Candy and Tori Spelling have more money than many third world countries, thanks to Spelling matriarch Aaron, but even all that dough can’t get rid of their family problems. In Tori’s memoir, she reveals that her mother was extremely critical of her as a child – her looks, her weight, her talent – nothing was out of bounds. The mother and daughter’s strained relationship only got worse after Aaron passed away. But now, as both women are preparing to launch new books, Candy Spelling is reaching out to her estranged daughter via the Internet.

Claiming she’s heard nothing but silence from her daughter, Candy Spelling has posted an emotional public letter to Tori Spelling, urging her to help repair their relationship.

“You haven’t responded to my emails, phone calls and text messages,” Candy, 63, says Monday on CandySpelling.com. “You say you look at my website, so I’m trying to reach you that way. I want to see you and your family – in private, like the ‘normal family’ you say always wanted.”

Candy says she’s been cut off from Tori, 35, and her two children with husband Dean McDermott, Liam, 2, and Stella, 10 months. Tori has responded that her mother can contact her, telling PEOPLE, “She knows how to reach me, she knows where we live.”

The spat comes as both have authored new books – Candy’s released last month, Tori’s reaching stores Tuesday.

“With your book coming out [Tuesday], the war of words will escalate,” writes Candy on her Web site. “That’s not what I want. I want us to be a family.”

Responding to Tori’s claim that her mother hasn’t “stepped up” to have a relationship, Candy writes, “Well, I’m stepping up. Call me, write me, text me.”

“I’m a mother who, like every mother, wants communication and a great relationship with you, my daughter, and your family,” writes Candy. “I’d love to work it out the way all families try to resolve issues. In private. But, as I wrote in my book, I was a celebrity by marriage” – her husband is the late TV producer Aaron Spelling – “then a celebrity by motherhood. That means that my life is public. I’m used to it. It comes with the territory.

“What makes it so difficult is to hear you say things like: I’d like to call my mother, or I love my mother but don’t speak to her, or I think she has my nanny’s phone number,” continues Candy. “I don’t want a reunion via talk show or to speak through the press. I want a relationship with you and my grandchildren.”

It is signed, “I am hopeful. Love, Mom.”

[From People.com]

If it weren’t well documented that these two aren’t speaking to each other, I’d think this was a publicity stunt to promote both books. Not that I wouldn’t put it past either of them. Mothers and daughters have conflicts every day. If it weren’t for Aaron Spelling and his money, nobody would give a crap about either one of these people. But clearly, there are some longstanding issues here. It doesn’t seem like Candy Spelling thinks she’s done anything wrong, and Tori seems happy enough without having her mother in her life. So who knows if anything will come from this? It still won’t make me buy either book.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are shown at the launch of her book, Mommywood, yesterday in LA. Credit: Fayesvision/WENN.com. Candy Spelling is shown promoting her book, Candyland, in NY on 4/6/09.