In fact, we have just had one in to order the new title,' said Lesley Agnew, owner of the Children's Bookshop in Muswell Hill, north London, which stocks the whole Twilight series. 'Sales are up because girls, mostly teenage girls, often come in asking for them, having been recommended by friends. In Britain, Meyer's titles are being boosted by word-of-mouth recommendations. I can just imagine how hard it was for him.

This was a typically breathless fan web posting: 'That first chapter gave us such a big insight on what's going on through Edward's head, and it gave me a much better understanding how hard it must've been for him to resist Bella's blood.' A fellow fan, Vampgirl9, replied in what must be called a similar vein: 'That single chapter let me know him so much better. In May, as a teaser, Meyer released a preview chapter from the new book. Internet chat speculation about the direction Meyer will take next has been fevered and the scale of the launch event echoes the launches of the last few Harry Potter titles. The novel promises to bring to a close the story of ordinary high-school girl Bella Swan and her fellow student and love interest, 'vegetarian vampire' Edward Cullen. On Saturday, 2 August, thousands of Meyer's fans, many clad in the outfits of her characters, will gather at midnight parties at more than 4,000 bookshops in the US to grab a copy of Breaking Dawn, the latest and final part in Meyer's vampire series, The Twilight Saga. Yet, though Meyer's books draw on vampire lore, they are perhaps closer to the work of British teen cult novelists such Jacqueline Wilson or Louise Rennison, concerned with sex and morality. She already has the publishing world chattering about the next JK Rowling.

Stephenie meyer mormon