| The Romance Reader’s Connection welcomes author Michele Albert, formerly published under the name Michelle Jerott. I’ve had the pleasure of reading most of this talented author’s work and reviewing a few of them as well. I’ve found that her gutsy heroines, super-sexy heroes and thrilling story lines make an excellent read, books you won’t want to put down, where you will find yourself wanting more!
Thea Candee: Hi Michele, welcome to TRRC! First question, I need to know! Why did you change your name right in the middle of your writing career?
Michele Albert: Thank you! It's a pleasure to be the AOTM at TRRC. As for why
I changed my name, it really wasn't my choice. Due to various reasons, the sales
for my Avon books were on the low side, so Avon decided to give me a new cover look and launch me as a "new" author. It's a pretty common practice since sales in the chain stores are dictated by prior sales tracked by computer
TC: I’ve read several of your stories and I’ve found that quite a few take place in Louisiana, have you ever lived there, or do you feel a certain affinity to the state?
MA: To date, I've written books set in New Orleans and the Wisconsin area, but
with my next book I'm branching out all the way to Wyoming! I've always had a
fondness for New Orleans because it's a rather unique city, both in its history
and flavor. Plus, the books I've set in New Orleans have a cast of characters
that have appeared in previous books
TC: Your newest book, OFF LIMITS is Bobby Halloran’s story. Bobby is a character we’ve met in previous books from you, ABSOLUTE TROUBLE and GETTING HER MAN. Did you always know that you would write his story?
MA: Yes. In fact, I'd wanted him to be the hero for my second book, but Avon
and I couldn't agree on a storyline and the heroine, so I wrote ALL NIGHT LONG
instead. I knew that I could reintroduce Bobby easily in GETTING HER MAN, and
have his story be a part of the series of four books that were loosely tied
together by an antique/antiquities intrigue subplot
TC: What about any other secondary characters? Do you have any plans on delving into their lives and bringing them romance and intrigue?
MA: Most definitely! Diana Belmain's two friends, who were briefly introduced
in GETTING HER MAN, have another brief cameo in OFF LIMITS, and I'm currently writing Cassie Ashton's story as my first book for Pocket. Fiona will follow Cassie some time in 2005.
TC: Your heroines are strong minded women who can stick up for themselves and your heroes seem to have an “edge” that ultimately makes them just a bit shy of the typical hero. As an example, I know when I pick up one of your books I’m not going to get a “To Stupid To Live” heroine who makes the most asinine decisions. I’m also going to get a hero who might just turn out to be a thief, like Dr. Jack Austin from GETTING HER MAN. These are qualities that I enjoy in your writing. But what made you decide to create realistic characters that aren’t considered the “perfect” or the “never-do-any-wrong” type that readers usually get in romance novels?
MA: Thank you! I try to create realistic, human characters who can and
do make mistakes, but who can also apologize for them and learn from them.
People aren't perfect in real life, and while I understand some readers prefer a
more "fantasy" approach to characters and story, I personally prefer the more
realistic approach. I like flawed characters and I think they're more interesting to read about. My
feeling is that if the characters start out too perfect, there's no real journey
for them to make during the story. I also like conflict that's based mostly on
each character's personality, needs, or expectations rather than just outside
conflicts or a lot of past baggage. I also like strong heroines who can be
aggressive. Again, I know this isn't every reader's favorite type of heroine,
but its the kind that most appeals to me as a writer and as a reader.
As for characters like Jack, and even Bobby Halloran, that they're capable of
sliding into the darker side of that gray area between right and wrong--for
reasons I think a lot of people can understand or at least sympathize with--
makes them interesting. Maybe some readers find themselves wondering what they would do in a similar situation.
It was important to me to have Jack really be a thief, even if that meant some
readers would disapprove of him. The same goes for Diana's sometimes shady
actions. To have Jack turn out not be a thief would've been kind of
manipulative, I feel, and private investigators don't succeed by being trusting,
sweet, or non-aggressive. If Diana was to be a "realistic" PI, she couldn't very
well be quiet or shy, or afraid of confronting people.
This is my way of reasoning out characters, and holds true for Bobby and Emma,
and their actions and personality traits in OFF LIMITS.
TC: Do you consider writing a regular job—maybe not nine to five, but do you write on a schedule or do you find yourself writing late into the night and forgetting about your real life?
MA: It can be a little of both. A lot of times, it depends on my mood or if I
have a houseful of kids home for summer break. :) When I have four kids and half the neighborhood in the house, it can be...distracting. I tend to write
during the morning, and do my editing in the evenings. Closer to deadline, I
find I have no life outside of my desk chair. Really.
TC: If you weren’t writing what would you be doing?
MA: Hmmmm, I'm really not sure! Something that would be creative, I think, or
teaching classes like writing or history.
TC: What was the publishing process like for you? Did you find being published was easy your first time out and did you have any fear that you only had “one” book in you?
MA: Getting published is rarely easy for most writers. It took me three years
to sell my first book, and only then after lots and lots of rejections from
editors and agents. I never feared that I only had one book in me, but I'm not a
prolific author. It takes time for me to come up with new ideas. In all honesty,
my biggest problem is coming up with story ideas that are marketable.
TC: Do you find it easier to write now that you’ve been published several times? Or is writing a learning process where something new comes along to shake things up?
MA: Writing is never easy for me. It's always a struggle, and I tend to
see the weaknesses in my books, and rarely the strengths. Writing is an ongoing
learning process, and there's always room for improvement!
TC: I remember reading that you weren’t too happy with the cover for OFF LIMITS, and that you felt the “cartoon-ish” cover might make readers think that the book has a more humorous tone then it really had. I have two questions with this in mind.
MA: This is correct. I think the cover is fine for a lighter book, but OFF LIMITS,
despite having some humorous moments, is not a light book. I think it's a
misleading cover, and I'm not happy about that.
TC: 1) What kind of say do you have with the publishing of your book? I’m assuming that you couldn’t change the cover art, so I’m wondering what else you don’t have control over.
MA: Well, this depends on a lot of factors. It depends on the publishing house, the editor, and also whether you're a new author, a midlist author, or a bestselling
author. I can only speak for my own experiences, and to date I've had little
control over what happens to my book once the manuscript leaves my hands. I'm a bit of a control freak, so this was one of the hardest adjustments for me as a
published author.
TC: 2) What kind of downfalls to the writing/publishing business can unpublished writers be aware of?
MA: This is hard to answer as I think it depends a lot on what an unpublished
person is expecting, or even why they're seeking to be published in the first
place. But publishing is a business, not a social club, and I think a lot of
unpublished writers are disappointed to find that making that magical first sale
raises more obstacles and challenges than they expected
TC: Your stories, while contemporary, seem to have a unique historical theme. The shoes in THE BODYGUARD; the letters in ALL NIGHT LONG; the Egyptian artifact in GETTING HER MAN and the netsuke in OFF LIMITS—how did you come up with such themes? Are you a history buff who likes to find those quirky little facts and bring them to life?
MA: I'm asked this question a lot, and I can't say I deliberately choose to
include little historical bits in my stories. Often, it seems to just happen
because I've always had a strong interest in history (I have a degree in
archaeology.) A lot of times, the plots in my books come about because of
something that catches my interest. I can only hope that if it interests me,
it'll interest a few other readers as well. The plot of my current book revolves around the blackmarket sales of fossils,
and the next plot will deal with forgery
TC: What can readers look forward to from you in upcoming months? Do you have a website where readers can access more information?
MA: OFF LIMITS is my last book for Avon, but I'll be continuing this loosely
connected series of books with my new publisher, Pocket. The next book,
tentatively titled RIGHT KIND OF WRONG, will be out in October or November of
2004. Cassie's book, as yet untitled, will follow some time in 2005. After that,
I'd like to try something a little different. We'll see. :)
Yes, I have a web site and I update it when I have news to share. It's at:
http://www.michelealbert.com.
(Click
here for review of OFF LIMITS)
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