'Veronica Mars' Gets Book Series Spin-Off (Exclusive)

Rob Thomas will help develop a two-book "Veronica Mars" series that will pick up where the story of the forthcoming movie ends, with publication by Vintage set for spring 2014.

Vintage Books has signed Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas and Alloy Entertainment to a two-book deal to publish a new series of stories based on the adult life of the popular character.

The books will be an original mystery series featuring a grown-up Veronica Mars and characters from the series.

The plot will pick up where events of the forthcoming Veronica Mars movie, slated for a 2014 release, end. Publication of the first book will be timed to the release of the movie and will likely arrive in spring 2014. Thomas will develop and co-write the series.

"I started my career as a novelist. Veronica Mars was first imagined as a novel. I'm thrilled that I'm going to get the opportunity to continue telling Veronica Mars stories in a form I've loved and missed," said the writer-director, whose other credits include cult hit Party Down and work on 90210 and Dawson's Creek.

The Veronica Mars movie drew widespread attention earlier this year when Thomas' Kickstarter campaign to raise seed money for a feature film version of the 2004-07 TV series raced past its original goal of $2 million in days, raising more than $5 million in total.

Thomas will work with Alloy Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Television Group, on the books. Alloy is the company behind the development of such best-selling YA books series as Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

The Veronica Mars books represents something of an inversion of Alloy's usual process, which has been nurturing hit book series and helping turn them into popular TV shows.

The teaming of Thomas' creative flair, Alloy's expertise in developing YA series and Vintage's publishing strength is promising. The book series will stand on its own but will also help cross-promote the movie and could also serve as a bridge to a potential movie sequel.

Vintage editor Andrea Robinson expressed enthusiasm for the project: "Veronica Mars has always been a one-of-a-kind character, and, as a longtime fan of the series, I've always thought there is an immense amount of story left to be told. Our goal for the book series is to appeal to fans of the show, but also to appeal to mystery readers and lovers of series featuring strong, intriguing female protagonists. Veronica Mars is a contemporary update to the tradition of noir crime fiction that was established by Vintage's Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, so it's exciting that we'll also publish her here."

Jodi Reamer at Writer House negotiated the deal on behalf of Thomas and Alloy.

Robinson acquired the books for Vintage, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is a division of Penguin Random House, on the deal.