J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling will officially leave the world of Harry Potter behind on September 27.

That's when the world famous author will release "The Casual Vacancy," her much anticipated follow-up to the most popular book franchise in history. Peep the official cover - released this week by publisher Little, Brown - now:

Will you pick up a copy of the new novel? Read the synopsis below and decide now:

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J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame has finally revealed some details, including the title, of her upcoming novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy.

It's a "blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising" about a parish council election in a small English town, called Pagford.

Reads a description of the book by Little, Brown publishers:

"Pagfod is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war."

"Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems."

The unexpected death of council member Barry Fairweather at an early age will send the town into the "biggest war the town has yet seen."

"Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?" the J.K. Rowling novel blurb continues.

The Casual Vacancy and its 480 pages are due out September 27.

[Photo: WENN.com]

It's confusing, but intriguing - and it's got J.K. Rowling behind it, so we have no doubt it will be imaginative and successful.

We're talking, of course, about Pottermore, the author's latest creation, first teased last week and now explained in more detail. In a new video, the woman behind Harry Potter says the website will be a "reading experience unlike any other."

It will center around Rowling's iconic novels, with users playing a key role. It will also be the exclusive destination for one to purchase digital audio books and e-books. The site opens in October, but visitors can check in on July 31 and learn how they can gain early access.

"I will join in, too, because I will be sharing additional information I have been hoarding for years about the world of Harry Potter," Rowling teases here:

Pottermore Explanation: J.K. Rowling

This and the final Harry Potter trailer in the same 24 hours? In. Sanity.

Pottermore, a new, mysterious website connected to Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, has fans into a frenzy. Mostly because no one knows what it is.

Whatever Pottermore is, we’ll have to wait until June 23 to find out.

J.K. Rowling will be making an announcement about it then. So far, all we can tell you is that it’s not another book, but "Rowling’s new project."

Pottermore is shrouded in mystery and excitement.

A special Pottermore-themed YouTube page is already counting down the seconds as we speak, teasing “The owls are gathering. Find out why soon.”

There’s also a Pottermore Twitter account, which hasn't revealed much, other than calling attention to a puzzle and the aforementioned YouTube page.

The plot thickens. Why ARE the owls gathering, do you think? Sound off ...

Will Harry Potter die?

It's the question on the minds of billions of people across the galaxy as they await their favorite wizard's fate in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

And while J.K. Rowling isn't giving away any spoilers about her book, she is opening up about how it felt to finish penning this iconic series: sad. The author says she broke down in tears as she finished completed the seventh and last Harry Potter novel.

"I was in a hotel room on my own. I was sobbing my heart out," she tells the BBC's Jonathan Ross.

"I downed half a bottle of champagne from the mini-bar in one and went home with mascara all over my face. That was really tough."

Wow. That's more emotional than we got when we heard Brody Jenner had turned his man-whore attention to Hilary Duff. Stay away from him, girl!

But Rowling also felt other emotions upon completing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due out July 21.

"Finishing the book is a relief," Rowling told People magazine. "I can feel more relaxed. I felt euphoria, devastated, when I finished one chapter near the end. I absolutely howled, it had been planned for so long."

The author also divulges her inspiration for the three main characters. Harry Potter, she says, is "totally imaginary," but Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) is a bit like her younger self ("I was quite swotty [nerdy] when I was a kid") and Ron Weasley is "a lot like my oldest friend Sean."

Finally, there is one Harry Potter spoiler the writer will reveal: the word "scar" is NOT the final word in the book.

"It was so for ages, and now it's not," she says. "Scar is quite near the end, but it's not the last word."

That doesn't help us much, though. Nevertheless, we're more excited for this to be released than Nicole Richie is to have a baby.

Nothing is a secret for very long in the world of entertainment these days. We practically knew Kate Walsh was signed up for a Grey's Anatomy spinoff before she did.

With this in mind, J.K. Rowling is pleading with fans of her world-renowned series: Don't give away any Harry Potter spoilers.

The final chapter in the journey of this young magician is set to hit stores on July 21 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released. More people may actually read it that day than visit The Hollywood Gossip. But we understand.

As the date approaches - and celebrity gossip sites learn tidbits about the tome - Rowling is afraid this information will ruin the story for readers.

"We're a little under three months away, now, and the first distant rumblings of the weirdness that usually precedes a Harry Potter publication can be heard on the horizon," Rowling wrote on her website on Monday.

"I want the readers who have, in many instances, grown up with Harry, to embark on the last adventure they will share with him without knowing where they are they going."

It's an understandable concern. The number of online searches for the phrase "Harry Potter Book 7 Spoilers" has been climbing across various search engines for weeks now. It's almost as popular a topic as Tricia Helfer nude pics.

But perhaps Rowling should focus on another issue:

Daniel Radcliffe appears to have moved on from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to breast-staring 101. The author may wish to do something about that.

If fans can get the image of Daniel Radcliffe and a horse out of their heads, they'll be excited to learn the following:

Author J.K. Rowling has announced a released date for the final tome in the Harry Potter series.

7/21/07.

On that date, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be more sought after than those elusive Jayden James Federline pictures.

Meanwhile, the next Harry Potter movie hits screens this summer. It's gonna be a magical few months.

Literally.

Here's something almost as shocking as Rosie O'Donnell criticizing someone:

Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes magazine's current List of the 20 Richest Women in Entertainment.

Winfrey is estimated to have made $1.5 billion in her 20-plus year career, followed by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, 41, who has made $1 billion since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published nine years ago.

The only woman on the list with jail time on her record, Martha Stewart, came in third with $638 million.

Madonna ranks fourth with $325 million.

Finishing out the top ten are:

• Mariah Carey ($225 million)
• Janet Jackson ($150 million)
• Julia Roberts ($140 million)
• Jennifer Lopez ($110 million)
• Jennifer Aniston ($110 million)

The magazine also counts Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen as one person. Which makes sense given how scary they both look.