Jackie Collins: A life of glamour, saucy novels and Hollywood

Jackie Collins who once claimed she toned down the characters in her steamy books saying the truth is even more "bizarre" has died aged 77.

She sold more than 500 million copies of her books with 30 titles making it into the New York Times bestseller list.

Collins was born in 1937 and raised in London by her theatrical agent father Joseph and mother Elsa.

She described her childhood household as "chauvinistic" which inspired her to write stories with strong female characters.

Jackie was five years younger than her actress sister Joan who is best known for her role in American soap opera Dynasty.

The pair never stepped out of the house without being coiffed to perfection and impeccably dressed complete with immaculate make-up and signature tailoring.

Although it was rumoured that the sisters never got on, this was strongly denied by Jackie who gave Joan her breakthrough role in the film adaptation of her novel The Stud.

While at school Jackie honed her trade by writing steamy stories and selling them to her teenage friends.

She later moved to America where she continued to write, often basing her stories on real people.

Her first novel, called The World is Full of Married Men, tells the story of a woman who had affairs with other women's husbands.

Many of her stories gave an inside view of life in Hollywood - often full of sex and glamour but also deceit and ageism.

Her glamorous life in Beverley Hills was tainted by a number of tragedies including her mother, second husband and fiance all dying from cancer.

She had a short-lived marriage to first husband fashion impresario Wallace Austin with whom she had a daughter named Tracey.

Later she married to nightclub owner Oscar Lerman for 25 years and had two more daughters Tiffany and Rory. He died in 1992.

She was also engage to Italian businessman Frank Calcagnini who also died from cancer in 1998.

Jackie's six-and-a-half year battle with cancer was a well-kept secret - not even Joan knew until a fortnight before her death.

In 2013 she was made an OBE which was presented by the Queen.

Her autobiography Reform School or Hollywood, was due to be released next year.