The film is based on author Janet Evanovich's best-selling novel about Stephanie Plum, a divorced, unemployed woman who becomes a bounty hunter to pay the bills. To date, there are 17 installments of the popular book series.

"Money" sees Plum entering the profession, only to find herself chasing down a onetime romantic acquaintance and becoming entangled in a murder. The Emmy award-winning Heigl sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, her life as a working mom, adopting another baby perhaps within the year and a bad smoking habit she just can't seem to quit.

Q: Were you a fan of Janet Evanovich's books?

A: "I read the books when I was first approached about the project. The first one led to the second and by the time I got to the 10th, I was pretty hooked and obsessed. I just love Stephanie. She's savvy, brave and has a big heart. Her perspective on life and people is sort of wacky, charming and fun. She's got this great caustic sense of humor that I really responded to."

Q: And action film is a bit different for you. What was the most difficult thing for you to learn while shooting the film?

A: "I was pretty bad with the handcuffs. I really wanted to master the art of cuffing somebody quickly and efficiently. There's something about holding somebody's hands in a crossed way and trying to slap a cuff on. I didn't want to hurt the co-stars I was working within the scenes."

Q: You've established yourself as a romantic comedy actress. Is that a genre you feel comfortable in?

A: "If you asked me the same question two years ago I would have said, I love doing romantic comedies because those are the movies I tend to only watch. I want to laugh and believe in true love and romance. I'm still thrilled to be in those movies but at 33, I wouldn't mind breaking out of that genre a little bit. This movie had a murder mystery vibe to it, a kind of a caper film, so it was a different spin on the same formula."

Q: Did you have the whole family on location with you in Pittsburgh, including your adopted daughter Naleigh?

A: "Yes and it was chaos! (laughs). There was also my dog, my mom's dog, and then my mom would come for part of the filming because she's a producer on this as well. Then (husband/musician) Josh (Kelley) would come in and out because he's always on tour. Naleigh and the nanny were there all the time."

Q: Is Naleigh aware of what you do for a living?

A: "No, she isn't. Naleigh loves to play doctor and has a little doctor's kit. Recently my mom said, 'Naleigh, your mother played a doctor on TV.' And it was the first time that anyone has ever said to her that her mom is on TV. So she's starting to put the dots together."

Q: Any more kids for you and Josh?

A: "Naleigh's three now, so I'm hoping we have another child sooner than later -- at least maybe in the next year. Naleigh loves babies and the whole idea of babies."

Q: Will you adopt again or have biological children?

A: "We'd like to do both, but I'm on an adoption bent at this point. I'm afraid of pregnancy. That terrifies me. After being in (the R-rated comedy) "Knocked up" and having to watch birthing videos, I'm terrified! (laughs)"

Q: You are in a position where you headline your own movies, but you also produce many of them too. Was that always the plan?

A: "For me, there's so much inherent pressure in the position, so I started to feel neurotic and terrified all the time (laughs). I thought the only way for me to calm down was to take an active role in my future, not to sit and wait, but to create my own opportunities."

Q: So what's on the horizon?

A: "I'd love to write something. I'd love to direct. And there's so much great television, I would never rule out the opportunity to do a great TV show. I watch 'Homeland' and think Clare Danes is brilliant and if an opportunity like that came my way, I wouldn't say no."

Q: You've been spotted smoking electronic cigarettes to help you stop smoking. How's that been going?

A: "It's supposed to get you off the real thing, but I smoke it all the time because I don't have to step outside and it never goes out -- except when the battery dies. So I'm smoking it way more than I probably would a real cigarette."

Q: That's not good.

A: "I'm a nicotine addict and it's really ugly. If I could take anything back, smoking would be it. I wish I never picked up a cigarette. That was so stupid. That would be the one thing I would say to my kid as she gets old and inevitably will want to try a cigarette. I will say, 'Sure, go ahead, if you want to be a slave to something for the rest of your life!' I'll always be fighting the addiction."

(Reporting By Zorianna Kit, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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