'The Vampire Diaries' to get prequel book series

L. J. Smith's young adult series
The Vampire Diaries, the subject of the hit US television show of the same name, is set to continue with a spin-off trilogy focusing on one of the books' main characters, announced HarperCollins on August 17. The first installment will be out in November.

The Vampire Diaries books and TV show focus on Elena Gilbert, a high-school student caught in a love triangle with vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Smith wrote the original Vampire Diaries books in 1991 and 1992, and the TV series premiered in 2009, earning large audiences and winning seven Teen's Choice Awards and a People's Choice Award in 2010.

Stefan's Diaries, the prequel trilogy, will delve into the troubled back story of the feuding brothers. According to a press release: "In a story set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, Stefan and Damon fight for the love of the same woman, Katherine, in a torrid love triangle that will span eternity."

The trilogy's first installment, Origins, will be released on November 2. Bloodlust, the second title, will follow on January 4.

L. J. Smith is already at work on another Vampire Diaries spin-off trilogy, called The Return, which focuses on Damon. The final installment in that series, Midnight, is due out on March 15, 2011.