Virginia Andrews
Virginia Andrews was born with the name Cleo Virginia Andrews on June 6th 1923, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Virginia's parents were William Henry Andrews and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews. Virginia was the youngest sibling of the three, and was William and Lillian's only daughter. William was a navy man and later opened up his own tool and die business, and Lillian was a telephone operator.
Virginia spent her childhood in Portsmouth, Virginia. Later she moved to Rochester, New York to live for a little while, and then moved back to Portsmouth while she attended Woodrow Wilson Public High School. Virginia was a smart student, she even skipped third and sixth grade. During her early teens, Virginia was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Because of all the failed surgeries to attempt to get rid of the rheumatoid arthritis, Virginia developed crippling arthritis. She ended up in a wheelchair or on crutches. At one point in time she even had a full body cast on. Her family says she had lived her life with very little to no neck movement, and suffered through pain daily.
After graduating at Woodrow Wilson High School, Virginia had more surgeries, attempting to correct the damage to her neck and back. While recuperating, she completed a four year correspondence art course at home. Soon after that she became a successful commercial artist, fashion illustrator and a portrait painter.
When Virginia was around 34, her father had a heart attack and died. Virginia and her mother moved from Portsmouth to Manchester, Missouri, to live closer to her older brother. Later they moved again to live closer to her other older brother in Apache Junction, Arizona. Virginia helped support her family with the money she made from her successful career.
After she realized that her work lacked her creative satisfaction, she began writing secretly. Her first manuscript was so autobiographical, she destroyed it to keep her private life. At the age of 49, she completed her very first novel, a science-fantasy, "Gods Of Green mountain." She never did end up publishing this until April 2004, and even then it was only published in e-book format.
Between 1972 and 1979, Virginia wrote nine novels and twenty short stories. She sold three Gothic Romances without an agent under a pen name. One of her confession stories, "I Slept With My Uncle On My Wedding Night" was published in an unknown pulp confession magazine.
January 13th 1978, Virginia sent a pitch letter to a literary agent with the writers workshop, Anita Diament. Three Days later Anita requested the entire manuscript. Virginia then, submitted her 98 page manuscript, "Flowers In the Attic." Virginia sold the novel and was paid a $7,500 advance. "Petals On the Wind" was published the very next year and earned Virginia a $35,000 advance. "Petals On the Wind" remained on the bestseller list for 19 weeks, and "Flowers In the Attic" also returned to the list. Both of the novels sold 7 million copies within two years. In 1981 "If There Be Thorns" was released, earning Virginia a $75,000 advance. After this book, Virginia reached number 2 on many best-seller lists within the first two weeks of having the book published.
In 1982, Virginia published a stand-alone novel "My Sweet Audrina." This book was a huge success, already topping the sales of her other books.
Two years later, Virginia published another book to the Dollanganger series, "Seeds Of Yesterday." According to New York Times "Seeds Of Yesterday" was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984.
In 1985, "Heaven" The first book to the Casteel series, was released. Most fans say this was their favorite book by Virginia. In 1986 "Dark Angel" was published. Only three days after the publication of "Dark Angel" Virginia was number one on the best-seller lists. Also, in 1986, beating Stephen King, Virginia was named "Number One Best-Selling Author" of popular horror, and occult paperbacks by the American Booksellers Association.
In 1986, while making "Flowers In the Attic" into a film, Virginia and her mother were on the set with the cast and crew.
At the age of 63 years old, on December 19th 1986, Virginia died after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her coffin lays in Olive Branch Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia. When she died, she had 24 million books in print. Virginia's books have been translated to German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish, and Hebrew. Virginia's estate estimated to be worth $8 million.
In 1987 the "Flowers In the Attic" film was released. Virginia, was even in the movie as a maid, washing windows.
After Virginia's death there were two other novels published. "Garden Of Shadows" and "Fallen Hearts." The Andrews family declared that more of Virginia's novels will be published in the future. In 1981, Virginia told the Washington Post that she had completed sixty-three synopsis's to other stories she created, not including the ones that were already published.
The Andrews family printed a letter in the novels, starting with "Dawn." Here's what it said:
"Dear VC Andrews Reader:
Those of us who knew and loved Virginia Andrews know that the most important things in her life were her novels. Her proudest moment came when she held in her hand the first printed copy of Flowers in the Attic. Virginia was a unique and gifted storyteller who wrote feverishly each and every day. She was constantly developing ideas for new stories that would eventually become novels. Second only to the pride she took in her writing was the joy she took in reading the letters from readers who were so touched by her books.
Since her death many of you have written to us wondering whether there would continue to be new V.C. Andrews novels. When Virginia became seriously ill while writing the Casteel series, she began to work even harder, hoping to finish as many stories as possible so that her fans could one day share them. Just before she died we promised ourselves that we would take all of these wonderful stories and make them available to her readers.
Beginning with the final books in the Casteel series we have been working closely with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Virginia's stories and to expand upon them by creating additional novels inspired by her wonderful storytelling genius.
Dawn is the start of a new V.C. Andrews series. We believe it would have given her great joy to know that it will be entertaining so many of you. Other V.C. Andrews novels will be published in the coming years and we hope they continue to mean as much to you as ever.
Sincerely,
The Andrews Family"
The Andrews family had requested the ghostwriter be kept secret, but its too hard to keep that large of secret, hidden. Since then, Andrew Neiderman, a horror novelist, has been identified as the ghostwriter. He is the one that's been writing all of Virginia's books since "Dawn." Virginia Andrews name is more than just a name to many of us. She is the reason most of us started reading in the first place. Virginia Andrews is a legend.
Virginia spent her childhood in Portsmouth, Virginia. Later she moved to Rochester, New York to live for a little while, and then moved back to Portsmouth while she attended Woodrow Wilson Public High School. Virginia was a smart student, she even skipped third and sixth grade. During her early teens, Virginia was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Because of all the failed surgeries to attempt to get rid of the rheumatoid arthritis, Virginia developed crippling arthritis. She ended up in a wheelchair or on crutches. At one point in time she even had a full body cast on. Her family says she had lived her life with very little to no neck movement, and suffered through pain daily.
After graduating at Woodrow Wilson High School, Virginia had more surgeries, attempting to correct the damage to her neck and back. While recuperating, she completed a four year correspondence art course at home. Soon after that she became a successful commercial artist, fashion illustrator and a portrait painter.
When Virginia was around 34, her father had a heart attack and died. Virginia and her mother moved from Portsmouth to Manchester, Missouri, to live closer to her older brother. Later they moved again to live closer to her other older brother in Apache Junction, Arizona. Virginia helped support her family with the money she made from her successful career.
After she realized that her work lacked her creative satisfaction, she began writing secretly. Her first manuscript was so autobiographical, she destroyed it to keep her private life. At the age of 49, she completed her very first novel, a science-fantasy, "Gods Of Green mountain." She never did end up publishing this until April 2004, and even then it was only published in e-book format.
Between 1972 and 1979, Virginia wrote nine novels and twenty short stories. She sold three Gothic Romances without an agent under a pen name. One of her confession stories, "I Slept With My Uncle On My Wedding Night" was published in an unknown pulp confession magazine.
January 13th 1978, Virginia sent a pitch letter to a literary agent with the writers workshop, Anita Diament. Three Days later Anita requested the entire manuscript. Virginia then, submitted her 98 page manuscript, "Flowers In the Attic." Virginia sold the novel and was paid a $7,500 advance. "Petals On the Wind" was published the very next year and earned Virginia a $35,000 advance. "Petals On the Wind" remained on the bestseller list for 19 weeks, and "Flowers In the Attic" also returned to the list. Both of the novels sold 7 million copies within two years. In 1981 "If There Be Thorns" was released, earning Virginia a $75,000 advance. After this book, Virginia reached number 2 on many best-seller lists within the first two weeks of having the book published.
In 1982, Virginia published a stand-alone novel "My Sweet Audrina." This book was a huge success, already topping the sales of her other books.
Two years later, Virginia published another book to the Dollanganger series, "Seeds Of Yesterday." According to New York Times "Seeds Of Yesterday" was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984.
In 1985, "Heaven" The first book to the Casteel series, was released. Most fans say this was their favorite book by Virginia. In 1986 "Dark Angel" was published. Only three days after the publication of "Dark Angel" Virginia was number one on the best-seller lists. Also, in 1986, beating Stephen King, Virginia was named "Number One Best-Selling Author" of popular horror, and occult paperbacks by the American Booksellers Association.
In 1986, while making "Flowers In the Attic" into a film, Virginia and her mother were on the set with the cast and crew.
At the age of 63 years old, on December 19th 1986, Virginia died after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her coffin lays in Olive Branch Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia. When she died, she had 24 million books in print. Virginia's books have been translated to German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish, and Hebrew. Virginia's estate estimated to be worth $8 million.
In 1987 the "Flowers In the Attic" film was released. Virginia, was even in the movie as a maid, washing windows.
After Virginia's death there were two other novels published. "Garden Of Shadows" and "Fallen Hearts." The Andrews family declared that more of Virginia's novels will be published in the future. In 1981, Virginia told the Washington Post that she had completed sixty-three synopsis's to other stories she created, not including the ones that were already published.
The Andrews family printed a letter in the novels, starting with "Dawn." Here's what it said:
"Dear VC Andrews Reader:
Those of us who knew and loved Virginia Andrews know that the most important things in her life were her novels. Her proudest moment came when she held in her hand the first printed copy of Flowers in the Attic. Virginia was a unique and gifted storyteller who wrote feverishly each and every day. She was constantly developing ideas for new stories that would eventually become novels. Second only to the pride she took in her writing was the joy she took in reading the letters from readers who were so touched by her books.
Since her death many of you have written to us wondering whether there would continue to be new V.C. Andrews novels. When Virginia became seriously ill while writing the Casteel series, she began to work even harder, hoping to finish as many stories as possible so that her fans could one day share them. Just before she died we promised ourselves that we would take all of these wonderful stories and make them available to her readers.
Beginning with the final books in the Casteel series we have been working closely with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Virginia's stories and to expand upon them by creating additional novels inspired by her wonderful storytelling genius.
Dawn is the start of a new V.C. Andrews series. We believe it would have given her great joy to know that it will be entertaining so many of you. Other V.C. Andrews novels will be published in the coming years and we hope they continue to mean as much to you as ever.
Sincerely,
The Andrews Family"
The Andrews family had requested the ghostwriter be kept secret, but its too hard to keep that large of secret, hidden. Since then, Andrew Neiderman, a horror novelist, has been identified as the ghostwriter. He is the one that's been writing all of Virginia's books since "Dawn." Virginia Andrews name is more than just a name to many of us. She is the reason most of us started reading in the first place. Virginia Andrews is a legend.