Best-selling British author Jackie Collins has died of breast cancer in Los Angeles aged 77, her family has said in a statement.

"It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today," the statement read.

"She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions of readers, who she has been entertaining for over four decades.

"She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words."

Collins - who was born in London in 1937 and was the sister of actress Dame Joan Collins - wrote 32 best-selling novels and sold over 500 million copies in her career.

Dame Joan had only learned of her sister's illness within the past fortnight - even though she had been diagnosed in 2009.

Her debut novel, The World Is Full Of Married Men, was reportedly deemed "filthy and disgusting" by author Barbara Cartland and banned in Australia.

In an interview in 2008, Collins described the book as "way before its time" with its tale of a woman who cheats on her husband and another who likes sex with married men.

Collins, who promised readers unrivalled insiders' knowledge of Hollywood, said she wrote about "real people in disguise".

"If anything, my characters are toned down - the truth is much more bizarre," she wrote on her website.

Creating strong female characters in her books, of which several were made into films, was inspired by her family experiences while growing up.

Collins had said: "I like strong women. It comes from the fact that I grew up in a rather chauvinistic household. My father (theatrical agent Joseph Collins) was always very chauvinistic and my mother (Elsa) was always very gentle and laid-back.

"I didn't like the inequality between them. I felt that she should have had more say in what was going on in the home."

In an interview earlier this month, Collins, who was made an OBE two years ago, spoke of the tragedies in her life when people close to her died from illness.

"I lost my mother to cancer, my husband of 25 years to cancer and then my fiance. I know a lot about looking after people when they are sick," she said.

"Oscar (Lerman, her second husband) was a very strong man who was 20 years older than me. I knew he'd had a fantastic life. My kids looked after him so wonderfully and I just kept writing."

Collins, who lived in Beverly Hills, had three daughters and was a grandmother-of-six.

Tributes

Dame Joan Collins has led tributes to her sister Jackie.

Speaking to People magazine, the 82-year-old said she was "completely devastated" by news of her sister's death in the US, and described Jackie as her "best friend".

In reference to her sibling's six-and-a-half year battle with breast cancer, she added: "I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and beautiful person and I love her."

Celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic have also shared their memories of Jackie Collins, whose novels sold over 500 million copies during a career spanning four decades.

Sharon Osbourne tweeted a photograph she had shared with the British author:

Shocked & devastated at the death of @JackiejCollins. Loved & respected her. Thoughts & prayers go out to her family. pic.twitter.com/1RfmNEsm5G

— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) September 20, 2015

Graham Norton, who had interviewed both sisters together on his chat show, said "everyone who met her was Lucky" – a reference to a famous character in her books.

He added: "I'm so very sad to hear about @jackiejcollins. She was the definition of a class act."

American actor James Woods said of Collins: "She was one of the loveliest people imaginable. A true star who treated everyone equally. RIP, dear friend."

Oprah Winfrey also offered her condolences, adding: "I always loved our interviews."

The comedian Sandra Bernhard described how she and Collins "laughed their asses off" as they wore leopard print and indulged in girl talk as part of a story for German Vogue.

She described Collins as "the diarist of Hollywood at its best and worst".