Whitney Houston's mother is writing a tell-all book about the superstar.

Cissy Houston has signed a multi-million dollar deal to write with "candor, honesty and respect" about her daughter, who died as a result of accidental drowning in her bath and effects of heart disease and cocaine use in February.

Gospel singer Cissy said: "When I lost my daughter Nippy [the nickname Whitney's family gave her], the world lost one of the most beautiful voices and an extraordinarily beautiful and charitable woman.

"In sharing our story in this book, I hope to give her fans something to treasure, the way we all treasured Whitney. We are still receiving thousands of letters each day from her fans, and I hope reading this book will provide a deeper understanding into my daughter's true story."

Whitney famously spiralled into drug addiction alongside her husband Bobby Brown - the father of her 19-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina - in the 90s and Cissy will talk about the issues which this caused in her book.

A statement from Harper Collins, who are publishing the book, said: "Ultimately, Cissy will go behind the headlines to show the true, human side of this strong, successful yet complicated musical icon, capturing the dramatic depths and soaring range of an extraordinary woman, along with the pain and heartbreak of a grieving mother as she struggles with impossible loss."

A portion of the proceeds from the time will be donated to the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, where Whitney sang as a child.

It was also the location where her funeral was held.

The book is set for release in February 2013.