Lady Boss

by Jackie Collins

  Johnny was left waiting at the church.

  * * *

  Emilio Sierra sold as many stories about his sister as he could, until there was nothing left to say.

  When his money ran out he returned to New York and got a job as a bartender in a hot discotheque – where he met an ageing Euro-trash Contessa, who took a shine to his somewhat sleazy charm.

  Emilio accompanied her to Marbella and learned how to tango.

  They made an odd couple.

  Eddie Kane tried for a reunion with his lovely wife.

  Leslie wanted to get back together with him – after all, he needed her, and he’d faithfully promised to clean up his act. But something held her back and she told him they had to wait.

  On his way to the beach house – high on yet another final blast of cocaine – his prized Maserati ricocheted out of control and hit a solid concrete wall head on.

  Eddie Kane did not survive.

  On his eighty-ninth birthday, Abe Panther married his longtime companion, Inga Irving.

  His granddaughters – Abigaile and Primrose – were heartbroken.

  After a short, abortive affair with Adam Bobo Grant, and still upset over the loss of the Ken Doll to the thieving arms of Antonio, Ron was granted his wish and met an older, richer, and far wiser man. His new friend was the owner of a big record company and revelled in mega-bucks. For once in his life Ron found himself on the receiving end, and happily accepted a Rolls-Royce, solid gold Rolex, and small Picasso in quick succession.

  Venus Maria was thrilled for him.

  * * *

  Leslie Kane went to work at Ivana’s as a receptionist. This enabled Saxon to keep a watchful eye on her.

  Unfortunately Eddie had left her nothing but debts.

  One day Abigaile Stolli spotted her, and thought she was the most exquisite creature she’d ever seen. ‘Are you an actress, dear?’ she asked.

  Leslie said no, but Abigaile insisted Mickey test her for his latest epic.

  On screen Leslie’s beauty was incandescent.

  Within a year she was a star.

  Brigette Stanislopoulos met the grandson of one of her grandfather Dimitri’s business rivals. He was tall and blond and destined to be even richer than she was.

  When she announced her engagement, Paul Webster stepped into the picture and declared his love for her.

  Brigette was becoming wiser every year. ‘Too late,’ she said. ‘Try someone not so close to your own age!’

  When Steven first heard the news of Deena Swanson’s bizarre suicide he felt almost responsible.

  ‘You couldn’t have done a thing,’ Mary-Lou said consolingly. ‘She was bent on self-destruction.’

  ‘But maybe I should have tried to talk to Martin or something.’

  ‘No,’ Mary-Lou said firmly.

  To his partner Jerry Myerson’s fury, Steven found out the firm still had her million-dollar retainer, and made Jerry donate the entire amount to charity.

  After that he felt better.

  Gino Santangelo took care of business by making one phone call. It was enough.

  Carlo Bonnatti suffered an unfortunate fall from the nineteenth floor of his Century City penthouse.

  Nobody could figure out how it happened.

  Link, his former right-hand man, got shot in an apparent mugging.

  The perpetrators were never found.

  Gino and Paige finally made it legal.

  She was his fourth wife.

  He was seventy-nine years old.

  And very, very happy.

  Martin Swanson slowly put his life together again after the scandal. He missed Deena – she’d been his true partner and a help in every way.

  He did not miss Venus Maria – too much of a responsibility.

  When his business empire began to crumble because of shady investments in junk bonds, he moved to Spain to avoid being arrested, and became involved with a voluptuous opera singer.

  Gradually he began to plan his triumphant return to New York.

  Venus Maria and Cooper Turner remained the darlings of the tabloids.

  What an explosive mix!

  Everything they did was chronicled in great detail.

  Their marriage was happy. But the paparazzi kept up a constant vigil.

  Waiting… watching… ready to pounce…

  Lucky and Lennie became the proud parents of a dark-haired baby girl.

  They named her Maria.

  Together they ran Panther Studios – united in their quest to make interesting, entertaining, intelligent movies of all kinds. From comedies to gritty dramas they excelled – giving women new opportunities at every level.

  And just as Lucky had promised – Panther Studios became great again.

  A year after Maria’s birth they had another child – this time a boy.

  They called him Gino.

  JACKIE COLLINS

  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 the 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 500 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, and with some twenty-nine 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 insider’s 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. Her first book, “The World is Full of Married Men,” became a sensational bestseller because of its open sexuality and the way it dealt honestly with the double standard. After that came “The Stud,” “Sinners,” “The Love Killers,” “The World is Full of Divorced Women,” “The Bitch,” “Lovers And Gamblers,” “Chances,” and then the international sensation, “Hollywood Wives” – a #1 New York Times bestseller, which was made into one of ABC’s highest-rated miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen.

  “The Stud,” “The World is Full of Married Men,” and “The Bitch” were also filmed – this time for the big screen. And Jackie wrote an original movie, Yesterday’s Hero, starring Ian McShane and Suzanne Somers.

  Readers couldn’t wait to race through “Lucky,” her next book – a sequel to “Chances” – and the story of Lucky Santangelo, an incredibly beautiful, strong woman, another New York Times number one. Oprah had one word for the book “Lucky,” and that was – “Hot!”

  Next came the bad boys of Hollywood in the steamy “Hollywood Husbands” – a novel which kept everyone guessing the identities of the true-to-life Hollywood characters.

  Jackie then wrote “Rock Star” – the story of three rock superstars and their rise to the top, followed by the long-awaited sequel to “Chances” and “Lucky” – “Lady Boss” – tracking the further adventures of the wild and powerful Lucky Santangelo as she takes control of a Hollywood studio.

  Both “Lucky” and “Chances” were written and adapted for NBC television by Jackie, who also executive produced the highly successful six-hour miniseries Lucky/Chances, starring Nicollette Sheridan and Sandra Bullock.

  In the nineties, she produced and wrote the four-hour miniseries, Lady Boss, which became another huge ratings success for NBC. Lady Boss starred Kim Delaney.

  Next came “American Star,” a love story, which the Los Angeles Times described as “classic Collins.”

  Then the dangerously close to the truth “Hollywood Kids” – a story of power, sex, danger and ambition among the grown offspring
of major celebrities.

  In 1996 “Vendetta – Lucky’s Revenge” was published – and became an immediate New York Times bestseller.

  And in 1998, Jackie hosted her own daily television show for CBS, Jackie Collins’ Hollywood. A combination of fun, style and interviews, Jackie talked to everyone from George Clooney to Jennifer Lopez.

  After that she wrote “L.A. Connections” – a four-part serial novel published one per month – “Power,” “Obsession,” “Murder” and “Revenge.”

  In 1999 came “Dangerous Kiss” – the return of Lucky Santangelo in a bestselling novel about relationships, addiction, fear and lust.

  In the year 2000, “Lethal Seduction” became the first bestseller for Jackie Collins in the new millennium. This tale of erotic suspense and glamorous intrigue featured Madison Castelli, a character first introduced in the “L.A. Connections” series.

  “Hollywood Wives – The New Generation” became a blockbuster bestseller in 2001, following in the footsteps of the original “Hollywood Wives.” “Hollywood Wives – The New Generation” featured a brand new cast of characters and a totally fresh perspective on how women pursue power, love, sex, and success in Tinseltown today.

  In 2003 Jackie produced the TV movie of “Hollywood Wives – The New Generation” for CBS. Wives starred Farrah Fawcett, Robin Givens, Jack Scalia and Melissa Gilbert.

  In June 2002, New York flash, L.A. trash and a Mafia don meet head-on in “Deadly Embrace.” This sexy tale of dangerous passion and suspense features heroine Madison Castelli and is both a prequel and a sequel to her adventures in the bestselling “Lethal Seduction.”

  In 2003 came another New York Times bestseller, “Hollywood Divorces,” the story of three very different women. Followed in 2005 by “Lovers and Players” – a story of family conflicts, three brothers and their billionaire father, a beautiful heiress, a hip-hop mogul, Russian call girls, illegitimate children and two murders. This all takes place over seven days in New York, and yet again hit the New York Times bestseller list.

  “Drop Dead Beautiful – The Continuing Adventures of Lucky Santangelo” was published in 2007. Lucky came back with a vengeance – bolder and more beautiful than ever! In “Drop Dead Beautiful” Lucky meets old friends and enemies, and deals with her wild teenage daughter, Max, who is as stubborn and strong as her mom. Lucky plans to return to Las Vegas and build an amazing billion-dollar hotel complex. But when she does… the trouble really begins…

  Next came “Married Lovers,” a powerful look at the ins and outs of marriage in L.A. It’s also the story of an under-age Russian girl who becomes involved in the sex trade, and eventually arrives in Hollywood and causes major trouble.

  “Poor Little Bitch Girl” followed “Married Lovers,” another New York Times bestseller. It is the story of three very different women who all went to high school together. Denver Jones – a twenty-five-year-old kick-ass associate lawyer in L.A. Carolyn Henderson – assistant to a powerful married Senator in Washington. And Annabelle Maestro – daughter of movie star parents, who has carved out a niche for herself as a much-in-demand New York madame running call girls.

  And then there is Bobby Santangelo – Lucky’s Kennedyesque hot sexy son, with mucho style, great looks and plenty of money. Everyone wants Bobby…

  Throw into this mix a raunchy agent, a sixteen-year-old gangbanger’s girlfriend, an older superstar on the prowl, a lethal murder… and “Poor Little Bitch Girl” becomes a guilty pleasure for everyone to enjoy.

  Jackie’s next novel, “Goddess of Vengeance,” is the continuing adventures of Lucky Santangelo – much beloved by Jackie’s legion of fans – who makes a triumphant return in this story of lust, power and revenge set between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Daily Mail called “Goddess of Vengeance” “the book of the year.” Also returning in “Goddess of Vengeance” are Lucky’s gorgeous son, Bobby, with his girlfriend, Denver, and Max, Lucky’s wild little teenage daughter. And along for the thrilling ride is Armand Jordan, and to quote Jackie – “Armand is the nastiest villain I have ever created.But he was fun to write!”

  And now comes a sexy sun-drenched thriller, “The Power Trip,” set on state of the art luxury yacht off the coast of Cabo San Luca. A tropical getaway with a cast of global power brokers and celebrities.

  In “The Power Trip” you will meet Aleksandr Kasianenko, a billionaire Russian oligarch, as he sets sail on The Bianca with his sexy supermodel girlfriend, whom The Bianca is named after. Also five dynamic, powerful and famous couples invited on the yacht’s maiden voyage: Hammond Patterson, a driven Senator, and his lovely but unhappy wife, Sierra. Cliff Baxter, a charming, never married movie star, and his ex-waitress girlfriend, Lori. Taye Sherwin, a famous black UK footballer and his interior designer wife, Ashley. Luca Perez, a male Latin singing sensation with his older decadent English boyfriend, Jeromy. And Flynn, a maverick journalist, with his Asian renegade female friend, Xuan.

  You will also meet Russian mobster, Sergei Zukov, a man with a grudge against Aleksandr. And Sergei’s Mexican beauty queen girlfriend, Ina, whose brother, Cruz, is a master pirate with orders to hold The Bianca and its illustrious rota of guests for ransom.

  “The Power Trip” explores the decadent playgrounds of the super rich… and leaves you hungry for more. Take it if you dare…

  Jackie recently completed work on a play – “Hollywood Lies.” She is currently writing two new novels “The Santangelos,” and “Wild Child,” – a book about young Lucky. And also “The Lucky Santangelo Cookbook – An Italian Feast.“ Jackie is also working on a memoir, “Reform School or Hollywood,” and a coffee table book, “Hollywood Snaps,” filled with celebrity photos she has taken over the years.

  Jackie lives in L.A. and calls herself a popular culture junkie. Her hobbies are music – everything from soul to rap, taking photographs, and visiting exotic locations so that she can write about them later.

  Jackie firmly believes that the truth is always much stranger than fiction.

  For A Quirky Fun Read, Jackie Recommends...

  “I found myself so deeply rooted into the lives of these characters and could not put this book down until I read it all!”

  —Kristi, Reading is

  my Time Out blog

  “This magical book truly is a must read. If you liked Bridget Jones then you will love this. It has all the elements of a wonderfully feel good romance intertwined with quirky and delightful characters that we feel hugely invested in by the end of the book.”

  —M. Shine

  Two Lives. Two Continents. One Song...

  Then: George Bryce was an awkward, English schoolboy fantasizing about being in a band.

  Now: George is front man of Thesis, an overnight indie scene sensation. Intense, creative and self-deprecating, his childhood dreams have all been fulfilled – so why does George still feel so lost?

  Then: Lexi Jacobs was a confident Californian high school cheerleader, planning her future - marriage and a meaningful career.

  Now: Lexi is searching for substance in a life full of mishaps. Cautious, bemused and rapidly losing the control she used to rely on, none of her teenage dreams have delivered and she’s left wondering, “What next?”

  Follow George and Lexi as they navigate their days thousands of miles apart. Fly with them from London to LA and back again, as George copes with the dynamics of his tight knit band and loose knit family, while Lexi juggles her eccentric new boss, bored best friend and smother mother.

  Even though there’s an ocean between them and their worlds couldn’t be further apart, George and Lexi are pulled together through music, and their paths appear determined to cross.

  The question is – when?

  At the end of this delightfully quirky, irresistible story, you too will be left wondering which of your fantasies are destined to come true...

  A Sexy, Sun-drenched New Thriller from Jackie Collins…

  THE POWER TRIP

  A tropical getaway with a
cast of global power-hungry elites turns sour when they find out maybe they don't control as much of the world as they thought…

  “Thrilling, sexy and totally compulsive. ”

  - Heat World

  “Forget 50 Shades of Gray… Jackie Collins is 50 shades of FAB!

  - OK! Magazine

  Get an EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW

  of the New Book!

  Go to http://us.thepowertripbook.com and enter your email address for a free sneak preview of Jackie's brand new book, The Power Trip.

  A Russian billionaire and his state-of-the-art yacht. His beautiful and sexy supermodel girlfriend. And five dynamic, powerful and famous couples invited on the yacht's maiden voyage…

  A senator and his lovely but unhappy wife.

  A very attractive movie star and his needy ex-waitress girlfriend.

  A famous black footballer and his interior designer wife.

  A male Latin singing sensation and his older English boyfriend.

  And a maverick writer with his Asian journalist female friend.

  Could this be the trip of a lifetime? Or a trip from hell? Whatever happens on the high seas doesn't necessarily stay there. The Power Trip – take it if you dare.