Q:  What is Renee and Phil’s last name?

A:  Heh heh!  I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to work this information in for a long time.  Did you ever wonder why Bella doesn’t go by her mother’s last name, since Renee pretty much had sole custody of her since the first year of her life?  Well, Renee went by Swan, too, until she married Phil.  Her maiden name was Higgenbotham.  (Poor girl.)  Phil’s last name is Dwyer.

Q:  Could you provide us with any more information about Bella’s human friends?  They all have a tendency to blend together for me – especially Mike and Eric.  I get the feeling that Tyler is more of a "geek" than the others, but I’ve been wrong before.

A:  Nope, Eric Yorkie is the geek in this crowd.  (You’ll be happy to know poor Eric finds love with a sophomore in book two—it’s such an incidental thing that I don’t feel bad mentioning it).  Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley are pretty much the school catches.  Mike is a little better looking, but Tyler is the better athlete.  Tyler is the more arrogant of the two, and the less intelligent.  Tyler is about 6’1", with brown hair, brown eyes and a bit more of a tan than the rest of the Forkians.  Mike is 5’11" with pale blond hair and washed out blue eyes.  Eric is a gawky 6’3" with black hair that always looks greasy, brown eyes, and a poor complexion.

Jessica Stanley is pretty well described.  She has no siblings.  Her mom works at the local bank and is the town gossip.  Angela Weber is 6’0" tall and has light brown hair and eyes.  Her father is a Lutheran minister and she has two loud younger brothers.  Angela’s brother’s are 9 year old twins named Joshua and Isaac. They are the apples of her eyes. She lives close enough to the school to walk. Lauren Mallory is 5’6" tall with white blond hair and green eyes.

Let’s see, then there’s Jacob and Billy Black.  Jacob is 6’2" tall (by the prom) with long black hair and dark brown eyes.  His mother, Sarah, died many years ago and he has twin older sisters, Rachel and Rebecca.

The nurse’s name is Mrs. Julia Hammond.  Ms. Cope’s first name is Shelly.

Q:  Where did the Cullens get all their money?  Investments?  Property?

A:  Long term investments, heh heh.  Carlisle originally got some financial help from his Italian friends (remember the painting?  They’ve got an astronomical amount of funds) and then was earning a doctor’s salary all those years without really having normal expenses to worry about.  Edward inherited a lot of property from his parents (he did pretend to "survive" to claim that later, along with his "uncle," because he wanted his mother’s things.  He still owns the house in Chicago).  All this was invested shrewdly (both Carlisle and Edward are good with finances).  And then Alice came along.  Ha ha.  She loves the stock market.

Q:  How do the Cullens forge all the necessary paperwork – i.e. birth certs, past school records, etc.?

A:  They buy them off skilled forgers.  At the present time, Jasper has a contact in Seattle.

Q:  Do they ever revisit an area they once lived in after enough time has past?  Note – this was a silly question once I saw the answer.  She pointed out when Jacob told Bella about the cold ones living in the area a long time ago.  Duh.  But Stephenie did make a few interesting additions.

A:  So the answer is yes.  In the late 1930s, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett lived a few hours south of Forks in Hoquiam.  Before Edward joined him, Carlisle had already been through the area.

Q:  They are described as being very physically alluring all the time.  How much of that is a change from how they looked when they were human? There seems to be a bit of a contradiction from what you said about them looking exactly as they looked as humans and how they look as vampires and we are just wanting to clear it up.

A:  Hopefully I phrased it right the first time.  After the transformation, there is no more change–hair doesn’t grow, etc.  They are frozen at that state.  But there is a marked physical difference before and after.  Everything intensifies–senses, abilities, and looks.  The change into a vampire makes an average person stunning and a beautiful person absolutely beyond breath-taking.  The reason Rosalie is such a beautiful vampire is because she was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, New York when she was human.  Maybe the most beautiful girl in the whole state.  The reason James is relatively average, for a vampire, is because he was quite unattractive as a human.  This is rare, because even vampires are drawn by beauty.  They tend to, when looking for companionship, choose exceptional humans.  All of the Cullens were attractive humans to start with.

Q:  And what’s with the breath?  Can they get humans to do what they want by breathing on them?  It seems that everyone Edward talks to – breathes on – gets dizzy.  Well, the females at least.  Is the breath soothing?  Do they use it to lure prey? 

A:  Vampires just smell really, really good.  Breath, skin, etc.  It’s the fragrance of the venom that exists in various forms throughout their bodies.  It’s a lure, like the beauty.  It’s a smell that’s so good you want to smell it again, to get closer.

Q:  How about stakes through the heart?  Reflections? Photographs? Holy water?  Garlic?  All that traditional vampire lore.

A:  Bunch of garbage.  I think all of them get addressed in New Moon except garlic and stakes.  But you try shoving wood through granite.

Q:  Who would you say is more conscious about their looks – Rosalie or Alice?  I picture Alice as more of a tomboy, but she is the one who did all the fussing over Bella for the prom.  Maybe it’s the hair.  LOL!  I always have to remind myself that it was Alice and not Rosalie who did all that fussing.

A:  Rosalie’s true defining personal trait is her beauty.  Like Emmett’s strength–they’re both more intensely physical than intellectual, which makes them a perfect match.  Edward just doesn’t pay that much attention to how Rosalie looks.  Can you imagine how much that annoys her?
 
So Rosalie is much more concerned about her appearance than Alice.  Alice fusses over Bella before prom because she is, among other things, fascinated with being around a human.  When she said in the prom scene that she was trying to live vicariously through Bella (that was in there, right?  I keep getting stuff from Forever Dawn mixed up with Twilight rough drafts), that was a key phrase.  She is trying to experience humanity through close association with Bella.  Also, Bella is a very natural girl–not one for makeup or fixating on clothes.  Alice sees her as a blank canvass waiting to become a work of art.

Q:  I understand that Rosalie likes to keep her own last name.  But why would Jasper take Hale as a last name – and even further – why do they pretend to be actual brother and sister?  Why don’t they just say they, too, were adopted individually?

A:  About Jasper using the name Hale–it’s just for convenience.  He and Rosalie look a lot alike.  They actually look like fraternal twins–both the same color blond, both tall, him muscular and her statuesque (with the same pale skin, gold eyes and flawless beauty, of course).  The Cullens use many different subterfuges to try to keep people from looking too closely at them.  Anything that seems to be a certain way–like Rosalie and Jasper seeming to be related–they embrace.  They work within people’s expectations.  People assume the two blonds are related, so they let that assumption stand.  Plus, the more complicated a story is, the quicker someone gets bored trying to understand it, and gives up. 

They don’t always use the same story.  When it was just Carlisle and Edward, Edward pretended to be the young brother of Carlisle’s deceased wife.  Then, after Esme, Edward was again Carlisle’s wife’s younger brother (only this time, the wife was alive).  As the family got bigger, the explanations got more complex. Eventually, the Cullen’s home came to look like a refuge for troubled teens.  (Though the best-behaved troubled teens ever).
 
They could be Whitlocks, it wouldn’t make any difference to anyone accept Rosalie.  Jasper doesn’t care what anyone calls him.  But Rosalie clings to her human past with all ten fingers.

Q:  Did any of them have living family when they were changed?  And was it difficult for them to accept, or did they just run off and avoid telling family?  We ask because of that over active imagination wondering how Renee and Charlie would react to Bella should you decide to change her.  If the Cullens have experience telling family about the change, it might make it smoother.  On the other hand, if those experiences all went sour, it would only add to Edward’s anxiety over changing her.

A:  You know Carlisle had his father, and that Edward and Esme and Alice all had no one, really.  Rosalie, however, had two doting parents and two younger brothers.  After she became a vampire, she never saw them again.  Emmett was the youngest of a huge Scotch-Irish-American brood.  His parents and siblings were all still living.  Jasper had living parents and a younger sister.  Neither of them ever saw their families after becoming vampires.  There is a really good reason for this aside from the suspicion that would result (remember the brilliant red eyes?  Kind of hard to disguise before the invention of sunglasses and colored contacts).  That reason will be explored from several angles…in book three. 🙂  Sorry.

Q:  If the vampires don’t have blood, then where did it go?  Did it just dry up?  Evaporate?  Or were they nearly drained of it by the one who changed them?

A:  The blood left in a newborn vampire’s body is used–burned like fuel, the same way the blood they drink from others is used for fuel.  Here’s an analogy: think of it as the fat stores in your body.  You’re still eating, but you use those fat stores up, too, over time (though not always; more’s the pity, so the analogy isn’t perfect unless you are successfully dieting).  That blood left in them is used slowly over about a year.

Q:  This is going to sound insanely curious but… do the vampires bathe?  Given that you said the hunting is messy (no clean puncture wounds), I’m assuming that they get dirty… or at least bloody.  So do they take showers?  Do they comb their hair?  Brush their teeth?

A:  Vampires do shower, but they don’t get dirty the same way we do.  Outside dirt, yes–blood and mud and whatnot (though most vampires don’t get a spot on themselves when they eat–its all a matter of practice), but not sweat or body oils.  They would never have B.O., ha ha.  One girl asked me why Alice had a bathroom and if vampires have to pee.   No, they don’t (they use all the blood, creating no waste), but they do shower.  (And of course they have to have bathrooms–houses are just built that way, and when they want to move, it would look a little weird on the real estate listing: eight bedrooms, no baths.)
 
They do wash the dust and rain out of their hair, too.  And Rosalie particularly spends a lot of time doing hers.  (Hair is dead cells–the vampire transformation doesn’t affect it.  If you’ve got split ends, sorry!  Not getting better.  Ha ha).
 

Q:   Now here’s a question that came to mind while discussing the book with another friend.  She’s a vampire romance novel -aholic and she wondered why Bella didn’t just prick her finger and let Edward drink from her every now and then.  Personally, I thought that was a bit sadistic – like she would tease him with it.  (I’m picturing Bella with a cut finger, waving it back and forth in front of Edward teasingly saying, "Come and get it!")    Especially since we know how difficult it was for him to stop drinking from her the one time he had to.  But still, what would happen, do you suppose, if Bella had a cut on her finger?  Natural instinct is to put the cut to your mouth – at least it is for me.  Edward tasted her tears in one scene.  Would he be tempted to taste from a wound? 

A:  You picked up on the key to this question–why Bella doesn’t just let Edward have a sip now and then–in the difficulty he has stopping when he’s sucking out the venom at the end of Twilight.  As Alice said, vampires frenzy like sharks when there’s blood "in the water," so to speak.  (That’s why Edward was ditching Biology on the day they were blood typing.  A normal vampire can’t handle being in a room with flowing blood.  Carlisle is a one-of-a-kind exception to that rule.  Edward is better than an average vampire, and he could probably resist a lot of finger pricks (Jasper could not handle that), but why risk it, right?  The Cullens play it safe.)  When Edward is drinking blood, he’s much wilder and less human than usual.  That’s why Bella can’t go on a hunting trip with him.  Once the blood gets flowing, all the Cullens (besides Carlisle, of course) become more like "real" vampires.
 
Edward can’t be around Bella when she’s bleeding without being in intense temptation–to the point of pain.  A few drops would only make it worse.  Like a few drops of water when you’ve been wandering in the desert for days…  You’d totally suck down the whole gallon of Evian.

Several girls wanted to know if Edward would have a more difficult time being around Bella when she’s having her period.  Answer: Yes, a little bit, but he would never say anything about it–much too much of a gentleman.  And Bella would be way to embarrassed to ask.  (It’s not the same as a cut, though.  It’s sort of "dead" blood, if you get my meaning).
 
Q:  Will you be publishing your version of Edward’s story?  And if so, when might that be?

A:  I have no idea if I am going to publish Edward’s version.  I guess I will if the publisher wants it.  I’d kind of like to have it printed up as a companion–a pretty little set.  I’m not sure if the publisher will want Edward’s version.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book like that.  The closest I can think of is Ender’s Shadow (Orson Scott Card’s companion to Ender’s Game), but that book tells the same story from a really minor character’s point of view, so it’s a very, very different book with huge sections that appear nowhere in the original.  Edward is such a central part of Twilight that I’m locked in to following the original story extremely closely.  Too closely?  Is it too boring to print separately?  Too much the same thing?  These are the questions in my head.  If the publisher doesn’t want it, I will post it all on my website.  See, when I think about that though, I know that tons of people will be printing it off in its entirety.  It doesn’t cost that much for a publisher to print up a small lot of books, especially if they don’t have to pay anything in marketing–I can’t imagine they wouldn’t want to print it if it would sell, whether it’s too derivative or not.

So for the answer: I don’t have a clue.  And it’s going slow, so I’m not sure how much I’ll get finished before I have to focus on Eclipse BUT, I will get that first chapter up on my site regardless.
 
Q:  Jasper is the one character I feel like I have no grip on.  He’s like a void for some reason.

A:  Okay, Jasper things.  I love me some Jasper.  Firstly, the reason Jasper has the most trouble with the Cullen diet is that he has been around since the Civil War and he has consumed a LOT of human blood.  He has formed really bad habits.  Also, my boy is a fighting machine (and I’m not talking about Civil War/human fights here, though he was a major in the Confederate army when he was human).  The Cullen lifestyle is like an almost incomprehensibly peaceful retirement for him. 
 
Secondly, he’s really mostly doing this for Alice.  Alice is Jasper’s entire life.  She is the most important thing in the universe to him, and he would do absolutely anything for her.  For Jasper, there would be no limit to who or what he would destroy for Alice.  Not that she wants him destroying anything.  She’s the light side of their relationship–she makes him laugh (and he wasn’t much of a laugher before Alice).  Jasper is the most "vampire-y" of the Cullens, and, while he’s fond of them all, he’s not bonded to them the way the rest of them are.  The way Alice most definitely is.  The whole high school thing really freaks him out.  He’s trying to get better at being around humans, but it’s an uphill struggle.

Q:  What was Edward’s human last name?  And are there any other details about his mortal life that you could pass on to us? 

A:  Edward’s full name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.  His mother’s name is Elizabeth and his father’s name is also Edward.  His human life in Chicago was fairly happy and uneventful.  His parents were moderately wealthy (his father was a successful lawyer).  The biggest worry in his mother’s life before they were all caught in the epidemic was the fact that World War I was raging and Edward was only a year away from the draft (in August of 1918, the draft age was lowered to 18–the influenza epidemic hit in September).  Edward’s mother will be briefly remembered in the beginning of New Moon.  When he was human, his eyes were green.  He is 6’2" tall (you’d be surprised at how many people have asked me that).  His birthday is June 20th.
 
Alice’s full name is Mary Alice Brandon.  She was originally from Biloxi, Mississippi.  She was nineteen when her human life ended.  She is 4’10" tall.
 
Jasper’s last name is Whitlock.  He was human in Texas during the Civil War (his story will be told in detail in book three), so only Carlisle has been a vampire longer.  He was twenty when he became a vampire (he was changed by a vampire named Maria).  Alice’s nickname for him is "Jazz."  He is 6’3" tall.
 
Rosalie’s full name is Rosalie Lillian Hale (she prefers to use her real last name rather than Cullen).  She lived in Rochester, NY when she was human.  Carlisle changed her into a vampire when she was eighteen years old (that story will also be told in detail in book three).  She is 5’9" tall.  Emmett calls her "Rose" and every now and then the others can get away with that, too.
 
Emmett’s last name is McCarty and he was living in Gatlinburg, Tennessee when he ran into the bear.  He was twenty at the time.  He is 6’5" tall.
 
Esme’s full name was Esme Anne Platt Evenson.  She was born in 1895 in Columbus, OH.  She was married at twenty-two to Charles Evenson, just before he was shipped overseas to fight in WWI. He returned in 1919.  She ran away from him in 1920, pregnant with their first child.  She lost that child in 1921 in Ashland, WI, and attempted to commit suicide–she was 26.  She was brought to the hospital where Carlisle was working nights.  Esme is 5’6" tall.
 
Carlisle is 6’2".
 
Q:  Other than Debussy, what kinds of music does Edward listen to?  Does he prefer classical or has he a favorite modern style of music?
 
A:  Edward likes a wide range of music (he has a lot of time on his hands for listening).  He likes classical, jazz, progressive metal, alternative rock, punk rock, and some emo.  He prefers indie rock to mainstream.  He doesn’t prefer rock over classical–he appreciates both.  As a general rule, he doesn’t like country.
 
Q:  Does Bella have an after school job?  I imagine her making a mess at work and getting fired for it, but that’s just me!  HA!
 
A:  Bella gets a part-time job during her first summer in Forks to save money for college.  When book two begins, she’s been working at Newton’s Olympic Outfitters for three months.  Mike Newton is her co-worker.  As son of the owners, he had some influence on her getting the job (that doesn’t come up in book two, though).

Q:  I have LOADS of questions about Esme and Carlisle.  That whole relationship and back-story is one that I nearly wrote about but decided there were just too many blanks.  Was Esme married as a human, and if so, what happened to her husband?  I can’t imagine that Esme was too thrilled to discover her attempt to end her life had transformed into an eternal existence.  It’s difficult for me to accept that Esme fell in love with Carlisle right away.  How long after her transformation was she able to see him as the gentle man we know from the book?  Any and all information about their relationship would be very helpful.

 
A:  To understand how Carlisle and Esme fell in love, you have to know Esme’s story. 
 
So you’ve seen a little be of Esme’s life above–it wasn’t so great.  Her marriage was all but arranged by her parents.  She wasn’t in love with the man she married, though she was willing to give it a try.  She wanted very much to fall in love with anyone, but she’d never met anyone that measured up to an encounter she had when she was sixteen.  I’d better describe that a bit:
 
In 1911, Esme broke her leg falling out of a tree she’d climbed.  Her family lived on a farm on the outskirts of Columbus.  The local doctor was away, and it was after dark by the time they got her to the small hospital in Columbus.  She was treated by a Dr. Cullen.  It was his last month in town (he was already claiming to be 35).  She never got over the experience.
 
Esme was the last of her friends to marry (they got married earlier back then).  She was thinking of moving West to be a schoolteacher, but her father didn’t think it was respectable for a lady to live alone in the wilds.  The son of a family friend, a man with good prospects, wanted to marry her, and her father pressured her to accept.  She was indifferent towards Charles Evenson, but not opposed to him.  She married him, and quickly found that this had been a bad decision. Charles’s public face was very different from his private face; he abused her.  Her parents counseled her to be a good wife and keep quiet.  When he was drafted, it was a huge relief to her.  When he came back, it was terrifying.
 
The pregnancy was Esme’s catalyst to escape.  She knew she wasn’t letting a child be brought into that home.  She ran to a second cousin that lived in Milwaukee, and then moved further north when word of her whereabouts leaked to her parents.  She blended in easily, pretending to be one of the many war widows.  She taught school in a small community outside Ashland.  When her baby died (lung infection) just a few days after he was born, she had nothing left.  She had no idea that Carlisle was working in the little hospital in Ashland when she jumped off the cliff outside the town.  Carlisle remembered her, of course, remembered her as the happy girl she had been at sixteen. He didn’t want her to die.
 
So you can imagine what she thought when she opened her eyes, in all that pain, and saw the face that she’d never forgotten in a decade. 
 
Hopefully that gives you some insight into how quickly and easily Esme and Carlisle’s relationship formed.  She was not really that upset to find out she was a vampire–she didn’t take it as in stride as Emmett, but she was just happy to be with the man/vampire of her dreams.  She did always have that maternal ache, and, as the physically oldest of the Cullens, she fell into a mothering role.
 
Q:  You mentioned that Rosalie and Emmett had a wedding.  What about the others?  Are Jasper and Alice married, too?
 
A:  Rosalie is all about show; Emmett loves to make her happy–hence, lots of elaborate weddings.  (When her history is public record, I think it will be more clear why she is the way she is.)  Alice and Jasper aren’t into show, but they have the deeper relationship.  They are married, but once was enough for them.  Esme and Carlisle are also married, again, just the one time.
 
Q:  How young do the vampires pretend to be and how old can they manage to pass for?  Obviously, Edward looks the youngest at 17, but the other “siblings” were in their 20s when they were changed.  Do they all claim to be the same age when they first arrive in a city?  And how long can they stay before the humans grow suspicious?  At 17, I would think Edward has a hard time passing for anything older than 25. 
 
A:  The Cullens each have their own range of ages they can get away with.  Carlisle is the key, since he likes to work as a doctor; it’s his range that dictates the length of time they can stay in one place.  Though he is only 23, he usually pretends to be somewhere from twenty-eight to thirty-five.  If no one is getting suspicious (with Edward, they can gauge that) and they like where they are, sometime they push it. They can all get away with older more easily than younger because of their mature way of speaking and acting. Edward’s range is about fifteen to mid-twenties. He has been to medical school twice (helping Carlisle keep current), but he’s never tried to practice.  He can’t handle blood the way Carlisle can.  Emmett and Jasper have a hard time passing for younger than eighteen, but with their perfect credentials (birth certificates, driver’s licenses, etc.) people tend to accept whatever story they tell.
 
Q:  Do the vampires have fangs or not?  Edward flashes his white teeth plenty of times, but at no point do we ever see his fangs.  Do they grow when they hunt?
 
A:  My vampires do not have fangs.  Their teeth are so sharp and strong that fangs are hardly necessary (they could bite through steel, if so inclined–a human neck is like butter, ha ha).  The non-vegetarian vampires don’t leave living victims (unless they are changing someone into a vampire); this isn’t the neat-and-tidy, two-small-holes-in-the-neck kind of vampire attack that you see in other vampire mythologies.
 
Q:  Do the vampires have blood in their veins even though their heart no longer pumps?  What would happen if they were cut or injured in some way?
 
A:  Most human fluids are absent in my vampires.  No sweat, no tears, no blood besides that which they ingest–they don’t have their own blood.  They do sort of have saliva–the venom makes their mouths wet, at least.  When they drink blood, it runs through their body and makes them strong.  It floods through their old blood ways, though they don’t have circulation anymore.  It lightens their eyes* and flushes their skin slightly.
 
*This reminds me of a question I’ve answered recently.  I thought it was pretty obvious, but then, I tend to do think everything is obvious (one of my editor’s greatest tasks is getting me to explain myself more thoroughly).  Vampires who drink human blood have dark reddish irises that fade to black as they get thirstier.  If a Cullen were to drink human blood, his/her eyes would turn burgundy.  It takes about two weeks without blood for vampire eyes to go entirely black.  If that Cullen then returned to an animal diet, his/her eyes would return to dark gold.
 
Another eye note: brand-newly created vampires are recognizable by their eyes, which are a vivid, bright red due to the massive amount of human blood (the blood that was already in the human at the time he/she was changed) that lingers in the tissues.  That red fades slowly over the course of a year.  New vampires are also immensely strong for their first year of life, also a product of the excess of blood left in the body.  This residual blood does nothing to affect thirst–young vampires are always thirsty.
 
And since we’re talking physiology…I’ve had tons of people ask if vampires can have babies.  The answer is no.  When someone becomes a vampire, it’s as if they are frozen exactly as they are in that moment.  His or her (and we’ll go with her because it’s more central to this discussion) body no longer experiences change.  Hair does not grow, nor do fingernails (if you cut your hair, you’re stuck.  That’s why Alice’s hair is so short–it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum).  This applies to all changes–so a woman would no longer have any kind of ovulation cycle.  If she were already pregnant when she was bitten, both she and the fetus would be frozen in that state.  Which would really suck–pregnant for eternity?  I’m shuddering at the thought.
 
If a vampire were cut, there would only be blood if he/she had freshly drunk blood (and drunk a lot).  Otherwise, there would only be a bit of venom.  It would be like cutting into granite.
 
Q:  I didn’t ask any more at the start, worried that I had already asked too much, but as you can see, Stephenie had more to tell me.
 
A:  Okay, now let’s see what random details I can remember…
 
The Denali coven keeps getting cut out of the story.  For the record, they are Tanya, Kate (Katrina) and Irina–originally Slavic, and they think of themselves as sisters, though they are not biologically so.  They are all almost a thousand years old.  It was just the three of them for many centuries, and then Carmen and Eleazar joined them, attracted by their peaceful lifestyle.  Tanya, Kate, and Irina had an interesting path that led them to "vegetarianism": they are the originals behind the myths of the succubus.  Their fondness for human men eventually led them to feel remorse for their victims, and they slowly trained themselves to resist human blood.  They still like men, though.  Kate and Eleazar are "talented" like Edward and Alice, but I’m not saying more than that.  (Tanya gets a brief cameo in my Twilight-from-Edward’s-perspective).  Eleazar is a man.  He and Carmen (his true love) are both Spanish, only three to four hundred years old, and they joined the succubus sisters later on.  Eleazar has quite a history, which, right now, only shows up in Forever Dawn.
 
Something else that has not appeared in the story thus far: hobbies.  Carlisle has his medical obsession, of course.  Edward likes to collect cars.  Rosalie has a mechanical gift and likes cars, too (more to tinker with than to drive or collect)–it’s one of the only things that she and Edward have in common.  Esme is into architecture and restoration–she’s responsible for the house.  She likes to restore historical fixer-uppers.  Alice loves to shop.  Emmett likes competition–in any form.  Jasper is very scholarly.
 
One last thing–there are laws, or really, just one law, to being a vampire: you have to keep a low profile.  Exposure is not allowed.  And who is not allowing it?  Ha ha ha–read New Moon.

All of the Cullen family in ‘Twilight’ are described as breathtakingly beautiful; in fact, this and their aloofness in the cafeteria of the school is the first thing that draws Bella’s attention towards them.

"Their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful." (TW1)
Although Bella is immediately drawn to Edward, we have frequent repetition of just how attractive all of the vampires are. Carlisle is described as looking "more like a model than a doctor" (TW24), Rosalie is so gorgeous that "the perfect blonde girl" (TW1) is "beyond belief", Emmett and Jasper are "intimidating and flawless", Alice is "striking" (TW Epilogue), and Edward is described as "dazzling" (TW2) and "too beautiful to be real" (TW13). Esme, whilst not as prominent in the novel as the others, still "had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them" (TW 13).
We discover that their perfect "marble" (TW13) features are merely part of their arsenal of weapons to make them enticing to their prey.

Ironically, many of the words Bella chooses to describe the vampires are an inversion of the stereotypical beliefs about the creatures. Edward is frequently described as an "angel" (TW23) or mention is made of "his angel’s face" (TW13). His eyes are "golden" at times (TW13) and the constant reinforcement of the positive imagery and implications supports the fact that the Cullens are, indeed, an altogether different version of vampire to that covered by legend.

It is worth noting that in Meyer’s world the transformation from human to vampire intensifies everything, including looks.
"The change into a vampire makes an average person stunning and a beautiful person absolutely beyond breath-taking. The reason Rosalie is such a beautiful vampire is because she was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, New York when she was human." (PC4)
Therefore, as Meyer herself concludes, all of the Cullens were physically attractive to start with, and their transition to vampire state merely enhances what was already there in much the same way that Carlisle believed that a person’s greatest gift was taken with them (such as Esme’s capacity for love) and made stronger.

Their movements are described as fluent and fluid, very graceful. Alice’s movements in particular are equated with being like "dancing’, and are set in stark contrast to Bella’s own clumsiness.

The uncivilised vampires are described somewhat differently, their walk being "catlike" and "on the edge of shifting into a crouch" (TW18). The woman is described as having a posture that is "distinctly feline" (TW18) From their description alone, they are seen as far more animalistic, wild and uncontrolled than the "urbane" (TW18) Cullens, although they are capable of cursory civility.

James is the only vampire in the book who isn’t described as attractive; in fact he is "nondescript" (TW18). Meyer explains this as James:
"was quite unattractive as a human. This is rare, because even vampires are drawn by beauty. They tend to, when looking for companionship, choose exceptional humans." (PC4)

Full Name: Jacob Black

Status: Werewolf – Alpha

Date of Birth: 1990

Originally from: Forks, WA

Hair color: Black (TW6)

Eye color: Brown (TW6)

Height: 6’7″ (EC3)

Physical description: Long, glossy hair in a pony tail, beautiful skin, a hint of childish roundness to his chin (TW6) In his wolf form, Jacob’s coat is a rusty brown color. (NM10)  He cut his hair very short after his transformation (NM11), but let it grow back out later on. (EC4)

Occupation: Protect the LaPush area from Vampires

Family members: His mother, Sarah, died many years ago and he has twin older sisters, Rachel and Rebecca. (TW6) He has imprinted on Renesmee Cullen. (BD18)

Hobbies: Fixing up cars and motorcycles

Personal history:
Jacob met Bella at First Beach about two months after she arrived in town.  He told Bella the story of his ancestors making a treaty with the “cold ones”.  It was Jacob’s great-grandfather who helped make the treaty. (TW6)

Although Jacob didn’t believe the superstitions of his father or ancestors, he delivered a message to Bella that the Quileutes “will be watching” and a suggestion that she should break up with her boyfriend.  Bella refuses. (TW Ep)

After Edward left Bella later that September, she showed up at Jacob’s house wanting help fixing up two broken down motorcycles. (NM5)  Their friendship grew and Jacob hoped that someday they could be more than friends.

Jacob, as well as most of the boys on the Rez, experienced amazing growth spurts. (NM5)  Even though the boys are in their mid-teen years, they appeared to be in their twenties.  One by one, the boys joined in with Sam and his odd little cult. (NM6)

After going out with Bella to a movie, Jacob went home feeling very ill. (NM9)  At home, Jacob mysteriously changed into a creature he didn’t understand.  He was very tall with paws instead of hands and when he spoke, he growled.  It was later explained to him that he was a werewolf and that having the vampires nearby was what triggered the change at the onset of puberty. (SWM)  Because his anger is too difficult to control right now, Jacob was told to stay away from Bella. (NM10)

Jacob and the other wolves tracked down Laurent in the woods and found him with Bella.(NM10)  They raced after him, tore him apart, and killed him. (NM13)  Later, Jacob managed to leave a suggestion with Bella that lead her to realize he was a werewolf.

Once Bella knew, Jacob included Bella in most of the LaPush activities and even agreed to take her cliff diving.  While tracking Victoria, Jacob saw Bella jump off the cliff on her own.  He dove into the water and saved her. (NM15)

Soon after Alice returned to Forks, Harry Clearwater died of a heart attack.  Jacob was at the Swan home when the phone rang.  Jacob answered it and told a man who he assumed was Carlisle that Charlie was at a funeral.  In reality, the person was Edward and he assumed that Charlie was at Bella’s funeral.  Jacob stayed behind while Alice and Bella raced off to Italy to save Edward. (NM18)

When Edward and Bella returned, Jacob made sure Bella was grounded by showing Charlie the motorcycles.  He then reminded Edward that the treaty they have with the vampires states that the vampires are not to bite a human.  Bite, not kill. (NM Ep)

Jacob stayed away from Bella for the few weeks she was grounded, avoiding her phone calls and only sending her a very choppy note explaining why he couldn’t see her.  (EC1)  Along with his pack, he tracked down Victoria and ended up getting into a disagreement with the vampires over who had the right to track her.  (EC4)

He feared the worst when Bella went away with Edward for a weekend and broke his silence when she returned by calling Bella to make sure she was still human.  The next day, he went to Bella’s school to talk to Edward about the situation with Victoria.  (EC3)  But he wasn’t granted time alone with Bella until she ran off to LaPush to visit him without permission.  He told Bella about Victoria and more about his biology.  (EC5)  Later, he “kidnapped” Bella away from her “imprisonment” with the Cullens and learned that she intended to join their family very soon, which made him very angry.  (EC8)  He tried to call Bella later on and apologize, but she wouldn’t talk to him.  (EC9)

When the scent of an unknown vampire was picked up in Bella’s room, Jacob jumped at the request to help track him down.  (EC10)  With a new agreement in place, Jacob invited Bella to come to a tribal council to hear about the werewolf legends.  (EC11)  He even went so far one night as to tell Bella that he is in love with her.  (EC14)

With the information that Victoria may be behind the newborn vampires in Seattle and the break in at Bella’s home, (EC16) Jacob and his pack formed an alliance with the Cullens to not only protect Bella, but also stop the newborns from attacking anyone else. (EC17)  He helped carry Bella away from where the battle would happen, up a mountain where they camp for the night. (EC21) Freezing in the cold, Jacob held Bella in his arms as she slept and talked with Edward about his relationship with Bella.   (EC22)   In the morning, he heard that Bella agreed to marry Edward and made his good-byes to Bella where she gave him a real kiss before he left to go fight in the battle. (EC23)  While Leah was trying to take down a newborn on her own, Jacob stepped in and was wounded.  Carlisle examined him and found that he was healing, but slowly.  (EC25)

After the battle Bella came to see Jacob and told him that even though she loved him, she can’t live without Edward and has chosen him.  (EC26)  An undetermined amount of time later, Jacob received a wedding invitation from Edward.  The impact and implication broke Jacob’s heart and he ran off to be alone. (EC Ep)

Jacob stayed away for months, somewhere in Northern Canada and lived off instinct rather than human emotions.   He kept contact with his pack, but didn’t speak to them. (BD1) Even though he didn’t attend Bella and Edward’s wedding, Jacob decided to go to the reception.  With Edward’s approval, Jacob and Bella danced.  Jacob said it wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be to see Bella married.  (BD4)

Jacob and Bella continued to talk.  He asked Bella when she would be changed and she told him it wouldn’t be for a few weeks because she was going on her honeymoon first.  Jacob realized what Bella meant about going on a real honeymoon and he reacted badly.  It was almost more repulsive to him than her being changed.  Edward and Seth came to calm Jacob.  Sam and another wolf appeared as well to control him.  Jacob threatened to kill Edward, but eventually he moved further into the darkness away from the wedding party. (BD4)

Jacob remained at home after the wedding. An unusual number of wolves have imprinted, and Jacob spent time talking to Quil about it.  Jacob admires how Quil behaves with Clair.  While they are at the beach they heard a low howl, Sam. (BD8)
When the pack arrived Seth explained that Charlie called and was freaked out because Bella had returned and was quarantined due to a rare disease she caught while in South America.  Even though Jacob was instantly ready to fight, the others were not as ready because Bella made a choice.  Sam decided that they will not fight the Cullens for Bella’s choice.  Determined to fight, Jacob headed to the Cullen’s alone, stopping at home to say good-bye to his father first. (BD8)

When Jacob arrived home Billy was waiting outside to talk to him.  Realizing what Jacob was going to do, Billy begged him to leave Bella and the Cullens alone.  Jacob took the phone cord and left.  (CH 9)

Carlisle answered the door and refused to let Jacob in, but Bella called out for him to enter. The first thing Jacob noticed was the half-crazed look in Edward’s eyes.  Then he saw Bella and realized she was still human and very pregnant.  Edward demanded to see Jacob outside and explained that the baby was killing Bella and the he wanted to get rid.  However, Bella, wanting to keep the baby, has asked Rosalie to protect her.  Edward told Jacob that he wanted him to talk to her and convince her that if she wants a baby to have one with Jacob.   Jacob and Edward made a deal that the second Bella dies Jacob will kill Edward. (Ch 9)

Jacob agreed to talk with Bella but refused to offer to have babies with her.  As Jacob and Bella talked he realized that he was going to be in pain later.  Bella tells Jacob she believes everything will be ok because there is magic especially for him.  Jacob left Bella after she told him she won’t give up the baby even if it will kill her.  Jacob phases outside of the Cullen house and immediately Sam demands him home.  All of the wolves saw what happened to Bella and none of them understand.  Sam decided that the pack must attack the Cullens and destroy the abomination.  Jacob was not in agreement.  Sam also realized that by killing the child they will also have to kill Bella.  Sam commanded Jacob to fight the Cullens with the pack. (BD 10)

Jacob realized that he was born to be the alpha and defied Sam’s order.  Sam was shocked by Jacob’s decision.  Jacob went to the Cullens and told them of Sam’s plan and Seth followed Jacob becoming part of his pack. Jacob and Seth helped the Cullens patrol waiting for the pack to arrive.(BD 11)  The next day Leah came to Jacob and told him she had left Sam’s pack.  Later that day Jacob visited Bella and realized she was worse than before.  As he and Carlisle talked Edward over heard Jacob’s thoughts.  They realized that they needed to feed Bella blood.  Jacob was less than thrilled that this was somehow his idea.(BD 12)

Four members of the pack showed up to talk with Jacob.  Jared represented the pack and try tried to call to convince Jacob and the others to return home, they refused.(BD 13)    Jacob returned to inform the CUllens of what happened with the pack.  Edward told him he could he him even though they were over 3 miles away.   Edward said he could hear Jacob clearly because his voice had become familiar. Edward spoke privately to Jacob about his pack being homeless.  He offered them help with food, clothing and anything else they would need. (BD 14)

Alice needed Jacob to be close to her in order to help with the headaches she has around the fetus.  Rosalie and Jacob continue to dislike and insult each other.   Bella told Jacob that when he is around she feels complete and that he is supposed to be a part of her life. (BD 15)  Jacob realized he was the only one hating the baby once Edward could read it’s mind.(BD 16) Jacob drove to a different city and tried to find someone to imprint on. Edward asked Jacob to give him permission to change Bella because as Ephriam’s heir he is the only one that can give permission (BD 17)

Jacob was at the house when Bella went into labor.  He actually helped keep Bella alive to give birth. Jacob thought Bella was dead and went to attack Rosalie and Renesme only to imprint on Renesme. (BD 18) Jacob made Bella test if she could be around humans with him before she could see Renesme even though Bella didn’t understand why.  Later Bella realized that Jacob imprinted on Renesme and she lunged at him but Seth jumped in the way. (BD 22)

Jacob and Sam discovered that Alphas can talk to each other while in wolf form. (BD 23) Jacob realized that the Cullens would have to leave Forks so he tells Charlie about him being a werewolf in order to make him understand Bella is different now.  Charlie doesn’t want to know the specifics about Jacob or Bella. (BD 26)

Jacob made Leah his Beta. (BD 27) Plans were made for the Cullens to go to Brazil to inquire about hybrid vampires and Jacob is determined to go with them. (BD 28) Alice had a vision of the Volturi coming for Renesme and Jacob swore his packs allegiance to protect the Cullens.  (BD 30)  The Cullens gathered witnesses to vouch for Renesme and Jacob managed to be at the Cullens even with all the outside vampires being around. (BD 32)

The Volturi came to punish the Cullens and Aro is taken with the wolves.  He wanted them as guard dogs.  While the Aro, Caius, and Marcus conferred Bella gave Renesme to Jacob to take away from the battle and protect her. (BD 37)  Jacob talked with the Cullens after the battle and realized that the wolves actually played a large part in deterring the Volturi. (BD 39)

Portrayed in the films by: Taylor Lautner

Full Name: Eric Yorkie (PC4)

Status: Human

Date of Birth: 1988

Originally from: Forks, WA

Hair color: black (PC4)

Eye color: brown (PC4)

Height: 6’3” (PC4)

Physical description: Hair that always looks greasy – poor complexion (PC4)

Occupation: Student at Forks High School (Graduated Valedictorian)

Family members:

Nick Names:

Hobbies:

Personal history: Eric, “the geek” (PC4), was the first one to offer Bella any help at the school. (TW1)  He was in her English class with Mr. Mason. Eric was not a big fan of Mike Newton; he glared at him when Mike was near Bella (TW2) and threw a snowball at him (TW2). Eric may have considered Mike “competition” for Bella because Eric tried to ask Bella to the girls-choice spring dance. (TW4) Eric also asked out Jessica Stanley on a date (NM4). After Bella emerges from her “dark time” following Edward’s departure, she noticed that Eric was sitting with Katie Marshall, a redheaded junior. (EC6) Eric and Katie dated and enjoyed each other so much that they celebrated small milestones like their three-week anniversary (EC9). Eric was the valedictorian at the Forks graduation ceremony and the content and style of his speech did not impress Bella because he spoke too fast and uttered the usual platitudes (EC16).  Eric brought Katie as his date to the Forks party of the year at the Cullens’ house (EC17). His post-graduation plans were unknown.

Prepared by: Lady Di

Full Name: Mike Newton

Status: Human

Date of Birth: 1988

Originally from: California

Hair color: pale blond (PC4)

Eye color: washed out blue eyes (PC4)

Height: 5’11” (PC4)

Physical description: cute, baby-faced, gelled hair in spikes (TW1) – After the summer, though, “his face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way; instead of bristly, it was longer and gelled into a carefully casual disarray”, a look inspired by Edward. (NM1)

Bella often described him as a golden retriever (TW1).

Occupation: Student (graduated) at Forks High School – worked at his father’s store: Newton’s Outfitters

Family members: Father – Mr. Newton; Mother – Mrs. Newton: “Nice kid – nice family.” (TW2)

Nick Names:

Car: Surburban (NM9)

Hobbies: athletics and the outdoors – ie snowball fights (TW2), volleyball (TW2), hiking near tidal pools (TW6), badminton (TW11)

Personal history: Mike Newton was “the nicest person” Bella met on her first day of school in Forks, Washington (TW1) because he offered to direct her to class and chatted with her. Mike was in Bella’s English, Biology, and gym class during her junior year. Bella’s relief turned to consternation when Mike’s attention became “overly friendly” and attentive (TW2).  Mike was not as friendly to Edward. During the lead-up to the girls-choice spring dance, Mike declined Jessica’s invitation because he was hoping Bella would ask him. (TW4) Instead, at Bella’s suggestion, Mike asked out Jessica Stanley, but their relationship did not survive the summer of 2005. (TW7 – NM1).

During senior year, Mike shared Bella’s Spanish and English class. After Bella recovered from her breakdown when Edward left, Mike was the first to engage her in a real conversation (NM6) and to “forgive [her] for being crazy” (NM7).  Not too long after that, he asked her out, but was turned down. (NM7)  Mike continued to hope for something more than a friendship; he went to a movie with Bella and Jacob but became ill with a 24-hour stomach bug (NM9). Mike was jealous of Jacob’s relationship with Bella (NM15) and when Edward returned in the middle of senior year, Mike’s friendship with Bella deteriorated (EC1). After they witnessed an altercation between Jacob and Edward, Mike initiated a wager with his friends on who would win in a fight; Mike bet on Jacob (EC3). Mike and Bella’s friendship held firm enough that he attended both Bella’s graduation party at the Cullens’ house (EC17) and her wedding (BD4). Mike renewed his on-again, off-again relationship with Jessica Stanley when he escorted her to an out-of-town concert shortly after graduation (EC20) and held hands in the receiving line after the wedding (BD4). Mike Newton was the man that “caught” the thrown garter at the reception (BD4) and Edward was irritated with Mike’s “improper thoughts about a married woman” (BD4) – Mike still held a torch for Bella Swan-Cullen.

Portrayed in the films by: Mike Welsh

Prepared by: Lady Di

Full Name: Tyler Crowley

Status: Human

Date of Birth: 1988

Originally from:  Forks, WA

Hair color: Brown (PC4)

Eye color: Brown (PC4)

Height: 6’1” (PC4)

Physical description: More tan than the rest of the Forks teens (PC4)

Occupation: Currently enrolled at Forks High School

Family members: Beth Crowley, mother / father (unnamed)

Car Model: dark blue van (TW3), followed by a used Sentra (TW4)

Nick Names:

Hobbies: Athletics

Personal history: Tyler was driving the van that nearly crushed Bella in the school parking lot. (TW3) He suffered multiple cuts to his face as a result of the accident. After that incident, he sought out Bella’s attention beyond their shared Government class “to make amends” and asked her to the spring dance. When she said no he assumed that she would go to prom with him instead (TW4) and announced his intentions to many other students (TW8). Tyler drove to Bella’s house to pick her up for prom and Edward enjoyed telling Tyler via cell phone that Bella was unavailable (TWEp).In September of their senior year, Tyler continued to sit at the same lunch table as Bella and Edward, though with some distance (NM1). Tyler spoke often to Lauren Mallory; he tried to convince her that there was a huge beast wandering the forest (NM6) and when Lauren asked him to bail on the Bella-initiated group movie venture, he made sure he had prior plans so he wouldn’t go (NM9). Tyler was an eager witness to Edward and Jacob’s argument in front of Forks High School (EC3) and was disappointed that the two did not fight – Tyler placed a $10 bet with Ben, Mike and Austin that in a confrontation, Edward would win. Tyler and Mike Newton enjoyed spending time together; they planned a trip to Seattle but were thwarted by their mothers who did not want their sons visiting a city with so many unsolved murders (EC4). After graduation, Bella’s father spent a long time chatting with Tyler’s parents at the restaurant (EC16). Tyler attended the Cullens’ graduation party (EC17) but he did not appear to have been a guest at Bella’s wedding.

Portrayed in the film by: Gregory Tyree Boyce

Prepared by: Lady Di

Full Name: Jessica Stanley

Status: Human

Date of Birth: 1988

Originally from: Forks, WA

Hair color: Brown

Eye color:

Height: 5’1″ (TW1)

Physical description: Tiny, but her wild, curly hair makes up for the fact. (TW1)

Occupation: Student at Forks High School (graduated)

Family members: Only child – her mom works at the bank and is the town gossip (PC4)

Nick Names: Jess (TW4)

Personal History: Jessica Stanley was in Bella’s Trig and Spanish class during junior year (TW1) Jessica chatted animatedly with Bella right away on her first day of school about the beautiful but aloof Cullen family (TW1) Jessica was romantically interested in Edward but she never approached him because he exuded disinterest (PC9) and her unkind comments about the gorgeous boy led Bella to suspect as much. Bella and Jessica often sat together at lunch and Jessica often spent it giggling or gossiping – Bella thought “Jessica enjoyed [my] inexplicable popularity more than [my] actual company” (TW4).  Ever curious for social news to spread, Jessica questioned Bella about when she sat with Edward in the cafeteria (TW6), when she had dinner with Edward in Port Angeles (TW9), and their emerging relationship (TW10). Jessica dated Mike Newton during the last few months of their junior year but the relationship didn’t last the summer. (TW17 – NM1)

Jessica was offended by Bella’s anti-social behavior in the fall of their senior year (NM4) but Bella chose Jessica as her companion for her first post-Edward outing, because “only minimal interaction would be required” (NM4). Jessica and Bella went to Port Angeles to watch Dead End, a zombie movie. Enroute, Jessica mentioned that she dated both Conner and Eric Yorkie. On their way to McDonalds after the movie, Bella acted extremely odd and Jessica got scared and then mad. (NM4) Jessica was unenthusiastic about Bella’s return from her “zombie state” (NM6–MN7) and became less friendly; Bella described the change as “Jessica had crossed over to the dark side” (NM10). Jessica refused to attend a group movie night because Bella was the initial planner (NM9). Instead, Jessica became closer friends with Lauren Mallory and Bella’s “first friend in Forks … seemed content to go along with [Lauren’s] anti-Bella agenda” (EC1). Bella realized that Jessica’s interest in her was “just morbidly curious or looking for gossip” (EC6). During the graduation ceremony Jessica stood in line behind Bella and was unusually friendly to Bella, “due to graduation nostalgia and gratitude for the party invite” (EC16). She informed Bella that she would be going to college in California. Just before she left for university, Jessica dated Mike Newton again and even went as his date to Bella’s wedding.

Prepared by: Lady Di