The Twilight Series: Untangled

Initially rejected by 14 agents, Twilight, written by Stephenie Meyer, was published in 2005 and within a month was #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. That same year, it was named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books. However, it wasn't until 2008 that Twilight-mania really took over. The book was the biggest novel of 2008, with the film following that same year. The book has sold over 17 million copies to date, while the film grossed $35.7 million on its opening day.

Avoiding the common stereotypical associations with vampires, such as garlic, silver, and coffins, Stephenie Meyer puts her own twist on vampire and werewolf myths. Here are a few:

Sunlight: Twilight's vampires can roam during daylight hours. Instead of bursting into flames from exposure to direct sunlight, their skin shimmers like diamonds. Forks, Washington seems like an ideal place for vampires to live, since it is mostly overcast year-round.

Blood: The Cullens call themselves "vegetarians," because they hunt and feed from animals instead of humans. Not all vampires in Twilight are "vegetarians," since it takes a lot of self control, practice, and discipline to live only off of animal blood.

Reproduction: Who would have thought a vampire and human could give birth to a hybrid baby? Meyer thought it possible and gives a rather detailed explanation of her theory on her website.

Sleep: Most people imagine vampires as creatures who sleep in light-proof coffins during the day. Twilight vampires are unique in that they never sleep.

Werewolves: In Twilight, when in wolf form, each werewolf in the pack is mentally and emotionally connected to one another. They communicate without speaking and know each other's deepest thoughts, feelings, and emotions, creating a deeply-rooted bond between pack members.

Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner, is a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. He is a passionate and happy 15-year-old with a muscular build, a long black ponytail, and russet skin. Jacob's character develops more in New Moon, when he undergoes the transformation into a werewolf: he grows in height to 6 feet, 7 inches, his body temperature increases to 108.9 °F, and gains the ability to heal quickly. He also cuts off his long hair. Jacob competes with Edward for Bella's love, but ends up "imprinting" — a method of finding one's soul-mate — on Edward and Bella's daughter in Breaking Dawn.

Sure, there have always been vampire-fantasy shows, movies, and books. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a popular show in the '90s, along with the hit movie, Interview with the Vampire, but neither seemed to cause as big a frenzy as Twilight. This time around, vampires are our friends! There are vampire books, movies, and television series for every age group. Vampire-related books from the recent past, such as The Vampire Diaries, are making a popular comeback, and many are adapted into shows and movies. Whether you are a teen reading about romance, or an adult who's into the blood-lusting creatures, there is a vampire tale for everyone.