Where did you get the idea for this book? I am obsessed, to say the least, with rude behavior. My kids beg me to ignore it when we see it, my husband thinks I'll get shot one day. I have, sometimes, gone too far, and have been rude myself in the quest for justice. But, for some reason, I think it is my duty, my calling, to rid the world of rudeness, one annoying person at a time. So when it was time to write my second novel, I knew it had to be about a woman who felt the same way, who dreams of becoming a rude behavior avenger. But, since I love romantic comedy, since my favorite books and movies are about romantic longing, about searching-and perhaps finding-your soul mate, I knew it had to be written in this spirit. My protagonist, Jeannie Sterling, is from Berkeley, where I grew up. Though my family was quite different from hers, some of Jeannie's experiences and the references to growing up in the 70's in the Bay Area come from my memories. As a writing teacher once said to me, "It all goes into the stew." So, using His Girl Friday, with Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant, as a model, I devised a story about love and righteousness, about pursuing justice while fulfilling the desires of the heart. Do you really believe that good manners can make the world a better place? I know it sounds crazily simplistic, but I do. Don't worry--I know that poverty and war and hunger and disease will exist even if people hold the door open for each other. But by treating each other with respect, with kindness and deference, by being people who are considerate of others and the world around them, we can make the world a better place to live each and every day. We can make the world cleaner, without littering. We can make it less stressful without bad drivers. We can make it nicer by saying 'please" and "thank you," and "can I help you" and really mean it. This is not to say that I haven't been as rude as the rudest people out there. Trust me, I have. A girl does make mistakes. But I've learned from experience that being kind breeds kindness. Even when you get kicked in the face. Eventually, and this sounds awfully sweet, one good turn does, in fact, deserve another. And what about the crazy, neurotic dog, Mouse, in the book? It seems like dogs are a theme with you, as they play an important part in both of your books. When I wrote The Dog Walker, I had the most wonderful dog in the world, Charlie. Charlie was like a human, deeply sensitive, intelligent and expressive. He told me so. He was the first dog I'd ever had, and like everyone's first, he will always hold a special place in my heart. Then he died of old age. We held off for a few months but then the kids wouldn't stop nudging and we gave in and went to the shelter to get them a new dog. Milo, who is Mouse in the book, is our rebound dog. He's the dog who should've been temporary, for merely a walk, a pet, a cuddle. But we adopted him and our lives have never been the same. Every terrible behavior of Mouse's in the book - like eating Jeannie's panties-is something Milo does. As a friend said recently, "Think how much calmer your family's life would be without Milo," which gave me a good laugh. You could say that about my kids too. And my husband. Yes, life alone would certainly be calmer. But without the cuddle, the pee on the rug, the jumping on all fours on the dining room table to eat the hummus, where would I be? Dogs, like love, give you trouble and joy. Where would we be without either? Late Night Talking is your second novel, after your debut in 2004 with The Dog Walker, where you made the transition from editor to writer. How was this experience different from the first? If writing the first book was like climbing Mount Everest, writing this one was like climbing it with a 300-pound pack on my back. With a storm coming. And my oxygen supply running out. The first novel you write on hope and a dream. You have few expectations, except that maybe someone will publish it. Then when you find a publisher, you pray that someone will read it and maybe even like it. Though you may find yourself secretly fantasizing that it'll be a bestseller, you're exhilarated simply being called an "author." The second novel is about your life. You're a real writer now and if this book doesn't sell, you have no career, no future. That's the thinking of someone like me who knows the inside scoop about publishing, having spent twenty years of my life on the other side, with my last ten as Editor-in-Chief of a major company. I know how difficult it is. And it's harder now than ever, with more competition from other media, higher corporate expectations in terms of the bottom line and less time to build an author's readership. So, when I worry my book won't sell, I see myself begging friends for a job, and wonder what in the world could've made me even think I could write in the first place, for crying out loud. The truth is, it's hard to write a book. Any book, every book, for everyone, I imagine. Each time you're struggling with your own voices-creative, neurotic, poetic, ridiculous-and you have to learn which to listen to, which to ignore. More than anything, you simply have to believe. So what's next? Are you working on another novel? Or using your energies to get people to stop littering? I do have other obsessions, besides rude behavior, thank you very much. I also think a lot about how my daughter is entering adolescence just as I am about to enter menopause just as my mother is becoming elderly. Three generations of women at critical moments in our lives-this has captured me. Our fears, our worries, our hopes and dreams and regrets, the things we pass on from one generation to another. Three generations of eccentric women will be the center of my next novel, which also has to do with another passion of mine-modern art-and a mystery involving a real-life famous painter. And, of course, romantic love. That's all I'm going to say. Because I find when I talk about my next book, it makes me feel like I've actually worked on it, when all I've done is talked about it. So, can we talk some more? Because it's so much harder to write!