Giveaway / Meet Jackie Collins, Author of Goddess of Vengeance on Shelves Today!

Jackie Collins' Website:  http://jackiecollins.com/

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'There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all. From Beverly Hills bedrooms to a raunchy prowl along the streets of Hollywood; from glittering rock parties and concerts to stretch limos and the mansions of power brokers-Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out.

Jackie Collins has been called a “raunchy moralist” by the late director Louis Malle and “Hollywood’s own Marcel Proust” by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 400 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, and with some twenty-eight New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world’s top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivaled insiders knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous! “I write about real people in disguise,” she says. “If anything, my characters are toned down — the truth is much more bizarre.”'

'Jackie Collins started writing as a teenager, making up steamy stories her schoolmates paid to devour.' She briefly tried her hand at acting, but soon realized writing was her passion. 'She currently lives in Los Angeles, California and calls herself a popular culture junkie. Her hobbies include music - everything from soul to rap, taking photographs and driving to exotic locations so that she can write about them later.'

'Jackie recently completed work on a play - "Hollywood Lies." And after producing a direct to DVD movie last year, Paris Connections, she is currently working on a new novel "The Power Trip," and on her autobiography "Reform School or Hollywood." Jackie is also putting together "The Lucky Santangelo Cook Book," and a coffee table book "Hollywood Snaps," filled with celebrity photos she has taken over the years.' (All information in single quotes was quoted from information provided by publisher.)

Jackie Collins first came on the literary scene back in 1968 with her novel 'The World is Full of Married Men'. With the birth of her first novel Jackie caused quite a stir. The book was banned in both Australia and South Africa. Romance writer Barbara Cartland called it "filthy and disgusting".  Well, as they say, 'any publicity is good publicity' and all the controversy set sales rocketing in the US and the UK. The book became her first bestseller in part because of its 'open sexuality and the way it dealt honestly with the double standard'. The book was later made into a movie of the same name. To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.


Collins' second novel, 'The Stud', was published in 1969. The book became her second best seller and was also turned into a movie by the same name. Here is the description/teaser listed on Ms. Collins'  website for the book: 'London, 1969. The hottest, hippest, wildest domain of hedonists and pleasure-seekers, where swingers swarm the clubs and discos in a high-stakes quest to live for the moment. At the center of this decadent scene, one man plays all the angles, never missing a chance to score with the beautiful women who desire him — and walks the line between ecstasy and overload. Now the woman he wants the most knows his number — and may just call his bluff.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie's third novel, 'Sinners', debuted in 1971 and was originally titled 'Sunday Simmons & Charlie Brick'  and 'The Hollywood Zoo' in the UK. It was her third novel to hit the bestseller list and her first novel to be set in the US. Here is the description/teaser listed on her website: 'Hollywood — glittering premieres, dazzling movie sets, fabulous parties, plush love-nests hidden in Malibu and Beverly Hills. Behind the gorgeous playgrounds of the rich and renowned lies a jungle of lust and perversity, greed and ambition, love and danger — where survival is all and innocence is a role nobody plays for long. Jackie Collins uncovers all the sex, all the scandals, all the private obsessions of filmland’s famous in the shocking, passionate world of . . . Sinners.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 1974, Collins released her fourth novel, 'The Love Killers', originally titled 'Lovehead'. This was Collins' first book that delved into the world of organized crime — a genre that would she'd successfully journey into again. Jackie's website synopsis:
'POWERFUL MEN, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND EXQUISITE REVENGE…Beth, Lara and Rio — three exotic women with a common cause and vengeance in their hearts. They’re out to avenge a murder and they’ll go to any lengths. Their targets: the heirs of the Bassalino crime family. Their weapon: sex. The result: a bloodbath of sexual mayhem through the lethal corridors of organized crime. Three beautiful women set out to prove that when it comes to revenge, the female is far deadlier than the male — especially when they’re THE LOVE KILLERS. . .' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 1975, Collins' fifth book, 'The World is Full of Divorced Women', was published. Although the title might suggest otherwise, it was unrelated to her first novel. Here is the teaser listed on Jackie's website: 'The world is their bedroom…Cleo James, the cool British journalist who joined the thrill seekers when she found her husband coupling with her best friend…Muffin, the luscious centerfold, with a little girl charm, a big girl body, and an appetite for all that Hollywood has to give…Mike James,the music promoter who adores his Cleo but whose addiction to women is constant and insatiable…Jon Clapton, who took a little English girl from Wimbledon, and made her into Britain’s top model, and now wants to keep those profits rolling in any way he can…And Daniel Onel, an actor grown older, wiser—and hungrier than ever for Cleo James.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here. 

Her sixth and longest novel, 'Lovers & Gamblers' came out in 1977.  It dipped into the world of  a rock/soul superstar. The synopsis on Jackie's website:
'Al King, the rock-and-roll super stud who is everything any sex-crazed groupie ever imagined her hero to be; and Dallas, the beauty queen whose sky-high ambitions stem from a sordid secret—the type that tabloids tingle to tell. Together, they’re on a wild ride from London to New York, from Hollywood to Rio and the steaming jungles of the Amazon—where all their dreams and nightmares are about to come true…LOVERS & GAMBLERS'. To read an excerpt of the book Click Here. 

Jackie's seventh book, 'The Bitch', hit bookstores in 1979. It was later turned into a film for the big screen. Website teaser: 'SHE’S A WOMAN WHO’S NEVER SHORT OF A MAN. AND THEY CALL HER THE BITCH…

Fontaine Khaled has an Arab millionaire among her yesterdays and hard-gambling Nico for all her tomorrows. Which only leaves the problem of choosing a man for today… From London to Las Vegas, Hollywood to Athens — she calls the shots from her plush limos and black satin sheets.

She is The Bitch and she is in control. And that could never change — could it?

THE BITCH is the sizzling sequel to THE STUD.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Ms. Collins' eighth book, 'Chances', introduced us to the character of the day, Lucky Santangelo in 1981. The book synopsis listed on her website: 'Lucky, Lady Boss, Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge, and Dangerous Kiss…Jackie Collins’ sizzling Lucky saga all began with CHANCES. The book that made Jackie Collins one of America’s favorite authors sweeps you from the sophisticated playgrounds of Europe to the glittering gambling palaces of Las Vegas. It plunges you into the reckless, dangerous world of the Santangelo crime family. It introduces you to Gino Santangelo, the street kid who makes it all the way to the top. And then brings you Lucky—his sensual, stunningly beautiful, and passionate daughter; a woman who dares to win her father’s empire for herself; a woman unafraid of taking…CHANCES.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie's ninth book, 'Hollywood Wives', was published in 1983. The novel hit the New York Times Bestseller list at number one. It was later made into one of ABC's highest-rated miniseries. The book teaser: 'They lunch at Ma Maison and the Bistro on salads and hot gossip. They cruise Rodeo Drive in their Mercedes and Rolls, turning shopping at Giorgio and Gucci into an art form. They pursue the body beautiful at the Workout and Body Asylum. Dressed by St. Laurent and Galanos, they dine at the latest restaurants on the rise and fall of one another’s fortunes. They are the Hollywood Wives, a privileged breed of women whose ticket to ride is a famous husband. Hollywood. At its most flamboyant.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.
 
Collin's tenth bestseller, 'Lucky', was released in 1985. Later 'Lucky' and 'Chances' were combined and made into a miniseries by Jackie for NBC entitled 'Lucky Chances'. The book description listed on Jackie's website: 'THE FABULOUS HEROINE OF CHANCES RETURNS. SHE’S A HOT-BLOODED BEAUTY IN LOVE WITH POWER, HUNGRY FOR PLEASURE… WILD, NOTORIOUS, TROUBLE… SHE’S… LUCKY

With the sensual grace of a panther, Lucky Santangelo prowled her Las Vegas casino, restless, ready, eager for action. That night began a dazzling odyssey, filled with dangerous passion and sun-drenched sex, sadistic vengeance and breathless suspense. From the decadent luxury of California, to Paris, New York and a private Greek island, Lucky fought for her father’s honor, for ruthless triumph, for the wild card of a fabulous love. Her rivals; an ice-cold Hollywood wife…a much-married heiress strung out on cocaine…a jaded magnate hooked on power…a crazed hoodlum lusting for murder. But Lucky was a gambIer and a lover, a woman who ruled her empire and pursued her man with the potent Santangelo strength … her way, on her terms, whatever the odds. Jackie Collins tops the sensational success of Hollywood Wives and Chances with Lucky, “so hot it will have to be printed on asbestos.”

-Liz Smith, The New York Daily News'

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 1986, Jackie published 'Hollywood Husbands', her eleventh novel. It received a warm welcoming and became another bestseller. Description on Jackie's website: 'Hollywood Husbands are hot…Hollywood Husbands are dynamic…Hollywood Husbands are sexy… 

     Jack Python is the hottest Hollywood Husband of all. He rules nighttime T.V. and his controversial talk show burns up the ratings, while the women he encounters melt. With one expensive divorce behind him, and involved in a highly erotic affair with Oscar-winning actress Clarissa Browning, Jack Python has power, charisma, success, and money. But sometimes everything isn’t enough.

     Howard Soloman, head of Orpheus Studios, is the man, the Hollywood King. Anything Howard wants, he gets. Including women. The sweet smell of power and Howard’s street-smart style reels them in. Working for billionaire studio owner Zachary Klinger, a man with a whim of iron, Howard has problems enough. And if Howard can’t deliver daytime soap megastar Silver Anderson at Klinger’s command, he may lose his footing at the top of the heap. Though in Hollywood it’s said that when you fall, you fall up — from the top Howard has nowhere to go but down.

     Mannon Cable is a superstar. With great looks and a body to match, he is full of self-deprecating charm. Married briefly to gorgeous Whitney Valentine, who left him to become a television superstar, he was hit by the divorce where it really hurts — his giant ego.

     Jack Python, Howard Soloman, and Mannon Cable have been competitive friends for years. Yet when Jade Johnson enters their lives, the least-expected one of the self-styled “Three Comers” may have finally met his match. Jade Johnson is a woman of the eighties. Strong, independent, a top New York model, she comes to L.A. for a series of million-dollar TV commercials.

     Jade is a dangerously beautiful woman with personal integrity and a mind of her own. The Hollywood game fails to impress her, but slowly, surely, she is sucked in. And, high roller that she is, if she must play, Jade will play to win.'

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie's twelfth novel, 'Rock Star', debuted in 1988. It was a story about the rise to fame of three different rock superstars. Description found on Jackie's website:
'FEEL THE HUNGER. THE BEAT. THE HEAT.

Rock Star International bestselling sensation Jackie Collins, “the queen of glamour fiction” (San Antonio Express-News) captures the raw, electric thrill of life in the spotlight in this pulse-pounding novel. Three talented, ambitious dreamers have struggled for super-stardom — and lived hard and fast in a mind-bending whirl of parties, drugs, and sex. Now their fates collide at the plush Los Angeles estate of a powerful music industry magnate, where one man’s secret vendetta will trap them in its sudden, murderous heat…'

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 1990, Collins' thirteenth novel proved 13 isn't always an unlucky number when she released another bestseller entitled 'Lady Boss'. This was the third book about Lucky Santangelo. It became an NBC miniseries by the same name. Description on Jackie's website: 'In Chances, Lucky grew up in a top crime family. In Lucky, she was married three times. And now, in Lady Boss, she takes on Hollywood and wins! Panther Studios is the prize and Lucky wants it… In her quest for power she meets adversaries and enemies, friends and betrayers. And her relationship with her husband, charismatic comedian and movie star, Lennie Golden is put to the test.

     Lucky’s first challenge is to buy the only movie studio still not controlled by a powerful conglomerate — Panther Studios, owned by the retired, irascible, old Abe Panther. But Abe won’t sell his beloved studio to Lucky until she proves she has the guts to make it in Hollywood. It’s his idea that she disguise herself as a secretary and go in undercover to find out what’s really going on. It’s a challenge that also satisfies Lucky’s passion for adventure — and her desire to take chances… In the process, Lucky uncovers a world of financial scheming, big-time betrayal, and bizarre sex. Panther Studios and Lucky Santangelo… a dangerous mix…

     When Lucky makes her final move, assuming the role of Lady Boss at Panther Studios, she stuns the entire industry and sets off a series of shock waves, not only threatening her marriage to Lennie, but bringing down on her head the hatred of crime boss Carlos Bonnatti — a hatred that goes back generations, putting in peril her life, and the lives of everyone close to her!

     With Lady Boss, Jackie Collins brings back one of her most intriguing and endearing characters, Lucky Santangelo. She also proves once again that she is the unquestioned queen of glamorous fiction.' 

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.  

'American Star' became Collin's fourteenth novel in 1993. Description listed on her website: 'Jackie Collins’ American Star is a love story for the nineties. At its heart are two extraordinary lovers, separated by tragic circumstances, yearning for each other, yet seemingly never able to be together again.

     Nick and Lauren can never forget each other. Teenage small-town lovers — he from the wrong side of the tracks, she the prettiest girl in town — their love was the town scandal, forbidden, sizzling and unforgettable, ending abruptly in a tragedy that sent them into separate orbits.

     Nick pursues his dream of acting, and after a series of wild adventures begins the slow rise that will make him one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Lauren goes to New York and enters the modeling world, surprising everyone with a career that takes off in a direction she never expected. American Star follows them both on their trips to fame, as Nick and Lauren, haunted by the secret they share, try to live without each other — only to find they can’t.

American Star is a compelling story of love, sex and murder, set against the glamorous backgrounds of New York and Hollywood, as only Jackie Collins!' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie's fifteenth novel, 'Hollywood Kids', came out in 1994. It looked into the lives of twenty something offspring of Hollywood's elite. Description:
    'Wherever there’s money and glamour, trouble can’t be too far behind. In Hollywood Kids Jackie Collins takes her readers back to the Hollywood Hills for another absorbing page-turner of sex, ambition, and deadly revenge.

     At the novel’s core is the Hollywood Five, a clique of jaded twenty-somethings whose parents (all major players) thought that child-rearing ended with naming their offspring after themselves.

     Jordanna Levitt is the wildly beautiful daughter of a powerful producer and legendary movie star mother. Even though she flaunts a coltish bad-girl image, Jordanna yearns for more than lounging behind the velvet ropes in chi-chi clubs and existing on a diet of Midnight Cowboys.

     Jordanna’s best friend, Cheryl Landers, is a sassy, leggy redhead, who is equally idle. Cheryl fills her days doing lunch and buying up Rodeo Drive until a Hollywood Madam asks her to mind shop while she’s out of town. Pandering to the rich and famous goes so smoothly that she can’t resist turning a trick herself.

     Grant Lennon, Jr., the son of the last generation’s wildly handsome icon, is a junior agent at International Artists Agents. Not satisfied with the number of starlets he can get on his own, he agrees to “test-run” women for Cheryl’s fledgling entrepreneurial venture for a fee.

     Marjory Sanderson is a dreamy-eyed head case. Barely recovered from anorexia, she invents one phobia fast on the heels of the last one in order to keep her television magnate father’s attention.

Shep Worth, the effeminately beautiful son of a sex-symbol mother, who won’t publicly acknowledge her age, is a man who won’t publicly acknowledge his alternative sexual preference.

     “The group had grown up together, sharing the experience of too much too soon,” Collins writes. When you’ve got your family’s great looks, and you’re always driving next year’s hottest sportscar, and work isn’t necessary because you’ve got a wallet filled with the sky’s-the-limit credit cards — why fight it?

     These Hollywood kids have been given everything money can buy except a raison d’être. Though their attitudes are large enough to fill any room, these offspring of privilege are all desperately trying to figure out what to do with themselves. However, life among the rich means life among the damned. A recently released psycho-killer, erotically propelled by blood-lust, is determined to wreak havoc and revenge on the kids’ lives.'

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

'Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge' became Collins' sixteenth book in 1997. It was the third in the Lucky Santangelo series. Description listed on Ms. Collins' website: 'Lucky Santangelo is back — with a vengeance!Dangerously sensual, breathtakingly beautiful, and utterly unforgettable, she is Lucky Santangelo, the sizzling star of Chances, Lucky, and Lady Boss. With Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge, Jackie Collins continues the saga of Lucky Santangelo in a nonstop, action-packed tale of sex, betrayal, drugs, intrigue, and murder.

     A scorching new installment of the wildly popular Lucky series, Vendetta finds Lucky in the most perilous situation of her life when her prized Panther Studios is taken from her by Donna Landsman, the unscrupulous widow of Lucky’s arch-enemy, Santino Bonnatti. Donna intends to destroy Lucky in every way she can, but Lucky is street-smart, powerful, and just as ruthlessly dangerous. And so the battle for control begins.

     With Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge, Jackie Collins proves once again why she is an international powerhouse, a writer who digs deep into the glamorous, intoxicating — yet ultimately treacherous — world of Hollywood.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 1998, Jackie published 'Thrill!', her seventeenth novel. Description on Jackie's website: 'Jackie Collins’ most outrageous, erotically charged New York Times bestseller is a sexy, shattering roller-coaster thrill ride! From chic New York and the exclusive Hamptons to the hungry heart of L.A., this high-suspense tale pulses with deadly obsessions and relentless desires in the seemingly perfect world of a gorgeous film actress.
     She could have any man — but the one she can’t resist is a mysterious lover with a shadowed past. As their jolting affair skyrockets with electric passion, shocking secrets break through their hidden traps — in a brilliantly twisting story that sparks with the explosive Jackie Collins touch.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Ms. Collins' eighteenth book, 'LA Connections: Power, Obsession, Murder, Revenge' was released in 1998. This was a four-part novel which released one section a month for four consecutive months. I'm guessing the various sections were entitled Power, Obsession, Murder, & Revenge, but I may be wrong. Description on Ms. Collins' website: 'New York Times bestselling author Jackie Collins blazed onto bestseller lists nationwide with L.A.Connections — four entwined novels of passion and danger among Hollywood’s most powerful players. Now this sensational serial novel is collected in one blockbuster volume from “the queen of glamour fiction” (San Antonio Express-News).

Power

Obsession

Murder

Revenge

A killer is playing a deadly game inside the exclusive mansions of L.A. Drawn into this dangerous world are a high-class call girl looking for a way out…a ruthless agent playing for high stakes…and a beautiful journalist chasing the story of her career. They are about to discover the rules of survival in this city of dreamers and deceivers.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie published 'Dangerous Kiss' in 1999. It was her nineteenth novel and her fifth book Featuring Lucky Santangelo. Description listed on Jackie's website:

'Now, in Dangerous Kiss, when a member of her family is brutally gunned down in a random holdup, her fury knows no bounds. While she is tracking the killer, her relationship with her husband, charismatic writer and director Lennie Golden, is put to the test. Then, suddenly, into her life comes a man from her past — a man with a dangerous kiss.

     Dangerous Kiss is a story of raw anger, love, lust, murder, and revenge, and at its white-hot center is Lucky Santangelo, a strong, exciting woman who dares to take chances — and always wins.'

To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 2000, Ms. Collins, published 'Lethal Seduction', her twentieth novel. The book featured Madison Castelli, the street savvy character introduced in  'L.A. Connections'. "Madison is having problems — her ex-live-in lover who walked out on her is trying to walk back in. Her new lover is giving her a hard time. And her father turns out to be a man with deadly secrets.
     Set between the high-powered world of New York and the manic excitement of Las Vegas, Lethal Seduction is packed with all the intrigue and glamour fans have come to expect from Jackie Collins. This deliciously uninhibited tale of cover-ups, deception and mob involvement finds Jackie Collins at the height of her creative powers as the diverse cast of characters in Lethal Seduction take an exhilarating walk on the wild side, where nothing is ever exactly as it seems and danger is all around them." Description obtained from Jackie's website. To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Ms. Collins released 'Hollywood Wives - The New Generation' which was her twenty-first novel. It later became a TV movie. Description on Jackie's website: "Power! Sex! Money! Fame! — the new Hollywood Wives are back with a vengeance.Whatever they don’t have, they want — and whatever these women want, they get.

     Unlike their counterparts in the ’80s, who were happy to give charity dinners and exclusive parties to further their husbands’ careers, today’s Hollywood wives are hungry to create their own identities.

     These ladies are into achieving everything their famous husbands have and more, and will stop at nothing for a chance in the spotlight.

     Ambitious, young, smart and lethal, the new Hollywood Wives are into yoga, fasting, spinning, Pilates, their own production companies, and making things happen." To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.
 
In 2002, 'Deadly Embrace', made its way to bookshelves. It was Jackie's twenty-second novel. This was the third book featuring Madison Castelli. It contains both the prequel and sequel to 'Lethal Seduction'.  Description from Ms. Collins' website: 'At the center of this thrilling and powerfully erotic story is Madison Castelli, the beautiful, talented and street-smart journalist first introduced in the L.A. Connections series and Lethal Seduction. Distraught after finding out her father has been keeping secrets from her (and is possibly involved with the mob), Madison flies from New York to LA She visits her best friend, Nasally De Barge, a gorgeous black radio personality, but within hours they find themselves caught in a restaurant hold-up, where they are trapped in a life-or-death situation.

Meanwhile, Michael Castelli, Madison’s outrageously handsome father, has been accused of two murders and flees to Las Vegas to be with Dani, the ex-showgirl mother of his other two children: Vincent, a Las Vegas hotel and casino owner, whose pretty wife is busy chasing hot young movie star Andy Dale, and Sofia, a wild eighteen-year-old currently running around Europe getting into dangerous situations with older men.

     Michael is determined to find the people who set him up and exact his revenge.

And, as Madison knows, what Michael Castelli wants, Michael gets.

     Deadly Embrace is full of surprises, excitement, passion and intrigue, a wickedly entertaining read, brimming with the memorably raunchy characters and glamorous settings that readers have come to expect from Jackie Collins.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Ms. Collins published 'Hollywood Divorces' in 2003, her twenty-third novel. Description on website: 'In her most scandalously titillating novel since the #1 bestselling Hollywood Wives, internationally renowned author Jackie Collins once again takes her readers behind the scenes and into the bedrooms of Hollywood’s glamorous world of superstardom, where narcissism is a virtue, and fidelity means not sleeping with anyone less attractive than your spouse.

Leaving her readers to guess which real celebrities she has used as models for her fabulous characters, Collins uses her insider’s knowledge of the Hollywood scene to bring life to their stories of lust, scandal, and sweet revenge.

     Principal among the characters that make Hollywood Divorces so compulsively readable are three strong, unforgettable women who find themselves walking the treacherous pathway that inevitably leads to divorce.

     These are classic Jackie Collins women — beautiful, sexy, and determined to get things done their way — succeeding in spite of the odds.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

'Lovers & Players' came out in 2006 and was Collins' twenty-fourth novel. Synopsis on Jackie's website: 'Amy Scott-Simon, a beguilingly pretty young New York heiress, is engaged to marry Max Diamond, an older powerful real estate tycoon. At her bachelorette party she runs into Jett, Max’s younger half-brother — fresh back from Italy, where he is a successful male model. A one-time drug addict, now in the Program — Jett has no idea who Amy is. She also doesn’t realise who he is. A one night fling leads to complications and regrets.

Meanwhile, Chris Diamond, a hot L.A. entertainment lawyer, flies into town to meet with his two brothers and Red Diamond, the boys’ billionaire dysfunctional father, and abusive bully.

     Working as Reds’ housekeeper is Diahann, a beautiful black ex-singer. Her stunning bi-racial nineteen-year-old daughter Liberty, a waitress who is a would-be singer herself — does not approve of her mother working as a housekeeper. Liberty has dreams of her own, and while she pursues them, Damon P. Donnell, married hip-hop mogul supreme — pursues her.

     And then there is Mariska, Max’s Russian socialite ex-wife, a woman with more secrets than anyone, secrets that ultimately lead to her brutal and mysterious murder.

     As the lives of these characters intertwine over a seven day period in New York, power, love, sex, money and fame are the ties that bind — emotionally and otherwise — in this highly charged love story about family relationships, deadly choices and dangerous sex.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 2007, 'Drop Dead Beautiful' hit the stores. It was her twenty-fifth novel and sixth book featuring Lucky. Jackie's website's description: 'Get ready for the scandalously scintillating read only Jackie Collins can deliver! Lucky Santangelo is back with a vengeance–still every bit as strong, sexy, and seductive as ever! But Lucky is older and wiser, and hot to reclaim her power position in Las Vegas. However, a deadly enemy from her past has resurfaced–a person determined to take everything from her, including the family she holds so dear: two sons and an out-of-control teenage daughter who is just as outrageous as Lucky herself. Like mother, like daughter.
     And if that old saying holds true, it’s going to be one wild ride.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

Jackie released 'Married Lovers' in 2008. It was her twenty-sixth novel. Description on Jackie's website: 'Three high-powered Hollywood couples. Two hot affairs. And one crime of passion…

Cameron Paradise, a stunningly beautiful twenty-four-year-old personal trainer, flees her abusive boyfriend in Australia and ends up in L.A.

Cameron soon gets a job at a private fitness club where she encounters the city’s most important players. She has plans to open her own studio, and while every man she meets comes on to her, she is focused on working hard and saving money to achieve her goal.

     Until she meets Ryan Richards, that is…

     An extremely successful independent movie producer, he’s married to overly privileged Mandy Richards, the daughter of Hamilton J. Heckerling, a Hollywood power-player son-of-a-bitch mogul.

     Ryan has never cheated on his demanding Hollywood Princess wife, but when he meets Cameron, all bets are off—even if she’s seeing his best friend Don Verona, the devastatingly attractive talk-show host and legendary player.

     What happens when lust and desire collide with marriage and power? Married Lovers.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here.

In 2009, 'Poor Little Bitch Girl' hit the shelves. Is focused on Annabelle Maestro and two of her friends from high school whom she's lost touch with. This was the first book by Ms. Collins that I'd read. Description on Jackie's website: 

'Poor Little Bitch Girl has it all. Three twenty-something women, one hot rich guy, two mega movie stars, and a devastating murder…

     Denver Jones is a hotshot twenty-something attorney working in L.A. Carolyn Henderson is personal assistant to a powerful and very married Senator in Washington with whom she is having an affair. And Annabelle Maestro — daughter of two movie stars –has carved out a career for herself in New York as the madame of choice for discerning famous men. The three of them went to high school together in Beverly Hills — and although Denver and Carolyn have kept in touch, Annabelle is out on her own with her cocaine addicted boyfriend, Frankie.

     Then there is Bobby Santangelo Stanislopolous, the Kennedyesque son of Lucky Santangelo and deceased Greek shipping billionaire, Dimitri Stanislopolous. Bobby owns Mood, the hottest club in New York. Back in the day he went to high school with Denver, Carolyn and Annabelle. And he connected with all three of them. Frankie is his best friend.

    When Annabelle’s beautiful movie star mother is found shot to death in the bedroom of her Beverly Hills mansion, the five of them find themselves thrown together… and secrets from the past have a way of coming back to haunt everyone…

     A new, sexy, and explosive novel from perennial bestseller Jackie Collins.' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here. To read my review of the book Click Here.

Which finally brings us to the most current novel written by Ms. Collins, 'Goddess of Vengeance'. This is the seventh novel that includes Lucky Santangelo and Jackie's twenty-eighth novel. Wow! Description on Jackie's website:
'Lucky Santangelo is back with a vengeance in a novel full of power, passion, revenge, and the raging family dynamics of the Santangelo clan…

     Lucky runs a high profile casino and hotel complex, The Keys in Vegas. Lennie, her ex-movie star husband, is still writing and directing successful independent movies, while Max, her stubborn and gorgeous teenage daughter is about to celebrate her 18th birthday, and her son, Bobby, owns a string of hot clubs. Lucky has everything. Family. Love. Life.

     And everything is exactly what billionaire businessman Armand Jordan is determined to take from her one way or the other.

     Born a Prince in the small but affluent Middle Eastern country of Akramshar, Armand comes to America with his American mother at an early age, and rises to become a real estate business titan. Armand regards women as nothing more than breeding mares or sexual playthings, so when his people inform him that the one property he covets more than anything, The Keys, is not for sale, he is shocked. That a mere woman would dare to turn down his offer to buy The Keys is unthinkable, and Armand vows to force Lucky’s hand whatever it takes. And so the battle for power begins…    

     Meanwhile Bobby is dealing with shady Russian investors, while his girlfriend – smart and independent Denver Jones, is becoming a Deputy D.A. in the L.A. drug unit.

     And Max, Bobby’s seventeen-year-old sister, is busy embarking on a forbidden affair with a sexy young movie star. An affair they have to keep on the down-low lest Lucky finds out.

     The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!' To read an excerpt of the book Click Here. To read my review of the book Click Here.

Note: The above information was compiled from information provided by Jackie Collins' website, her publisher, and/or wikipedia. 

Q&A with Jackie Collins*

When did you start writing?

I was nine years old, and even then I loved making up a diverse group of characters.

Who was your inspiration?

Early authors I devoured were the English children's writers, Enid Blyton, and the wonderful Charles Dickens. Then as I reached my teen years, I moved on to Harold Robbins and Mickey Spillane! Quite a change.

Did you like those authors because of all the crazy sexual content?

No. I found the sex in their books to be very one-sided. The male characters seemed to have all the fun, and the women were simple available. I knew that when I started to write, things would be different.

Your signature character, Lucky Santangelo, has become a real life superstar in her own right with your millions of fans.  Why do you think she is so popular? How does Lucky represent the ultimate modern woman?

Lucky Santangelo is a superstar to all my readers. They simply love the character Lucky. I think it is because she is a strong woman in what is still somewhat a man's world, and she is beautiful, smart, sexy, and determined. Lucky does all the things that women like to do, and yet never quite have the courage, and she says all the things that women would like to say, and aren't quite sure they can get away with it. Lucky kicks @ss!

"Goddess of Vengeance" revolves around Lucky Santangelo and her new casino and luxury apartment complex in Las Vegas. Why do you think Vegas has now become the see and be seen Mecca for Hollywood's It crowd?

Vegas is very exciting to the Hollywood It crowd. First of all, people feel they are on vacation and, secondly, they feel they are entitled to do anything they want-and most of them do! It's a fantasy land of gorgeous hotels and gorgeous people and fun activities. In Vegas they can get totally lost in their own star power with no recriminations unless, of course, they do a Britney Spears and get married for forty-eight hours!

Where will the continuing saga of Lucky Santangelo take us after "Goddess of Vengeance?"

I have written about Lucky now in seven books, and created two miniseries for NBC Television that lasted ten hours! I think I might have gone as far as I can go with Lucky! Although, I am very fond of her daughter, Max, who is still a teenager, and is a little Lucky waiting to happen! Max has a long way to go, as does Bobby, Lucky's incredibly good-looking son. So I might be writing about Lucky's kids for many more books!

Without naming names, what is the most outrageous or bizarre story you have ever heard about a Hollywood superstar?

I have heard so many outrageous stories about Hollywood superstars that it would fill a book! Actually, I think I've filled twenty-seven books!

The favorite questions to always ask you is how much of your storylines and characters are based on real events and people. Is there anything you have ever heard or seen that made you think, "I couldn't even put this in a novel, no one would ever believe it"? 

My characters and storylines are very much based on real events and people. I often see a situation that is so bizarre that I feel I cannot write it because it would become detrimental to the characters I am writing about. Truth is much stranger than fiction. We have only to look at the headlines over the last few years-Anna Nicole Smith, Phil Spector, and other countless scandals. Not to mention all the cheating husbands.

During the past several years the Hollywood, Vegas, and New York scenes have been invaded by the celebutantes, heiresses, and It girls, many many of whom are famous simply for being famous. How has this invasion changed the landscape of the fame industry?

The film industry has always embraced people with no talent. It's the personality that counts, and the looks. When you consider politicians today it's all about how they present themselves on television. If Obama was short and ugly, he wouldn't be where he is today.

What's more fun: Living in Hollywood or writing about it? 

I love living in Hollywood, it is a fantastic city. Los Angeles has always been  my dream place. It is a sprawling metropolis and I love it a lot! Writing about it is fantastic. I have another twenty-seven books to come! And more stories that I can ever tell! 

Considering your amazing run as a Hollywood and literary icon, how would you define true glamour?

True glamour is in the mind of the beholder. I have never considered myself glamorous, but I have been told I am - I think it's because I have a great deal of self confidence and my message to women is girls can do anything! I have always believed this slogan and most of my heroines believe it too. And that's the secret to my success!

*Above Q&A provided by Jackie's publisher and used with permission.

To read another wonderful in depth interview with Jackie done by Emma Brockes of The Guardian Click Here. I highly recommend it. It goes into her family life and how she managed to balance her professional life with her private life.  

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
And the winner is: Audrey
Winner will be notified shortly.
If you're not the winner, don't worry. I'll be posting another Goddess of Vengeance giveaway shortly!

I will be giving away ONE copy of 'Goddess of Vengeance' by the fabulous Jackie Collins.

Rules to be eligible for giveaway: 

1. Only residents of the US and CA are eligible. 

2. Please leave either your email address or a link to your Goodreads profile so I may get in contact with you to get your mailing address. No P.O. Boxes, please. If uncomfortable about giving out such information on my blog, please feel free to email me your information at seducedbyabook@gmail.com.
3. Become a follower of my blog, if you aren't already. 

Winner will be randomly chosen. Book will be sent directly from publisher. Giveaway ends September  16th, midnight eastern time. Winner will be posted on my blog and notified by email or message posted to them via Goodreads. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Good Luck!