Yup, another of my life's missions complete - have tea with a superstar writer and my literary idol. TICK.
They say never meet your idols in case you're disappointed, but whoever 'they' are are seriously wrong. Not that I ever thought Jackie Collins was going to be anything other than fabulousness personified, but you hear such horror stories.
Jackie was AMAZING.
You might be thinking this was a 'press thing', like when I met the Kardashian sisters, but oh no, I won this one. Let me just fill you in... Tesco were running a competition on their blog to go for tea at London's Dorchester hotel with Jackie to coincide with her new book launch, The Power Trip. For the chance to win, you had to say who your favourite character is out of all Jackie's books (all 29 of them!). I chose Cameron Paradise from Married Lovers - a fearless, fierce personal trainer on the run from her abusive husband.
And I won. The first EVER competition I've entered in my life. You can imagine what I was like when I got the email informing me... I screamed at my phone. I was in Paris at the time, in the middle of a quiet shop. Oh well!
So off I went, with Mummy G in tow (see pic below right, I was allowed a plus one), to the Dorchester. Just before Jackie came down to meet us, my mouth went dry in a moment of nervousness, which is strange for me as I very rarely get anxious, but faced with such an icon, it's understandable. She joined us, looking gorrrrgeous, sat at the head of the table with me on one, and instantly I felt in the company of a good friend.
What a riot Jackie is! Scoffing our cakes and sipping champagne - well me and Mummy G drank, Jackie declined the booze due to press interviews calling for composure - we talked sex, power and all things fabulous. Much like all her books really. We spoke about living in LA, what she loves to do ("I'm such a TV fan, I love Revenge and Homeland"), and what her beauty regime is - "I swear by Boots' Protect and Perfect, it's amazing!" It was all very 'real'. Even when Jackie told us that she doesn't fly to Las Vegas, she gets a limo. "Yeah, me to!"
When I asked about fashion and style, she told me that she's not a follower of fashion, and that "when I'm on tour I style myself, do my own hair and makeup and nails. I can't stand the fuss!" I LOVE that about her. She always looks fabulous, in her signature trouser suits, and you all know how much I love women who power dress.
Jackie and Mummy G got on like a house on fire too. They'd been to the same restaurants, use the same face creams, seem to know similar people. Suffice to say, we could have stayed all day and talked to Jackie. Unfortunately the lovely lady had to leave for the various interviews, but we vowed to be 'best friends' (I died, died I tell you!).
Meeting Jackie has to be the highlight of my entire year. She's a joy to be around, and an inspiration - I rushed home after and penned another three chapters of my book!
Thanks for being you Jackie.
I must also say that The Power Trip is one of her best books to date (I say that about them all!). Jackie has well and truly outdone her self in sexiness, power struggles and crime with this one. I mean, with a synopsis like this, how could you not want to read it?
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.
And what a GREAT Christmas pressie it would make too...
