Victoria Fox burst onto the scene this week when her glamorous - and fabulous - debut novel Hollywood Sinners was published. We were pleased to be able to chat to Victoria, about her novel, about the comparisons to Jackie Collins and here are her answers. Don’t forget to take a look at Victoria’s website, too, where you can win a signed copy of her novel: http://www.victoriafoxwrites.co.uk/.

1. Why did you decide to write a massive glamorous blockbuster novel than the more run-of-the-mill Chick Lit we get. Are they the books you yourself read?

I love bonkbusters. When I was eleven I picked up a Jackie Collins for the first time and I’ve never looked back! These were the books we shared at school and passed round and oohed and aahed over, and as well as pure entertainment they also taught us a lot of rude stuff that until then we could only find in the problem pages of Just 17. But since I hit my twenties I had difficulty finding a bonkbuster I loved quite so much – some didn’t grip me, others lacked spark, some were too short, others didn’t have enough sex . . . So I thought, why not have a go at writing one myself? With Hollywood Sinners I wanted to put in all the bits and pieces I loved about the classics: a fast-paced, fun, exciting book with loads of players, bags of scandal, and twists and turns from cover to cover. I read other literature, but the bonkbuster will forever have a special place in my heart.

2. There were a lot of different strands to Hollywood Sinners, did you need to plan the entire book out before you wrote it so you could keep all the different strands going?

I did tie myself in knots a few times! Yes, I planned it before I began but I can only ever write to a broad, flexible outline. So much changes as you’re going along, characters want to do one thing when you’ve told them to do another, ideas you had at the start suddenly don’t want to fit any more . . . the list goes on. The trick is never losing sight of the lynchpins in a story, the markers that show you where it’s going and where it needs to end up. Everything that happens in between should be allowed to grow and develop during the writing process.

3. A lot of the novel makes for very easy reading, but there are more difficult issues presented. One in particular is the storyline between Elizabeth and Alberto. Without spoiling it for readers, did you ever feel like cutting out that plot line, because it has to be said, it’s a little bit wrong and could make a lot of people feel really uncomfortable?

That’s a very good question. Yes, I did think twice about this plotline because I know it is controversial and has a massive shock factor. However I feel one of the strengths of the bonkbuster is its ability to stun and surprise: if the bonkbuster has to behave, where does that leave us? I want to make people gasp and go, Ew, no way, because that’s what I sometimes used to feel reading the classics (anyone remember Virginia Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic?). Elisabeth’s story needed an OMG moment – and this is it. I feel it’s one of the most important bits in the book, and, if it gets people talking, fantastic.

4. Before I read the book, I took a look on Amazon to see what it was about and noticed some early reviews saying your book is a Jackie Collins rip-off. What would you say to people who say that? Are you pleased with the comparison to JC or does it annoy you to work so hard and be told it’s just like a JC novel? (For the record, I loved the book and the pages just flew by for me and although I can understand the JC comparisons, I wouldn’t necessarily agree.)

To even be mentioned in the same breath as Jackie Collins is a phenomenal thing for me! I’m her biggest fan – everything I learned about writing a bonkbuster I learned from the best. No, it doesn’t bother me. Hollywood Sinners is an homage to the old favourites and I’m confident in what I’m trying to do. Recent bonkbusters have lacked the vigour of the classics and I want to bring that back for a new generation: the same ingredients but with a modern, fresh twist. Jackie is the queen and I’m only too happy to tread in her footsteps!

5. How did your publishing deal with MIRA come about? Did it take long for you to get your publishing deal?

I was lucky because I used to work in publishing – this gave me a head start. While working as an editor I wrote a (different) partial manuscript and sent it anonymously to agents. It was snapped up by my superstar agent Madeleine Buston at the Darley Anderson Agency. That one wasn’t right for my debut so I quit my job, gave myself three months to complete a different book, and then we went out to publishers in Spring 2010. The wait was agonising but as soon as I heard MIRA’s enthusiasm and met the team (they’re lovely), I knew it was the best home for me. They’ve put such drive and passion behind Hollywood Sinners and I’m very lucky.

6. Finally, are you currently working on a second novel? Can you tell us anything about it?

Yes! I’ve just completed my second novel and it’s waiting to be revised according to my editor’s feedback. You’ll see some familiar faces from Hollywood Sinners and also some new blood, as well as plenty of sex, scandal and secrets. This one is going to be even hotter!

Thanks so much Victoria!

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