L.A. Confidential

But Collins' fix on life is, she insists, beside the point when it comes to her books. As her agent of close to 20 years, Mort Janklow, says, "She's a feisty woman who bears her travails privately." After spending the summer visiting with her children -- Rory is a children's book author in London; Tiffany is a handbag designer; and Tracy is a makeup artist -- Collins will begin her next project, Deadly Embrace. She admits that this time, she will include one personal traumatic experience (an attempted carjacking that took place years ago), but insists, "I tell other people's stories, not my own." Meanwhile, Collins is listening to every confession, every sob story, and every morsel of gossip, banking it all for future use. In other words, it's way too soon for Beverly Hills to let out a collective sigh of relief. "I'm going to do something under another name," she says threateningly. "I'm not telling anybody what it is, or when it's coming out. But I am going to tell the truth."

Hollywood, you've been warned.