After a long battle with Stage 4 breast cancer, novelist Jackie Collins has passed away. In a statement to People, her family paid tribute to the beloved writer:
“It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today. She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions of readers who she has been entertaining for over 4 decades. She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words.”
Collins sold over 500 million copies of her books over the course of four decades, and turned scandalous stories into an art form. Despite her struggle with cancer, her last book, The Santangelos, was released in June. Whether or not you read her books, there is no denying that she was one awesome lady. In her last interview, conducted by People on September 14, Collins reflected on her life thusly:
“I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say. I’ve written five books since the diagnosis, I’ve lived my life, I’ve travelled all over the world, I have not turned down book tours and no one has ever known until now when I feel as though I should come out with it. Now I want to save other people’s lives.”
Our thoughts go out to the Collins family in this tragic time, and know that she will be missed worldwide by her millions of fans.
(Via People)