If you’ve not picked up a Michele Albert book, what are you waiting for?  This lady can write some of the best  heated tension out there on the market.  I absolutely adored GETTING HER MAN - the prequel to OFF LIMITS - and instantly fell for Jack and Diana.  Now, in OFF LIMITS, Ms. Albert takes us back to New Orleans to get up close and personal with the handsome Bobby Halloran.
  
When newly transferred cop Emma Frey is teamed up with the sexy “bad boy” detective, Bobby Halloran, she isn’t sure what to think.   A bet on how long Emma will last without succumbing to the charms of this lady’s man  is sure to keep her on her toes.  However, when their case allows for some time to get to know each other, the attraction Emma feels for Bobby begins to turn into something more substantial.  Emma soon starts to see how close to the edge Bobby really is and must make a decision that will determine the course of their professional and personal lives.
 
Bobby Halloran has always had a problem with getting involved with the right woman.  With a reputation following him, he understands Emma’s reluctance to let him close to her.  With the case heating up more ways than one, Bobby’s spiraling behavior might cost him more than his job;  it might also cost him Emma’s love as well. 
 
This is not as light and fluffy as the cover would have you to believe.  This is good stuff!  Two police officers in the New Orleans PD are thrown together, seemingly different as night and day, and are forced to get to know each other.  It’s fun watching Emma slowly unwind from her rigidity, especially after how she came to be in New Orleans.  Bobby is easily likeable, but there is a darker side to him that is threatening to explode.  Ms. Albert writes these two characters in a way that is completely believable.  From their slow warming to each other to their blazing with sexual tension, as well as issues that police officers deal with in their line of work.  

The plot was exciting and always interesting, without taking away from the romance that is constantly just below the surface.  I loved the secondary characters, even Chloe, the woman they are after, who just also happens to be one of Bobby’s ex-girlfriends.  It makes for some great situations between the three as well as moving the story along nicely.  We also get to revisit Jack and Diana, from GETTING HER MAN, as well as see a glimpse of Ms. Albert’s upcoming heroines.  This is a book that has everything you need for a fun and satisfying romance, so I ask you again, what are you waiting for?  Michele Albert needs to be on your list of “Must Buy” authors!

A Roundtable Interview with Michele Albert by Jennifer Hill-Russell

Jen:  I first read Michele Albert when she was writing as Michelle Jerott.  I absolutely adored ALL NIGHT LONG.  Who would have thought that a cowman up in Wisconsin could be so appealing?  When GETTING HER MAN came out, though, I was hooked.  Michele is also a super nice person and I'm so excited she's agreed to do an interview with Roundtable Reviews to talk about her newest release, OFF LIMITS.  Welcome Michele!

Michele:  Thank you for asking me to be your author of the month at the new Roundtable Reviews. I truly appreciate it! :)

JR:  I know you are good friends with fellow author, Adele Ashworth, who by the way is another favorite of mine!  Do you find it beneficial to have another author to help with plot points, critiques and moral support?

MA:  Adele and I first met at the 1999 Chicago RWA when she was up for the RITA for best first book, and we hit it off despite writing in different subgenres and having different writing styles. Or perhaps that's why we hit it off so well...opposites attract and such.

I think having a critique group or partner is an individual decision and depends on what each writer is looking for. In our case, it's mostly a brainstorming and support thing.

JR: Let's backtrack just a little.  In your October 1999 book, ALL NIGHT LONG, the heroine embarks on a quest to find out what happened to a long dead relative.  Being involved in genealogy, this book held even more interest for me.  Is history a passion of yours?  How did you decide on what kind of historical fact to incorporate in your story?

MA:  Since a lot of people ask me about the historical details I incorporate in my stories, I guess it's something that stands out! Yes, history has always interested me--I even graduated from college with a degree in archaeology. The seeds for ALL NIGHT LONG go all the way back to when I was fifteen years old... story ideas come from lots of different places and points in my life.

How do I decide on what historical facts to incorporate into the story?  Well, it all starts with something that  grabs my interest and I take it from there, building a story and its characters around a theme or concept.

I can only hope that what interests me will also interest other readers.The historical murder mystery in ALL NIGHT LONG, retro cruise ship from A GREAT CATCH, gangster-era shoes from HER BODYGUARD, and the ancient Egyptian and Mayan artifacts from GETTING HER MAN are all plot devices to bring the characters together and keep the action going.  Same goes for the netsuke in OFF LIMITS, and the baby T. rex fossil and Elizabethan-era play in the books I'm working on now.

I try to make these plot devices interesting in their own right, and personalize them. I feel that if there's an emotional element to plot devices--like Lucas Hall's repeated reference to his ship as an "old girl"--it draws a reader more into the story.

In ALL NIGHT LONG, Annie had a familial attachment to the long-dead officer, and Rik had experienced a similar rivalry/betrayal with his best friend.

In HER BODYGUARD, Lili identified with Rose, the gangster's girl friend, in how you could fall for a guy and suddenly find yourself hiding from the cops and running for you life--and Matt wasn't happy with his gun-for-hire lifestyle

In GETTING HER MAN, Jack's connection to the artifacts was both professional and personal. When he talks about how the lost king will never "speak" to him, I was trying to show the emotional cost looting has on the scholars who make a living trying to reconstruct our past. And because it was something Diana understood, she was sympathetic to his mistakes.

In OFF LIMITS, the netsuke are more of a puzzle than anything else, but they're involved in a situation that ties three people together and the emotional stakes are on the high side for all them. The baby dinosaur in my upcoming book really symbolizes dreams...rediscovering your dreams, reaffirming them, not letting them go, that sort of thing. So while they're plot devices, I try to make them crucial to the characters and their conflicts in the story. Hope that makes sense!

JR: I really enjoyed GETTING HER MAN.  Jack and Diana were like oil  and water at first, but it was so fun watching these two battle each other and themselves over the course of the book.  How much fun did you have writing this cat and mouse game?

MA:  Writing Jack and Diana's story was thoroughly enjoyable. Some books write themselves, and this was one of them. The instant I put these two characters together, they were writing their own dialog and taking the story in their own direction. I love it when that happens! It's so much easier writing that kind of book than the ones that have me banging my head on my desk.

JR: GETTING HER MAN's hero, Dr. Jack Austin, is one of the first heroes I've ever read where he's actually guilty of the crime.  You, however, wrote him in a sympathetic way, because he has his reasons, that make him really likeable.  What were your reasons for making him guilty instead of the "I'm innocent" routine?

MA:  It was important to me to make Jack guilty of the crime because not to do so would've been overly manipulative and would've also undercut the dramatic tension of Diana involving herself with a man she should be turning over to the authorities. I think it also involved the reader a bit more because they might find themselves wondering if the character's actions were right or wrong, or what they might do themselves in such a situation.I also try to create realistic and flawed characters who often make mistakes, but learn from them. I personally find these kinds of characters and stories more interesting to read about, and write as well. That characters like Jack, and Bobby Halloran, are capable of slipping over to the darker side of that gray area between right and wrong--for reasons people can understand or sympathize with--makes them more interesting. Besides, if characters start out perfect, there's nothing for them to discover or change over the course of the story, or when they fall in love.

JR: The heroine, Diana, is refreshing as a heroine who has been hurt by the past, but isn't mired down in it.  How important was it for the story to have Diana as a strong heroine?

MA:  It was very important for Diana to be strong and aggressive, and even capable of some shady activity herself. A private investigator by nature can't be shy or hesitant, or they'll never succeed at their job.  Some PIs push the limits of the laws. When you're dealing with criminals and deviants, it affects your outlook on life. Her personality was also a factor, and she was naturally confident and fast-thinking. Diana's not every reader's favorite kind of heroine, but I feel she was the right kind of character for this type of story. As for her "baggage," I think it's crucial to acknowledge how a personal trauma can affect your life.  Something like betrayal by someone you trust is a big thing, and it will change you. Hopefully for the better, which is the case with Diana. I wanted her "baggage" to be part of the romantic conflict in the story, but in a positive way so that in the end it helped along the romance, rather than detracted from it.Most of my heroines are on the strong side, especially Emma from OFF LIMITS. I think some readers will find it hard to warm up to her. Lili from HB was probably the exception. She was erratic and impulsive. Kind of like a puppy or a kitten...exasperating, but lovable anyway.

JR: I know you personally like archaeology (me too!), but you decided not to pursue that as a career choice.  Do you still have interest in that area, even though you only just write about it, like you did in GETTING HER MAN or is that all behind you?

MA:  No, I don't have any interest in pursuing archaeology at this point.  But I'll always have a deep appreciation for history, and for those who work to recreate the past and make it "live" again, so to speak.

JR: GETTING HER MAN gives us the lead in for your newest release, OFF LIMITS, both of which are set in New Orleans.  Now I'm a huge fan of New Orleans, simply because I've only just gotten to go there for the first time this year since my brother moved there.  I now make regular trips to enjoy the food and atmosphere.  What was it about the Big Easy that drew you to set your books there?

MA:  I love New Orleans because of its distinctive history and cultural "feel." It's both familiar and exotic, and there's a bit of an "old world" feel to it as well. I've visited the city on several occasions, and still love it. And yes, the food's a draw as well!

JR: The hero, Bobby Halloran, was first seen in ABSOLUTE TROUBLE, and then again in GETTING HER MAN.  Were there lots of requests for you to do his story or had you planned on writing about him all along?

MA:  I had requests for Bobby's story almost from the start, and I'd always planned on writing a book for him. I'd wanted Bobby's story to be my second book, but Avon and I couldn't agree on a storyline (and heroine) for him, so it was delayed. He naturally fit into the story of GETTING HER MAN, so I grabbed the chance to reintroduce him at that point. OFF LIMITS is also part of a series that's loosely tied together by intrigue-ish plots based on antiquities or collectibles.

JR: I especially loved the tense rivalry/seduction type foreplay that matched Bobby and Emma together.  You throw in some humor to break the tension, but then you bring them right back to the fire so that the pace keeps lively and entertaining.  How important is humor in your books?

MA:  Thank you! I enjoyed writing the dynamic between Bobby and Emma, including the rivalry aspect. As for the humor, it's an important part of what I write. Real life covers a wide spectrum of emotions, so I feel fictional life should as well. Some emotions are fun, some sad, scary, or uncomfortable. Without the funny moments, the serious moments wouldn't have as much impact, and vice versa.

JR: I know lots of authors talk about how their characters seem to come to life.  Was Bobby one of those characters you knew very well before you wrote him down on paper, or did he come to life after you started on his book?

MA:  Bobby was a little bit of both, actually. Since he was a character who'd been knocking around inside my head for a while, I knew a lot about him before I sat down to write his story. For instance, even when I wrote ABSOLUTE TROUBLE, I knew he had a darker side. It's hinted at in GETTING HER MAN, and in OFF LIMITS I finally got around to digging into the "what and why" of it all. Still, he surprised me now and again. For me, when a character comes to life and starts "surprising" me, that means the character is evolving beyond character charts or plot outlines into a fully-fleshed, realistic individual. And at that point that story becomes easier to write, which is a huge relief.

JR: Even though you lace some humor in OFF LIMITS, it really has a darker feel to it.  There are issues, deep and seedy, that are woven into the plot and characters.  Was this a different writing experience for you?  What was it about Bobby that deemed it necessary to go down a darker path?

MA:  Hmmm, an interesting question! As I mentioned above, I always knew that Bobby was a character who hid behind a mask, which is a theme that kind of runs through OFF LIMITS. He was hiding a lot beneath a goofy ties and a good ol' boy demeanor. My editor described him as "high maintenance," which is true, and I think Bobby himself pretty much acknowledges that he's hard to live with.I approached his character, and Emma's, from the standpoint that they deal, on a daily basis, with the bad things people to do to each other.  Being a detective (or a cop) in a big city means seeing and handling a lot of unpleasant things, which the average person probably can't even begin to understand. Without violence and crime, Bobby and Emma don't have a job. Dealing with that kind of situation, day in and day out, can negatively affect a person, no matter how professional they are or how they try to keep an emotional distance. I don't think it's any secret that police officers have a high rate of divorce, as well as problems with alcohol and burn-out. I admire and respect the work law enforcement officials do, but I can't see writing a big city detective without at least acknowledging some of these stresses and drawbacks. And since I write romance and not thrillers or suspense, it's the emotional part of characters lives I like to explore rather than a complicated mystery plot.In general, the plots and character histories in each of my books determine the tone, which is why GETTING HER MAN was a lot lighter than OFF LIMITS. And why my next book will be lighter, but the one following it will not.I like variety. And from a creative standpoint, it keeps me from getting bored with myself.

JR: The fun doesn't stop there.  You plan on writing about Diana's friend, Cassie, soon, too, don't you?  What will it be about?

MA:  Yes, the next book involves Cassie Ashton, Diana's earthy, commercial fossil seller friend, and the fellow known so far as only "Dinosaur Hunter Inc." and "that arrogant ass from Laramie." Alex Martinelli is a paleontologist, and the paleontology community and commercial fossil collector community do not peacefully co-exist, for the most part. I half-jokingly refer to it as my "mortal enemy sex" book, and it involves some intrigue and action revolving around the theft of a valuable fossil.

JR: What's up next after that?  Do you like writing connected stories that much?  *Grin*  Why?

MA:  Wrapping this "series" up is Fiona's book. Fiona is somebody who lives a sedate, calm life and figures that, as a bookstore owner, she can't get into as much trouble as Diana or Cassie. With this story, I wanted to experiment a bit with the older gothic elements, and one of the staples of that was a hero who might or might not be a danger to the heroine. Of course, the readership and its expectations have changed greatly over the years and I don't want to write a helpless heroine, but I'm excited about tackling this project. I have a lot of thoughts, but nothing I really can get into right now beyond that it involves a supposedly long lost play by a contemporary of William Shakespeare.I think an appeal of connected books is familiarity. You meet and get to know characters over a number of books, and even as one couple's story is being resolved, there's a number of character's stories that aren't resolved. As a writer, another appeal is that it gives me more time to get to know a character, so when it's time to write their story, the books comes together more quickly. I'm one of those "by the seat of the pants" writers, so the process for me is very messy and involves lots of rewrites. Having a chance ahead of time to mull over characters helps make the process little less messy. :)

JR: Thank you so much for being here!  I can't wait for the next book with Michele Albert on the cover to come out so I can get it in my hot little hands!

MA:  And thank you so much for having me visit and giving me a chance to ramble on about one of my favorite subjects. :)