Lovers & Players

April 3, 2006
The use of four narrators adds energy, interest and spice to Collins's tale of the glamorous and tawdry lives of the rich and beautiful. Each narrator handles chapters told primarily from his or her assigned characters' point of view. Rather than create full-fledged "character voices," the narrators alter their voices slightly—a deepening here, a hint of an accent there—to make it clear who is speaking. Collins is perfectly cast as Lady Jane, the haughty social climber "with a phony English accent" whose wealthy husband, Red Diamond, refuses to conveniently die and leave her all his money. Sydney Poitier, daughter of the acclaimed actor, is warm and sympathetic in the roles of sweet and conflicted young socialite Amy Scott-Simon and Liberty, a biracial waitress/aspiring singer. Poitier deepens her voice to a sexy drawl to play record mogul Damon P. Donnell and adds some Harlem sass for Cindy, Liberty's cousin. Jack Scalia plays the conniving Red and his gravelly voice is ideally suited to enacting Red's eldest son, real estate mogul Max. Scott Sowers's higher, thinner voice does duty for Red's two younger sons. This lively audio is pure trashy fun that will surely delight Collins's many fans. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Press hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 28, 2005).

November 28, 2005
Take one vindictive aging tycoon and three charismatic, ambitious sons; add one naïve heiress, one aspiring R&B diva, one British (titled, natch) lady of the house; throw in a dash of Russian mafia, kinky sex, a pinch of rap mogul, fabulous locations and a sprinkling of murders, and you have the ingredients for a fast-paced, glamour-heavy Collins extravaganza. Billionaire Red Diamond summons his sons from around the globe to Las Vegas to make a stunning announcement about their inheritance. Each son—Max, a real estate entrepreneur; Chris, an entertainment lawyer for the likes of Tom Cruise and Britney Spears; and Jett, a hotshot model in Italy—is battling his own private demons: a huge business deal gone sour and a bitter ex-wife; a gambling debt that's gotten out of hand; and (what else?) drug and alcohol addiction. In the midst of all the mayhem, a biracial waitress named Liberty, who aspires to be the next Mariah Carey, gets the opportunity of a lifetime when a major hip-hop record label exec comes into her life. And then there's Jett's incredible (but not consequenceless) one-night stand with a nameless pickup at a club, and Max's ex-wife Mariska's ex-Mafia life. The ever-stylin' Collins manages to tie the scattered plot lines together into another page-turning tale packed with intrigue, revenge and romance for her St. Martin's debut. 350,000 announced first printing; $500,000 ad/promo.