At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden. Blond, beautiful, innocent, and struggling to stay alive… They were a perfect family, golden and carefree—until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed. Kept on the top floor of their grandmother’s vast mansion, their loving mother assures them it will be just for a little while. But as brutal days swell into agonizing months and years, Cathy, Chris, and twins Cory and Carrie realize their survival is at the mercy of their cruel and superstitious grandmother…and this cramped and helpless world may be the only one they ever know. Flowers in the Attic is V.C. Andrews's first and most famous novel. It became a runaway bestseller upon its publication in 1979 and was the first book in the Dollanganger Family series, followed by Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Nearly 35 years after publication, Lifetime TV aired a movie version of it in January 2014, which became one of the station's highest-rate programs, boasting more than 6 million viewers. Petals on the Wind, based on the book of the same name, will air on Lifetime TV on May 26, 2014. This excerpt of the opening chapters of the book will show you what millions of readers have already discovered--that the world of V.C. Andrews is an entrancing, fascinating place. Enjoy!

Marie wanted to be as good as her mother wanted. Since her older brother was diagnosed with autism, she is considered the family's "normal" child. She thus feels she must be perfect in every way, which soon turns out to be a haunting task. Desperate for love and to make sense of her mother's contradictory behaviors and spiritual changes (from her mother's infidelities and alcoholism to a strict religious cult, and back again), Marie starts a friendship with a make belief friend, Ana. Ana is beautiful, loving, all-knowing and lives in an older version of Marie's house. Ana is the best friend one could hope for...that is until she encourages you to pursue a life threatening path. A book loosely based on my life: my relationship with my mother, my father, my autistic brother and my sister; my life in a cult; and my battle with anorexia. Nevertheless, this book is a work of fiction (imaginary friend, haunted house, mystical creatures, paranormal, etc).