Fans celebrate release of 4th "Twilight" book

Vampires are known to come out at night, and so do their fans. Hours before the highly anticipated release of Stephanie Meyer’s fourth and final installment of the young adult “Twilight” series went on sale at midnight, fans gathered at Borders, wearing homemade T-shirts with quotes from the books on them, answering trivia questions and debating which guy the heroine of the series should choose.
The “Twilight” series, about a teen girl who falls in love with a vampire, has filled the void since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. Ms. Meyer has been hailed as the next J.K. Rowling, and the first three books in the “Twilight” series have sold 7.5 million copies in the United States. Bookstores across the country hosted midnight release parties.
St. Joseph Borders manager Melissa Frakes said they could have had as many as 300 to 400 fans show up at the store’s party before the night was over.
“Vampires are all the thing,” she said.
And though the books were written for teens, they’re appealing to an older audience as well.
“It’s really widespread,” Ms. Frakes said. “There are going to be almost as many adults that read it as teenagers.”
Borders employee Tracie Hicks said she became interested in the books when her 18-year-old daughter recommended them to her.
“They’re very engaging and believable,” she said.
The vampire trend isn’t contained to just books. HBO is debuting “True Blood,” this fall, a TV series based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris. And Ms. Meyer’s first “Twilight” book is being adapted into a movie, set for release this December.
Caroline Hammond says the “Twilight” series drew in a lot of Harry Potter fans, which could account for some of its popularity. And as word continues to spread of the series, she expects to see the legion of vampire fans grow.