When most people think of vampires, they think of blood and guts, capes and fangs, and grisly, sexually-tinged violence. What they almost certainly don't think of are chaste teens, Jane Austen, and stay-at-home Mormon moms. Yet right now, the hottest name in vampire lit is Stephenie Meyer, mother of three and outspoken proponent of abstinence. Meyer is the creator of a vampire love saga, the Twilight series, with fans so intense they call themselves "Twilighters" or "Twi-hards." The final installment, Breaking Dawn, sold over a million copies on its first sales day, and Twilighters are already in a frenzy over the upcoming movie adaptation of Twilight, starring Kristin Stewart.

Labels: shameless self-promotion, the arts