Once upon a time, life was simple. I was living the stereotypical American dream: husband, kids, house with the white picket fence, cat and dog included. Then Stephenie Meyer had a dream of a vampire and a girl sitting in a meadow in a rainy place named Forks.

I picked up the first book, in paperback, at my local Walmart shortly after the Twilight movie came out, just to see what all the fuss was about. The next day, I went back and bought the remaining three books.

Life as I knew it was over.

I spent 4 months reading those 4 books over and over and over, until my husband was ready to have me checked for brain damage, or something like it. I travelled overseas with the books taking up a large portion of my suitcase. Can you say obsessed??

And then - all hell broke loose. One fine day, I stumbled over Fanfiction. The rest is cyber history. In April 2009, I posted my first story on FFn, which was a simple attempt to get the emotions I was feeling onto a page. Edward's story simply had to be told.

Unfortunately, as with most first attempts, it wasn't very good, and when I find the time, I will go back and edit it.

Then, with a completed story under my belt, I sat down and started writing Eclipse from Edward's POV, making up scenes, dialogue and other stuff as needed. It has been cathartic to immerse myself in this fictional character who feels love so deeply and considers himself unworthy of love. This tortured soul who doesn't believe he is slated for redemption, but finds it nonetheless when least expecting it. To me, he is the incarnation of all my teenage dreams and aspirations. To be loved like he loves Bella - irrevocably, against all odds, with everything he is and has - isn't that we we all dreamed of?

I loathe everything Jacob Black. If you are Team Jacob, my stories are not for you. To me, he is a plot device SM's editors pushed on her, and I hated him and his role in Book 2 and 3, and most of 4. He didn't redeem himself in my eyes until right before Bella gave birth. And then I got slammed with his imprinting on a baby... EWWWW!!!! What the hell was THAT??? Not only is that utterly gross, but it also felt contrived, just as something that would tie up all the ends in neat little bows.

Yeah... I don't like Jacob. Don't flame my stories because you don't agree with me.

Robert Pattinson - to me, he personifies Edward, and his acting talent comes across loud and clear in both Twilight and New Moon. He plays the character extremely well, and has the mannerisms and emotions and facial expressions down to a tee. And yeah - he's very beautiful. I'm not above looking (and occasionally swooning) at pics of him, those that are official stills or professionally taken. Stalkerazzi pics - not so much.

Having said that - I am not a fangirl. I abhor the fangirls that stalk him on movie locations, during his private time and wherever he goes. Back off, people. Give the man some semblance of a normal life. Yes - we all love him because he's playing Edward Cullen, but every actor deserves some peace and quiet away from the movie set. Let's not forget that they are people, too.

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