Newspaper photographers shout for her attention (Heeerrrre, Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!).

Clusters of fans thrust out books for autographs.

Kelley, 49, wonders aloud, batting her baby-blues.

Why are they all lined up like that?

As if she didnt know.

In 1978sJackie Oh!, she recounted that the former First Lady had been treated with shock therapy.

The 603-page doorstop hit the stores on April 8 and instantly became the publishing sensation of the year.

TIME andNewsweekdevoted cover stories to the tome; PEOPLE was scheduled to follow suit.

How much of the book is fact and how much is fiction?

Well, whom would you like to believe?

Others have issued angry denials.

But she never talked to me.

She lifted a lot of this stuff directly out of other biographies.

Cannon concurs: It doesnt pass Biography 101.

It doesnt even measure up to remedial journalism.

Its shoddy and unprofessional.

How does Kelley defend herself against such charges?

She doesnt she simply ignores them.

Her editor proffered another reason.

So who is this woman?

How did she get like this?

Kelley took up free- lance writing instead, and began publishing puffy life-style pieces around town.

Here is where a legend was born.

Which brings us to the Nancy Reagan book.

Simon & Schuster paid Kelley $3.5 million for the portrait and perhaps even a little more.

AsPublishers Weeklyreported last week, Kelley is still steamed over the treatment that she received at S&S.

The publisher eventually wooed the author back with a bauble a shiny red Mercedes convertible.

WhenUSA Todayasked in early April where she had gotten the roadster, Kelley petulantly replied, Its a gift.

We limited the manuscripts to five, says publisher Jack McKeown.

To prevent unauthorized access, they were never kept on the premises overnight.

Fewer than 10 people read this book prior to release.

Kelley herself has claimed that those privileged few had to read the book under guard.

Even the person who abridged the manuscript for the audiotape version was subjected to the strictest security.

Only once was security breached and the breachees were not happy.

They went ballistic, Flamm says.

A reporter who interviewed me said S&S considered giving peoplelie-detectortests.

Kitty, reports Flamm, was said to be foaming at the mouth.

Kelleys publishers have been justly praised for their spectacular PR campaign.

Yet some elements of that campaign may not have been strictly intentional.

But what S&S has neglected to mention is that ittriedto sell serial rights.

At least one magazine, PEOPLE, received the manuscript early in the year but declined to buy it.

Something ventured, nothing lost.

On K-Day, April 8, S&S blitzed Americas bookstores.

Within 48 hours it had landed in virtually every book outlet coast to coast.

They told us they hadnt ever seen anything hit with this speed and this strength, says publisher McKeown.

Stores reportedly were selling copies right out of the shipping cartons, without time to mount a window display.

But S&S editorial director Mayhew pooh-poohs such speculation.

We fully expect to publish her forthcoming book, she says.

Whatever Kelleys future, shell no doubt be paying particular attention to another tell-all coming out in June.

Additional reporting by Tina Jordan