher, Madonna, Adele, etc. Even if your legal name is the same as a recording artist and you publish with that name, the label has been known to file a law suit demanding you stop.


Do you use music for mood, pacing, etc in your novels?

Normally I don’t write with music on in the background, but for certain scenes I will. A good battle scene requires some Carmina Burana.

Love scenes require some great make-out music. The Greatest Gift by Robert Plant melts me from the inside.

Have you taken a song title for a book title?

All of them so far-

Rhythm of My Heart (Rod Stewart)
A Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)
Shape of My Heart (Sting)
Constant Craving (KD Lang)
The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood version)
Moondance (Van Morrison)
Tutti-Frutti Blues (inspired by Little Richard's Tutti-Frutti)
Dude Looks Like A Lady (Aerosmith)


Are any of your characters musicians?

Yes, Rhythm of My Heart - Kieran Vaughan blues guitarist, Eilis Kennedy former singer.


Do your characters' musical tastes reflect yours?

More so the characters’ tastes reflect their character. It just happens that my characters and I share similar tastes.


What kind of music do you listen to when you write?

Aside from the formerly mentioned Carmina Burran and makeout music for love scenes, I tend to not listen to much music while I'm writing. I will listen a lot while researching though.


Is there any type of music you will absolutely not ever listen to?

Ecclectic tastes. Listen to anything I like.

Heavy rap is out but I’ll sometimes listen to Eminem.

Most jazz but I like Diana Washington.

Must be in the mood for most classical but I can listen to songs like Clare de Lune, Moonlight Sonatta, and Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Somewhere in Time).

Some authors make playlists for every book. Have you done that?

I do have some files on my YouTube account which have songs which I listened to during the research process of my stories.

Example – Rhythm of My Heart

Rythm of My Heart Rod Stewart
You Do Something to Me – Paul Weller
The Longer – Gary Moore . . . the 15 minutes version

Example – A Piece of My Heart

A Piece of My Heart – Janis Joplin
If You Don’t Want to Love Me – James Morrison
I Will – Christy Hennessy

•    Constant Craving – KD Lang

Example – Shape of My Heart

Shape of My Heart – Sting
I Just Wanna Make Love to You – Etta James
It’s A Man’s World – James Brown

What are some of your favorite musicians?

I listen to a lot of classic rock David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), John Bulter, Estas Tonne, Daft Punk, Crosby/Stills/Nash, Imelda May, Janis and Jimi, etc.

If you had the chance to put together the perfect band, who would be in it? (Drums, vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard)

Tough one. So many great vocalists out there. I think Led Zeppelin already cornered the market – Plant on vocals, Page on guitar, Jones on keyboard and other instruments, Bonzo on drums . . . Jason Bonham on drums. How do you improve on that?

What is your favorite instrument in the band?

Second to a great voice is the guitar. I’d listen to an hour long guitar solo before a ten minute drum solo any day.


If you were stuck on a dessert island and had only one album to listen to, what would it be? (Yes, this assumes you had unlimited power but no wi-fi)

One album? Another tough one. It would either be –

Celebration Day/Led Zeppelin – Recorded live in 2010 for a one-off reunion concert, featuring Jason Bonham on drums.

David Gilmour’s Comfortably Numb Live Concert.


Do you ever get songs stuck in your head that simply won't go away? How do you purge them?

I don’t get many bad ear worms, thank goodness. When I do, I’ll put on some great music to drive out the demon worm. That is, unless, the earworm is a great tune, in which case it’s calling to me and I need to hear it. A few songs are like that. Those are the ones that need to have the volume on high and the dogs in the other room :-)

Turn this one up!

TAGGED: The Next Big Thing

My lovely friend and fabulous romantic suspense author, Cathie Dunn, has tagged me on The Next Big Thing. I hope I can live up to the expectation of being 'the next big thing' :-)

• • •

What is the title of your work in progress?

Well, my next book is already written and waiting to be published this time next year. It's called Shape of My Heart and is part of the Irish Pride Series. The working title of my WIP is called The Diary.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

I’m always fascinated by questions. One that came up when I was looking for my next story to write came while I was watching the time travel movie, Back to the Future. It had been stressed to Marty to “Never meet yourself” as it could create a paradox and alter the course of history. So the question came to my mind, just how would the course of history be changed if just one event back in time changed? Living in Ireland now, I have such an incredible history to draw from. I’ve become interested in the Viking history of Ireland and thus the Battle of Clontarf came up, which also meant Ireland’s greatest High King, Brian Boru. What if one thing at the Battle of Clontarf had changed and Brian had not been murdered in his tent? What of Ireland’s future then??

What genre does your book fall under?

Time travel. The Diary starts in contemporary 2014, but the heroine goes back 1000 years to Ireland to 1014, the year of the Battle of Clontarf.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh my! Let's see --

My hero is called Darragh. Darragh is old Irish for 'mighty oak', the oak being one of the strongest trees on the planet . . . kind of the strong, silent type in the tree world.

Darragh is the chieftain of his clan. He emulates his namesake but can kick some Viking bootie when the time comes.

The actor I envision when I'm writing Darragh is Anson Mount, lately of Hell on Wheels. In this particular picture, I can see my Darragh walking across this field in his wool and leather, sword in one hand, shield in the other, preparing to go against his foe, whomever it might be, to protect his people and the woman he loves.

Speaking of which, my heroine is a little more complicated in that, as this is a time travel story, she has two personas. The story opens in the year 2014 and she is Eevean O'Brien. She's an artist with Irish heritage. After being told tales of the O'Brien clan (the name originating from Brian Boru . . . O'Brien meaning 'of Brian'), Eevean's interest in Ireland grew. She's read everything there is on Brian Boru, and as an artist, she's painted the visions she gets from reading the tales. And from the graphic dreams she's had since childhood.

For many reasons, Eevean decides to travel to Ireland. While there, she discovers a secret portal to the past, back to 1014, to the Battle of Clontarf and to the side of her ancient ancestor, Brian Boru. In 1014, she is known as Aoibheann. She is the same woman yet not. If not for her spirited and tenacious personality, she would not survive such a journey, nor to such a time, and certainly not such a place.

The actress I can see playing this character is Kat Dennings, lately of 2 Broke Girls, and most particularly with this look. Eevean/Aoibheann has much of her looks, though not quite as busty, I have to say ;-)

What is the one sentence synopsis for the book?

A troubled past, a troubled future: A woman travels to Ireland to find herself and discovers much more than she expected.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Perhaps a little of both. Owning a publishing company makes it easier to get my work out there. However, everything I publish undergoes the same rigorous editing as all of our authors. If something isn’t working, the editors, and proofreaders, will tell me. And sometimes brutally honestly, which is what I appreciate. I don’t hire editors who pussyfoot around just because I’m the boss. If it doesn’t work, say so. And they do!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

As The Diary is currently a work in progress, the first draft hasn’t been finished yet. However, with regards to the Irish Pride Series, each of those books averaged about seven weeks for first draft (Rhythm of My Heart 6 weeks, A Piece of My Heart 8 weeks, Shape of My Heart 7 weeks . . . Constant Craving doesn’t really equate as it’s a short story and only took a couple days).

What other books would you compare this story to withing your genre?

It’s difficult to compare The Diary to any other story because I’ve a twist in the story I’ve never read in any other book. However, I do know there are a few authors out there who’ve written both Brian Boru stories and stories set against the Battle of Clontarf, such as Pat McDermott (Band of Roses) and of course the incomparable Morgan Llywelyn (Lion of Ireland, etc).

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Probably what inspired me to write this story was my own journey to Ireland in the mid 90s. Sort of a journey to find myself.

What else about your book may pique the reader's interest?

Anyone who loves historical romances, time travel or Ireland, will love this story. Or at least I hope to. I've tried to create a rich tapestry here . . . to be cliche! I'm striving for a balance between a wonderful love story and dramatic history of the times . . . a real epic tale! 

• • •

Okay, so it's my turn to tag some writer friends whose writing, voice and attitude I admire. 

Kristi Ahlers
http://kristiahlers.blogspot.com
If you haven't read The Trouble Series yet, do! The Trouble with Trouble is you can't put them down!

Dellani Oakes
http://dellanioakes.wordpress.com
She has a way with scenes . . . battle action one minute, bedroom action the next ;-)

Charlene Raddon
http://www.charleneraddon.blogspot.com
Wonderful historical romance. Like a step back in time.

Kate Laity
http://katelaity.wordpress.com
Hugely versatile author with a keen imagination.

Elizabeth Delisi
www.elizabethdelisi.blogspot.com
Clever whodunits and paranormal stories

Carley Bauer
http://fromcarleyslaptop.blogspot.com
Another wonderful historical romance novelist.

Lynette Willows
http://romancethethrillquill.blogspot.com
Part of a unique writing team with Carley Bauer. Great storyteller.

Have fun girls!

•❤•

First Review for Rhythm of My Heart

My day started out a little iffy, as I realized too late that TODAY was the day the local council was shutting off power for several hours. They sent a notice last week and I put it in my diary.

But I forgot.

And nothing was charged!

I did get a little online time in before zero hour though. The first email that popped up was from reviewer, Sharal Hunter. Suddenly, my day was looking glorious, despite (or in spite of) the dark clouds on the horizon signalling afternoon rain. Never mind that the sun was out for a change.

Here's what brightened my day --

"First of all, take a look at the cover of this book. I don’t know what the Irish word for “WOW” is but that was my reaction when I saw it. If a guilty pleasure read is what you are looking for, then you don’t need to look much further once you see the eye candy on this cover. Women will want a Kieran Vaughan of their own. What’s not to love, ladies? He’s hot, hot, hot, he sings and plays blues guitar, he loves his little sister, he’s nice, he worships the ground Eilis walks on (lucky wench), he rides a Harley, he cooks (fanning face) and last but not least, he’s Irish so he’s got the accent going on and you know that’s going to be music to the ears. If I didn’t already have a Scottish guy, then an Irish guy would be high up on the list. With Kieran Vaughan, Kemberlee Shortland has created a character that makes a lasting impression that remains long after the book is done.

"Upon meeting Eilis Kennedy for the first time, my first impression of her is that she is extremely critical of herself and has a very poor sense of worth. Most women can certainly relate to Eilis. She has gotten knocked down quite a bit in love and life, unfortunately, and isn’t very trusting with her heart. She honestly doesn’t see what Kieran sees when she looks in the mirror. She gave up her own career as a singer so she could find new talent and represent them towards successful careers of their own. Regrettably, the “casting couch” scenario still pursues her, only now, her boss Fergus is the one she needs to be cautious around. I would have liked to see her get agitated and fight back, especially where Fergus is concerned. She does tell him off but I would have enjoyed seeing her mop the floor with his behind.

"For me, Kieran and Eilis are truly two halves of one whole. Upon meeting, the connection they feel is strong and almost psychic. They know when the other is near, hurt or frightened, the way identical twins are connected. Unfortunately they are human and the reader is made to wait longer for them to get together because they both experience “the big misunderstanding” more than once. I found this to be extremely frustrating because it’s so obvious to me they are meant to be together but they both have a lot of pride and jump to conclusions about each other instead of just talking. Happily, years do not go by before they work it out, as is the case in a lot of books.

"Ms. Shortland writes amazing characters that come to life and leap off the page. Even the villain, Fergus, as nasty and disgusting as he was, is very realistic. I got a very good sense of what Eilis felt having him around. Ms. Shortland takes it one step further and makes Fergus truly vile, which gives the story some very suspenseful moments. The story moves at a good pace, even with the big misunderstandings and delivers some exciting and heart-racing moments towards the end. I can’t spoil the ending for you, so you are just going to have to read this book to find out what I am talking about. I’m sure you will agree that Rhythm of My Heart is magical"

I mean, holy cow, Batman! Of course, I've read this about a million times since I first saw it, but I still feel all goose bumpy with each read.

Sharal is a stellar reviewer. Check out her website where she posts all of her great reviews, Sherri's Thoughts & Ramblings. Be sure to bookmark the page, or follow her page, to keep up with her reviews. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Thank you so much, Sharal! You've made me feel like an Olympic gold medalist!!

Available Now - RHYTHM OF MY HEART

Available Now!!

Doing the Snoopy Dance today. The long-awaited addition to the Irish Pride Series has been released today . . . RHYTHM OF MY HEART.

Artist Representative, Eilis Kennedy, gave up a singing career so that other women could have a fair chance at having their music heard. Having suffered rejection from callous men in the industry, she thought she would get away from ‘casting couch’ mentality. But when she finds herself in the office of Fergus Manley, all bets are off. Disgusted by his continual come-ons and lewd invitations, Eilis is looking for ‘the one’ who will take her career to the next level, getting out from under Fergus’s controlling thumb.

Aspiring blues guitarist, Kieran Vaughan, is looking for his big break. But after suffering near bankruptcy at the hands of an unscrupulous business partner, Kieran is left picking up the pieces. He’s unsure if the debts will ever be paid or if he’ll ever have a chance to do something with his music. At his whit’s end, he’s about ready to throw in the towel and find a full-time job with real hours.

When Eilis discovers Kieran playing in a seedy pub in Dublin’s Northside, she knows he’s the one rare talent she’s been searching for. With her know-how and his talent, Eilis will finally get everything she’s been waiting for. Neither of them count on the powerful attraction from first meeting. Eilis is so rocked by Keiran’s forthright words that it sends her running. Kieran risks being arrested as he chases Eilis across Ireland.

Seeing what’s happening between Eilis and Kieran, anger wells inside Fergus and he steps up his pursuit of Eilis. Refusing to let Kieran get in his way, Fergus vows to add Eilis’s notch to his bedpost, whatever it takes.

Will Kieran be able to protect her?

If you like romance and romance set in Ireland, and if you like sexy men on Harleys and strong women who aren't afraid to explore their passions, you'll love Rhythm of My Heart. Kieran and Eilis are meant for each other, but Fergus might have something to say about that!!

Read an excerpt here.

Coming Soon - RHYTHM OF MY HEART

I never thought I'd see the day when I could say this --

RHYTHM OF MY HEART will be available starting 16 July!!!!!!

I know! Amazing, isn't it?!

This book is part of the Irish Pride Series. A Piece of My Heart was published back in 2010, so Rhythm of My Heart has been long-awaited.

What's this book about? Check it out --

Artist representative, Eilis Kennedy, gave up a singing career so that other women could have a fair chance at having their music heard. Having suffered rejection from callous men in the industry, she thought she would get away from ‘casting couch’ mentality. But when she finds herself in the office of Fergus Manley, all bets are off. Disgusted by his continual come-ons and lewd invitations, Eilis is looking for ‘the one’ who will take her career to the next level, getting out from under Fergus’s controlling thumb.

Aspiring blues guitarist, Kieran Vaughan, is looking for his big break. But after suffering near bankruptcy at the hands of an unscrupulous business partner, Kieran is left picking up the pieces. He’s unsure if the debts will ever be paid or if he’ll ever have a chance to do something with his music. At his whit’s end, he’s about ready to throw in the towel and find a full-time job with real hours.

When Eilis discovers Kieran playing in a seedy pub in Dublin’s Northside, she knows he’s the one rare talent she’s been searching for. With her know-how and his talent, Eilis will finally get everything she’s been waiting for. Neither of them count on the powerful attraction from first meeting. Eilis is so rocked by Keiran’s forthright words that it sends her running. Kieran risks being arrested as he chases Eilis across Ireland.

Seeing what’s happening between Eilis and Kieran, anger wells inside Fergus and he steps up his pursuit of Eilis. Refusing to let Kieran get in his way, Fergus vows to add Eilis’s notch to his bedpost, whatever it takes.

Will Kieran be able to protect her?

{sigh}

Kieran is probably the best hero I've written yet. And I love Eilis's personal growth in this story.

To celebrate the release of this book, I'm hosting a fabulous competition on my Facebook page. It's pretty simple, really. Just 'like' my page by the 16th (closing date) and you're automatically entered to win a copy of Rhythm of My Heart. Not just that, but also A Piece of My Heart, Constant Craving, AND the November release of Shape of My Heart. That's the whole Irish Pride Series in one go if you win. All it takes is a 'like' on my page.

I will also be doing a bit of a blog hop in the coming weeks. Check out my schedule here --

16 July - Across the Plain of Shining Books with Pat McDermott
18 July - Romance To Make Your Heart Race with Wendi Zwaduk
5 August - Nights of Passion with C. Margery Kempe

I'll post more dates as I have them. In the meantime, 'like' me over on Facebook for your chance to win the Irish Pride Series. And join me on the 16th for the release of Rhythm of My Heart and for my chat with Pat McDermott. You won't want to miss that!

I love hearing from readers, so keep your emails coming in. And feel free to message me on Facebook!

Peace!

~ Kemberlee