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.