eBook
Related collections and offers
Overview
Lucky Santangelo is back—with a vengance!
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.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780061916014 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 04/16/2024 |
| Series: | Lucky Santangelo Series , #4 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 628 |
| Sales rank: | 193,699 |
| File size: | 868 KB |
About the Author
With 190 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling writers. In a series of sensational bestsellers that began with The World Is Full of Married Men, she has blown the lid off Hollywood lives and loves. All of her fifteen novels have been New York Times bestsellers, and not one has ever been out of print.
Many of her books have been made into movies or television miniseries, including the international sensation Hollywood Wives and the famous Santangelo novels: Chances, Lucky, and Lady Boss.
Ms. Collins lives in Los Angeles, California. Her hobbies include photography, soul music, and exploring exotic locations to use as material for future books.
Hometown:
Los Angeles, CaliforniaDate of Birth:
October 4, 1941Place of Birth:
London, EnglandWebsite:
http://www.jackiecollins.comRead an Excerpt
Vendetta
Lucky's Revenge
Chapter One
Lucky Santangelo Golden steered her red Ferrari through the ornate metal gates of Panther Studios, waved a friendly greeting to the guard, then drove across the lot to her personal parking space located directly outside her well-appointed suite of offices. Lucky was a wildly beautiful woman in her late thirties with a mass of tangled jet curls, deep-olive skin, a full, sensual mouth, black-opal eyes, and a slender, well-toned body.
She'd bought Panther in 1985, and since then she'd been running the studio. After two action-packed years, it was still exciting, for there was nothing sheenjoyed more than a challenge, and running a Hollywood studio was the biggest challenge ofall. It was more absorbing than building a casino/hotel in Vegas—something she'd done twice, or managing her late second husband's shipping empire—a task she'd relinquished, handing everything over to a board of trustees.
Lucky loved making movies—reaching out to America—putting images on the screen that would eventually influence people all over the world in a thousand different ways.
It wasn't easy. The opposition to a woman taking control of a major studio had been formidable. Especially a woman who looked like Lucky. Especially a woman who seemed to have it all together—including three children and a movie-star husband. Everyone knew Hollywood was just one big boys' club—female members not exactly welcome.
The legendary movie mogul, Abe Panther, had sold her Panther only after she'd proved she was capable of taking over. Abe had challenged her to go in undercover as asecretary and work for Mickey Stolli—his devious grandson-in-law who was running the studio at the time. Abe's deal was, if she could find out everything Mickey was into, he'd sell her Panther.
She'd found out more than enough to close the deal. It turned out Mickey was skimming big bucks every way he could; his head of production was snorting coke and supplying two-thousand-dollar-a-night call girls to movie stars and VIPs; the head of distribution was smuggling porno flicks overseas along with Panther's legitimate productions, scoring an under-the-counter bundle; the movies Panther was making were soft-core exploitation crap full of sleazy sex and outrageous violence; producers were getting massive kickbacks; and women around the lot were treated as second-class citizens—it didn't matter whether they were star actresses or mere secretaries, chauvinism ran rampant.
Lucky offered Abe a great deal of money and salvation for a studio whose reputation was being slowly ruined.
Abe Panther liked her style.
He sold.
Lucky took over in a big way.
Abe had warned her that bringing Panther back to its glory days was going to be a struggle.
How right he was.
First of all, she'd refused to continue making the kind of cheapo garbage Panther had been churning out. Then she'd fired most of Mickey's key executives, putting a new, first-rate team in place. After that, it had been a question of developing new projects—a slow process that took time and patience.
The studio had been running at a loss for years, with astronomical bank loans. Lucky and her business advisor, Morton Sharkey, had been forced to arrange another massive loan just to keep the studio operating. Then, after the first year's disappointing net loss of nearly seventy million dollars, Lucky took stock and decided it was time to recoup some of her initial investment and diversify. Morton suggested selling blocks of shares to several corporations and a few private investors. It seemed like an excellent idea.
Morton had taken care of everything—finding the right investors who would basically leave her alone to run the studio; setting up a board of directors who wouldn't interfere; and making sure she still owned 40 percent of the stock.
The good news was that currently Panther had two big movies on release, both of them performing extremely well. Finder, a showy vehicle for the controversial superstar Venus Maria—who also happened to be one of Lucky's best friends. And River Storm, a sharp-edged detective thriller starring Charlie Dollar—the middle-aged hero of stoned America. Lucky was especially delighted, as both movies had been put together under her regime. She hoped this was the start of the turnaround she'd been working toward. "Give them good, interesting movies and they will come," that was her motto.
She hurried into her office, where Kyoko, her loyal Japanese assistant, greeted her with a lengthy typed phone list and a morose shake of his head. Kyoko was a slight man in his thirties dressed in a Joseph Abboud jacket and sharply creased gray pants. He had glossy black hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, and an intelligent expression. Kyoko knew every aspect of the movie business, having worked as personal assistant to several top executives since graduating from college.
"What's the matter, Ky?" Lucky asked, throwing off her Armani jacket and settling in a comfortable leather chair behind her oversized Art Deco desk.
Kyoko recited the day's business: "You have fifteen phone calls to return; a ten-thirty with the Japanese bankers, followed by a production meeting regarding Gangsters; then a noon appointment with Alex Woods and Freddie Leon; lunch with Venus Maria; another production meeting at three; your interview with a reporter from Newstime; a six o'clock with Morton Sharkey; and —"
"Dinner at home, I hope," she interrupted, wishing there were more hours in the day.
Kyoko shook his head. "Your plane departs for Europe at eight P.M. Your limo will pick you up at your house no later than seven."
She smiled wryly. "Hmm...a twenty-minute dinner break—you're slipping."
"Your schedule would kill a lesser person," Kyoko remarked.
Lucky shrugged. "We're a long time dead, Ky. I don't..."
VendettaLucky's Revenge. Copyright © by Jackie Collins. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
Interviews
On Thursday, September 4th, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Jackie Collins, author of VENDETTA.
JainBN: Welcome, Jackie Collins! Let's get to the audience questions....
Question: Where do you get your ideas for the books you write?
Jackie Collins: I find ideas all around me. I just have to pick up the morning paper and I could come up with half a dozen books.
Question: Can you give an inside scoop to THRILL!?
Jackie Collins: THRILL! is a psychological, sexy thriller about a beautiful movie star and the perfect man -- or is he?
Question: What did you mean by your comment, "I have a feeling that HOLLYWOOD KIDS is the book that will force me to leave town after it is published?" (From "A Few Minutes with Jackie Collins" in AMERICAN STAR.)
Jackie Collins: I feel that HOLLYWOOD KIDS was very close to the truth and the tragedy of a lot of grown offspring of Hollywood people, and I felt that their reaction might be hostile. However, exactly the opposite happened. And everywhere I go, Hollywood kids are treating me like a psychiatrist!
Question: Are you going to add VENDETTA to your TV miniseries?
Jackie Collins: Yes. Right now I'm finishing THRILL! and creating a prime-time series called "Hollywood Dreams," which will be a weekly series about families in Hollywood. One family has everything and the other family is struggling. If I have my way, it will be the soap for the '90s!
Question: Which book did you enjoy writing the most?
Jackie Collins: I loved writing about the Santangelo family; in fact, after THRILL! I am going to write another book about Lucky, because people love reading this character. I am getting a great reaction to VENDETTA: LUCKY'S REVENGE, and if you pick up the paperback you will find a competition that if you answer a few simple questions, you might win a weekend in Hollywood and lunch with me at Planet Hollywood. So enter the competition and see what happens.
Question: I just love the character Lucky Santangelo. I read the four-book series in one week. My husband said it was my escape, and boy, did I enjoy it!
Jackie Collins: I think it's great that you read all four books about the Santangelos. However, it's not necessary to read them in order. You can enjoy VENDETTA without reading the previous three books.
Question: Jackie, hello! Is Lucky Santangelo the character you always wanted to create? Or is there another series character forming in your head, soon to be released to us?
Jackie Collins: Yes, Lucky is the character I always wanted to create a strong woman frightened of nothing, smart, sexy, vulnerable, and ready to cope with anything. She is almost like a James Bond for women. And yes, I do plan to create another character that will carry on through several books. Once again, it will be an extremely strong, beautiful woman -- 'cause I think you never can have enough of them!
Question: How long does it normally take to write a book?
Jackie Collins: Writing a book takes me at least a year, because I write very long books, and I also write them in longhand -- no word processors for me! The whole fun of creating is that I have no idea where my characters are going to take me. A lot of people say they can't put my books down. That's because when I'm writing them, I can't put my pen down.
Question: Is Hollywood one big boys' club?
Jackie Collins: Absolutely! Lucky Santangelo really exposes the sexism in Hollywood in VENDETTA. She plays them at their own game. She's especially irritated about screen nudity. How come the woman always takes it off and the man doesn't? Lucky changes all of that -- nudity for all.
Question: Will "Gangsters," Lucky's movie, ever make it to the screen? Do you dabble in screenwriting?
Jackie Collins: I have written several screenplays, three theatrical movies, and two miniseries of the Santangelo saga for NBC: "Lucky Chances" and "Lady Boss." I also wrote theatrical movies of THE WORLD IS FULL OF MARRIED MEN, STUD, and THE BITCH, adapted from my own novels. Plus I wrote an original screenplay, which starred Suzanne Somers and Ian McShane, called "Yesterday's Hero."
Question: How did you go about having your first book published?
Jackie Collins: I wrote many unfinished novels, and one day I decided I had to finish a book, so I completed THE WORLD IS FULL OF MARRIED MEN. Then I looked in my bookcase, saw that I had a lot of books published by a particular publisher, and decided that if I liked what they published, they might like what I wrote. So I sent the manuscript to them, and six months later, they loved it. It was published and went to number one in England within ten days. This is because it was highly criticized as being extremely sexy, which I don't think is a bad thing, but also it exposed the double standard, even today. So men were shocked by the content. It is still in print, and a lot of people buy it and enjoy it, I'm glad to say. It was my first book, and I have written 17.
Question: As a British woman, are you saddened by Diana's passing?
Jackie Collins: Extremely saddened. She was a wonderful example of someone who really cared about others, and I think the world is sad today.
Question: Do you think the British royal monarchy should be dissolved, like some Brits are calling for?
Jackie Collins: I think it's a difficult call. They will be hard put to replace someone like Princess Diana, who really had a wonderful connection with the man in the street.
Question: How can an "author wannabe" get published?
Jackie Collins: I think anybody should pursue their dream. If you want to be a writer -- write!
Question: Miss Collins, how has this success changed your life?
Jackie Collins: I think it's given me the freedom to do things I've always wanted to do. And I feel that as a writer, that as a writer of popular fiction, I can also impart messages that I believe in. I think I was the first author to put a notation at the beginning of AMERICAN STAR that "while AMERICAN STAR contains descriptions of unprotected sex appropriate to the period in which the story is set, the author wishes to emphasize the importance of practicing safe sex and the use of condoms in real life." Since people consider my books so sexy and I have a lot of young readers, I felt this message was important. And as a bestselling writer I was able to insist on having it at the beginning of the book. The criticism that I got was unbelievable. I thought I was putting forth a very good message, and kids read my books, and I thought they would listen to me, as opposed to their parents. Readers wrote me lots of letters applauding me. I have a great relationship with my readers. In fact, my biggest critics are people who've never read me.
Question: I'm new to the Lucky saga. Can you give me some background?
Jackie Collins: Lucky was born in a book called CHANCES, which was all about her father, the infamous gangster with a heart of gold -- Gino Santangelo. I started writing about him when he was 16, at the beginning of the century. Then Lucky is born and wants to follow in Daddy's footsteps, as opposed to her brother. Her mother is murdered when she is five, and so is her brother. So Lucky grows up with vengeance in her heart. She's had a fascinating life over the four books, CHANCES, LUCKY, LADY BOSS, and now VENDETTA.
Question: Are you doing any book tours soon?
Jackie Collins: Yes, when THRILL! comes out, in February of 1998, I will be traveling across the country to sign books. It is always fun getting out and meeting the people who read my books so avidly.
Question: Are any of your characters based on real-life actors or actresses?
Jackie Collins: I think you will definitely play the guessing game in THRILL! I usually take bits and pieces of real-life people and mold them into one character -- protecting the not-so-innocent.
Question: Do you ever feel uninspired and feel threatened by a lack of creative energy?
Jackie Collins: I am extraordinarily lucky in that respect. I have never had writer's block -- only getting-to-the-desk block! I absolutely love what I do, and maybe that comes across in my books.
Comment: Jackie, you gave me some good advice a long time ago about publishing my book. You told me on the radio during a "Larry King" show to live a little more before I write. I must say, that was great advice, because I have written three novels so far!
Jackie Collins: I'm delighted to hear that.
Question: Jackie, what books would you keep with you on a desert island?
Jackie Collins: That's a great question! I love THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo. And also THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald and a strange book called THE DICEMAN by Luck Rheinhart. I feel that they all have wonderful visual images, which I try to create in my own books. Reading should be an incredible visual trip. Much more enjoyable than watching TV!
Question: Where do the characters' names come from?
Jackie Collins: I believe in unusual names. I just think about it for a while, and they just come into my head. For instance, Montana in HOLLYWOOD WIVES -- I love the name Montana. And I hope that there is a little baby being named Montana out there. I also love Jade from AMERICAN STAR. Also, my new heroine in THRILL! is called Lara.
Question: What do you think about online interviews?
Jackie Collins: I think they're fun! It really feels like you are interacting with the people who read and who have fun reading my books.
Question: Is there anyone in particular after whom you pattern Lucky?
Jackie Collins: I observed that there were no real heroines, and I wanted Lucky to give women strength to do anything. I noticed that there were few women in the public eye who have made it to the top. I also saw in a street in London a butcher shop called Wainright & Daughters, and I thought, That's great, because usually you see stores that say Hudson and Sons. I thought that was great...cool. Lucky will want to be just like Daddy. She's an achiever.
Question: Love your work. Do you ever get a vacation? Where do you go?
Jackie Collins: I was lucky enough to take a wonderful vacation this year in Italy. So you will be reading all about it, fictionalized, of course, in my next book! Keep on reading. It was a pleasure talking to all of you!
JainBN: Thank you for sharing time with us tonight, Jackie Collins!
Jackie Collins: And thank you to all who participated! Goodnight.
Related Subjects
Customer Reviews
Explore More Items
