Last interview with popular 1990s author Jacqueline Briskin
Jacqueline Briskin, bestselling author of 11 romance novels in the 1990s, passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 87. A few weeks before her death, HEA had the honor of interviewing her about the first-time digital releases of three of her iconic romances: Dreams Are Not Enough, Everything and More and Too Much Too Soon. The novels are set against the glamour of Hollywood — classic Jacqueline. Here, in its entirety, is the interview I had with Jacqueline, the last interview she gave to any media outlet. Truly an honor.
Joyce: How exciting that three of your books are coming out in digital format for the first time ever. What have you been up to since the last time you had a new book out in the 1990s?
Jacqueline: I've lived a good long life! I've remained a voracious reader — but it's now on my beloved Kindle, as opposed to print editions.
Joyce: You're known for romances starring Hollywood's glitz and glamour. Do you think Hollywood has changed much since you wrote your stories?
Jacqueline: Hollywood has changed, and yet it hasn't. My husband and his family were intimately involved in the Hollywood of yesteryear. They were producers, directors, accountants, even heads of studios. Yes, it was glitzy and glamorous. And from what I heard, there was lots of sex in Hollywood! But it was also a business. And often a ruthless one. I imagine that hasn't changed all that much.
Joyce: Do you have a favorite among your books? Has that changed in the years since it was first published?
Jacqueline: Oh, no! That's like asking me to pick my favorite child. Each book took me away to a new place in my mind, and I still have fond memories of all of them. As for which are my current favorites, would it be wrong to say Everything and More, Too Much Too Soon and Dreams Are Not Enough, which just happen to be the first three that are in a digital format?
Joyce: Promoting a book is a lot different today than in the 1990s. Your thoughts?
Jacqueline: I've always thought young, which keeps you feeling young. I'm not on Twitter or Facebook personally, but I do think there's a lot of value in being where you can interact with your readers. I've appreciated reading the many comments on Amazon from people who have enjoyed my books.
Joyce: Can you tell us a little about each of the books coming out in digital?
Jacqueline: When you boil it all down, I think you could say that each of the books involves love and relationships. They're "historical fiction," and in making sure that they were completely accurate, I traveled around the world to many of the locations I have written about, doing a considerable amount of research. Everything and More harkens back to my days right here in Southern California, at Beverly Hills High School. It's about three hot women and how their lives intertwine across the decades. Too Much Too Soon is about three sisters, their loves and their unbreakable bonds through many challenges. Some have called it steamy! (Well, come to think of it, I think that word actually applies to all of my books.) And Dreams Are Not Enough might be called an "inside Hollywood" story about an actress who touches a family in an unforgettable way, complete with love, scandal and drama.
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Jacqueline: It might sound trite, but I wanted to live to see my books in digital form, so this is a very moving moment for me. I hope my readers, both new and old, enjoy my books as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Final note from Joyce: In retrospect, Jacqueline's answer is poignant and thought-provoking. Jacqueline, we hope that wherever you are, you know that readers really will always enjoy your work, and it will live on.
Read Jacqueline's obituary from the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 4.
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HEA curator and contributor Joyce Lamb is a Paste BN best-selling author of romantic suspense and three-time RITA finalist and has been a professional journalist for 25 years. You can reach her at jlamb@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter (@JoyceLamb). You can also follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).