Book Bits: Clockwork Prince, Rachel Vincent, new books from favorite authors, ‘American Talk’ and Contest Roundup

Today’s roundup is all about the future — new series, new books and teasers galore. And, yes, this will probably be the last time I include a Harry Potter-related video in Book Bits. This one should make you laugh, though.

Clockwork Prince excerpt
Cassandra Clare posted a nice excerpt from Clockwork Prince for us. Actually, it’s the entirety of the prologue. Expect ghost-y goodness. Read the full excerpt here. Pre-order Clockwork Prince here.

Rachel Vincent talks Unbound vs. Shifters
Things are moving quickly with Rachel Vincent’s new adult series. She just turned in the manuscript of the second novel, Shadow Bound, to her editor. The first book, Blood Bound, comes out in a couple months (Pre-order Blood Bound) and word is: it’s freaking awesome. But as there’s been quite a bit of chatter about what this new series might be like and how it may compare to her completed Shifters series, Rachel spelled it out over on Deadline Dames. You can read the full post, but the big breakdown comes via this chart:

Book Deals: Marjorie M. Liu, Brenna Yovanoff, Elle Jasper
Marjorie M. Liu just signed a three-book deal with HarperCollins for a new book series. In her own words: “A new (as in, unrelated to Dirk & Steele) paranormal romance series set in an apocalyptic landscape populated by monsters – vampires, werewolves, and other impossible creatures – who are hunted, enslaved, and persecuted by an elite ruling class of human men and women who possess a magic that allows them to control a vast zombie army.” Epic. I’m in.

YA author of The Replacement and The Space Between, Brenna Yovanoff inked another book deal with Razorbill to give us more YA creepiness (because we love her for it.). Here’s the official word from the Publisher’s Marketplace:

NYT bestselling author of THE REPLACEMENT and THE SPACE BETWEEN Brenna Yovanoff’s PAPER VALENTINE, in which a girl haunted by the troubled ghost of her best friend finds herself sucked into a darkly mesmerizing string of murders, in which a serial killer who leaves a paper-heart ‘valentine’ on his victims’ bodies draws ever closer, again to Ben Schrank and Jocelyn Davies at Razorbill, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2013, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (NA).

Elle Jasper, who writes the Dark Ink Chronicles I like so much, has just sold a “young adult Scottish ghost mystery romance” titled Forevermore to Scholastic Books. She’ll be writing her YA books under the pen name Cindy Miles. Details on the Cindy Miles books can be found here.

70-page excerpt of Supernaturally
You read that right. For a limited time Harper Teen is making the first 70 pages of Kiersten White’s Supernaturally, the sequel to Paranormalcy, available for free. Click here for the mega excerpt. You can also pre-order Supernaturally, which hits shelves on July 26.

The Golden Lily cover art
Bloodlines, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff, isn’t in stores until the end of August, but we can already lust after the cover of the series’ second book The Golden Lily. Jill gets center-stage on this cover, with Sydney off to the side. View the cover art and read Richelle’s comments.

Harry Potter stars do ‘American Talk’ again
I haven’t exactly made a secret of my excitement for Deathly Hallows Part 2, luckily, the ladies at Hollywood Crush feel similarly. Before the release of the last movie, MTV got the Harry Potter stars to say American phrases for our amusement. Well, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint and Matthew Lewis were game for round 2. (Again, Tom Felton rules all.) Enjoy:

CONTEST ROUNDUP

• You have until Monday to enter our giveaway of two copies of Graveminder by Melissa Marr. Additionally, we’re giving away a copy of MaryJanice Davidson’s latest Undead and Undermined over on our Facebook page. Both contests are open to U.S. and Canadian addresses only.

• My Bookish Ways, my partner-in-crime, has a gang of giveaways. (That’s how she rolls, folks.) You can view the full list of My Bookish Ways’ urban fantasy and horror giveaways here, but take note she’s giving away three Jonathan Maberry books. Hint. Hint.

• Chloe Neill is giving away awesome Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite goodness on her blog (5 prizes). Enter by July 24.

• The Story Siren is giving away signed copies of Maria V. Synder’s Inside Out and Outside In. Contest is open through July 27 to U.S. and Canadian addresses.

• Tynga’s Reviews is giving away two copies of Sara Grant’s Dark Parties. Open to U.S. and Canadian addresses. Enter by July 18.

• Shadowkissed.net is giving away a copy of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy. Open internationally.

• Spunky Reviews is giving away an ARC of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. Contest ends July 22.

Have some book-related news (unless it is an established series, release dates aren’t considered news) or a contest you’d like to see included in Book Bits? Email us the details.