J.K. Rowling to publish first novel for adults

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - J.K. Rowling is set to work her magic on readers once again.

The author of the hit "Harry Potter" series has inked a deal with Little, Brown in the United States and Britain to publish her first novels for adults. The title, release date and details about the long-rumored novel were not announced Thursday.

Rowling said in a statement: "Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the 'Harry Potter' series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life."

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final story in the "Potter" series, came out in 2007. The last of eight "Harry Potter" films was released last summer.

Rowling's "Harry Potter" books were published by Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the U.S.