Jackie Collins

Sex sells and no one knew this fact better than Jackie Collins, a master storyteller who built an empire from the sexual exploits and political scandals of the rich and famous. Collins - who wrote more than 25 novels, all of which landed on The New York Times bestsellers list - ultimately sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. With her devout following lapping up one racy novel after another, Collins provided readers with an unapologetic and intimate look at the glamorous yet sordid lives of Hollywood powerbrokers, their spouses, and mistresses in tell-alls like Hollywood Wives (1983) - her most successful novel and one of the highest ranking miniseries of the 1980s - and its sequels like Hollywood Kids (1994) and Hollywood Divorces (2003). Like her heroines who bed-hopped their way to fame and fortune, Collins herself was linked to high-profile celebrities like Marlon Brando, whom she dated when she was only 15, Warren Beatty, and many others who likely provided source material for her books. The younger sister to actress/diva Joan Collins, the author released another saucy read titled Poor Little Bitch Girl, a nod to Hollywood tarts who were "famous for being famous." Throughout her long career, Collins earned her share of critics who admonished her work - calling it trashy, immoral and depraved - yet the millions of readers she kept up at night provided concrete proof that she remained one of the literary world's most successful novelists. Her death on September 19, 2015 at the age of 77 was mourned by fans and friends across the world.