Leslie Schnur

From a Q & A with Leslie Schnur, author of Late Night Talking:

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.

Read the entire Q & A.

--Marshal Zeringue