Jackie Collins‘ HOLLYWOOD WIVES is your favorite bonkbuster novel from the 80s! In the first Bonkbuster Diaries BGC Snap Poll, Jackie’s 1983 runaway bestseller went up against LACE by Shirley Conran and SCRUPLES by Judith Krantz. The classic tinsel town sudser won in a landslide with 54% of the votes. LACE came in second with 31%, and SCRUPLES was third with 15%. HOLLYWOOD WIVES is a compulsively addictive page-turner that became an instant cultural phenomenon. Who can forget the triumphs and heartbreaks of Elaine Conti, Montana Gray, Gina Germaine, and Buddy Hudson?
The Complete HOLLYWOOD Series:
HOLLYWOOD WIVES (1983)
HOLLYWOOD HUSBANDS (1986) HOLLYWOOD KIDS (1994)
HOLLYWOOD WIVES: THE NEW GENERATION (2001)
HOLLYWOOD DIVORCES (2003)
As one of the glorious 80s most in-demand actresses, LISA HARTMAN is a true Bonkbuster Queen. First, there was her turn as Neely O’Hara in Jacqueline Susann’s VALLEY OF THE DOLLS miniseries on CBS in 1981, a role that got her noticed by the producers of the long-running prime time soap KNOTS LANDING. Hartman won over legions of KL fans with her portrayal of aspiring rocker Ciji Dunne (1982-1983), so much so that the character’s death prompted an outcry that forced the series to bring Hartman back, this time as a Ciji deadringer named Cathy Geary (1983-1986). She burned up the screen with a young and gorgeous Alec Baldwin (see photo), playing the suffering wife to his charismatic but dangerous evangelist. Hartman went on to star in the ultra-glam television mini-series ROSES ARE FOR THE RICH (1987).
BB CLASSIC CLIP: As Ciji Dunne On KNOTS LANDING
Lisa Hartman’s KL-Era Album Just Reissued On CD!
Bless the brilliant minds at Wounded Bird Records for reissuing Lisa’s long out-of-print 1982 RCA album LETTEROCK. For KL diehards, this is a major treat, as it features “If Love Must Go” and “New Romance (It’s A Mystery),” two songs that were featured prominently–and often–during Lisa’s season-long turn as Ciji Dunne. This marks the album’s first release in CD format, and its ten tracks have been remastered to pristine effect. Also included is the bonus track “Where The Boys Are,” a remake of the Connie Francis classic that was featured on the soundtrack to WHERE THE BOYS ARE ’84, in which Lisa starred. The best source for the reissue of LETTEROCK is Amazon. Note: Not available as a download–CD only.
While in the throes of writing my next novel, RICH BASTARD, this much has become abundantly clear: The world is full of these guys! And there is no escaping them. First, we endured the daily public meltdown of the obscenely overpaid sitcom star Charlie Sheen. Next came the Donald Trump airwaves assault with his ludicrous claims of a President Obama birth certificate conspiracy. And then we got the one-two punch of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn‘s sexual attack against a hotel maid and Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s housekeeper baby daddy scandal. Hopefully, Mel Gibson has misplaced his iPhone, because I can’t endure another one of his voice mail rants on the heels of this media avalanche of men behaving badly! Just when I think I have crossed the line of credulity–and good taste–in how low I allow my media mogul character to sink in RICH BASTARD, I wake up to a headline involving a real life rich bastard that tells me I have not pushed the envelope far enough! Yes, the old saying proves itself accurate time and time again . . . truth is stranger than fiction!
The major networks are huddling now to determine which pilots make the cut for the fall television season, and ABC’s CHARLIE’S ANGELS appears to be a lock for the network’s schedule. Stepping into the iconic roles once filled by Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, and Kate Jackson in the original series’ first season are three beautiful actresses: Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital), Rachael Taylor (Grey’s Anatomy), and Minka Kelly (The Roommate). Filling in as the crime-fighting trio’s mysterious heard-but-not-seen handler (DYNASTY‘s John Forsythe in the 70s classic version) will be Robert Wagner (HART TO HART). And for this new millennium ANGELS, the setting will shift locales from Los Angeles to Miami. Will you watch?
To celebrate the launch of Bonkbuster Diaries, I’m offering a special giveaway–an advanced readers edition of my new novel THE STRIP (out July 15 from Pan Macmillan) plus a gift set from the new Wonder Woman spring colour line from Mac Cosmetics. This £30 value includes a feminine force cosmetic bag in signature Amazon metallic blue and a nail lacquer in a heroically charged bright red called Obey Me. Why the combination? Because the heroines in THE STRIP are strong, smart, and beautiful–just like Diana Prince! Everyone who joins the Bonkbuster Girls Club (BGC) will be eligible for this super-powered prize. Sign up now on the right side of this blog page. The winner will be drawn from the BGC member list on May 31!
Jackie Collins‘ HOLLYWOOD WIVES is your favorite bonkbuster novel from the 80s! In the first Bonkbuster Diaries BGC Snap Poll, Jackie’s 1983 runaway bestseller went up against LACE by Shirley Conran and SCRUPLES by Judith Krantz. The classic tinsel town sudser won in a landslide with 54% of the votes. LACE came in second with 31%, and SCRUPLES was third with 15%. HOLLYWOOD WIVES is a compulsively addictive page-turner that became an instant cultural phenomenon. Who can forget the triumphs and heartbreaks of Elaine Conti, Montana Gray, Gina Germaine, and Buddy Hudson? 
