Cover reveal: Final book in Sookie Stackhouse series

Carol Memmott, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Dead Ever After, the 13th and final novel in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, will be published May 7, and USA TODAY has this first look at the cover, which shows Sookie walking off into the sunset.

Inspiration for the HBO hit True Blood, starring Anna Paquin, the novels tell the story of a telepathic waitress who mixes it up with all sorts of paranormal creatures.

Asked why she's shutting down the series, Harris says, "I felt that I'd told the story I set out to tell. I thought continuing it, which I could have done, would have been a disservice to readers who have stuck with me this long."

The First Sookie novel, Dead Until Dark, was published in 2001. There are more than 20 million copies of the series in print.