EULOGY

By JACKIE COLLINS

HAROLD ROBBINS--What a guy! He certainly was my big inspiration. I grew up reading Harold Robbins, and he created such an exciting, glamorous, visual trip that, from the first chapter of A Stone for Danny Fisher, I was totally hooked. What a writer! Big, bad guys and beautiful women. My only hang-up with Harold was, Why were the beautiful women always so available to the big, bad guys? I've always preferred strong women who functioned outside the bedroom--or, in Harold's case, car, elevator, boat, etc.!

When I first met Harold, I realized he was a character straight out of one of his books: brash, aggressive, generous, flamboyant. It was 1972, and I was a fairly unknown writer. Harold had read my book Sinners and liked it. He signed a copy of The Betsy, "For Jackie Collins. Beautiful authors have an advantage for openers--but when they can really write, it's positively unfair." What encouragement--I was thrilled!

Really successful writers give their readers a world they know intimately, and Harold certainly knew his world. From his luxurious yachts in the south of France to his lavish jet-set parties, Harold was king. He was larger than life and a real charmer. I will miss him and his ferocious talent. But his books will go on entertaining forever.

--By Jackie Collins