Actress and musician Hilary Duff inked a multiple-book deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers today. The first novel is Elixir, scheduled to be published in hardcover October 2010. The deal also includes a nonfiction book about children of divorce–scheduled for a spring 2012 launch.

The series will focus on a photojournalist named Clea Raymond, the celebrity offspring of a politician and a doctor. In Da Vinci Code fashion, she chases a dashing boy “in a race against time to unravel a centuries-old mystery that could unlock the key to her soulmate’s true identity.” Duff (pictured, via) began her career on the Disney Channel show, Lizzie McGuire, and recently had a guest spot on Gossip Girl.

Duff had this statement: “I’ve always loved the escape of a great book, especially one that features a strong, inspiring female character you feel you really understand, someone who could be you, but living a more fascinating life. I’m hoping Elixir will be that kind of book–a novel that will transport readers and open new worlds for them.”