Review: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

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The first book in the Twilight saga as said by the author in the Amazon interview is about finding true love and is conveniently entitled Twilight. Stephenie Meyer was partial to calling it Forks, the name of the little town Bella goes to live. Her name was chosen because Stephenie Meyer would have named her daughter that if she had one. It fit so nicely with Edward. Bella's full name is Isabella Swan.

Isabella goes to live in Forks, a little town that really does exist on the map on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Forks is full of rain. It never stops raining. It rains so much you never dry out. Isabella is horrified at the idea of returning to her childhood home to live with her father, Charlie, but she is going to go through with it. Bella is like that. Once she has made up her mind she won't change it. The agonizing and worrying and doubting happens during the decision making process only.

Bella moves to Forks so her mother Renee can move around from place to place with her second (new) husband Phil and not feel guilty. She wants her mother to be happy and by going to Forks she'll make Charlie happy. She's going to miss the sunshine and heat of Arizona. But most of all, Bella is going to miss how easily she blended despite her pale skin into the crowds of her large high school. Forks is small and can not hold a secret. Bella is afraid of her first day of sophomore year. She doesn't want to stick out like the clumsy sore thumb she is but knows she will.

At school things were going like she predicted and in ways she wasn't expecting. Boys were paying attention to her, she was the center of attention, and at lunch the most beautiful kids were staring at her. Who were they? Why did suddenly, the most handsome look up and glare at her? At the table sat the Cullens. Each was adopted by Dr. Carlisle and his wife Esme. They didn't hang out with anybody in school. Bella was told they thought themselves better than the rest.

But this did not explain the youngest Cullens' behavior. Why did he act like he couldn't stand her when she had done nothing to him? Why did he try to change out of biology before the school day was over? Why did he skip so much school? Was it to avoid her? Edward Cullens mystified Isabella Swan. That was until she found out he was a vampire. Then it made sense.

The Cullens are different from other vampires. The first of which I can't say since it is fun to hear of it in the third book. The second is because they are in their own terms, ‘vegetarians.' They choose to drink animal blood over human. You can tell when vampires shy from human blood because their irises are gold and not blood red. Bella can tell when Edward is thirsty or mad simply by the color of his irises. At first he is surprised, but then he relaxes. After all she was observant enough to notice he was a vampire when others simply ignored all the signs.

The sentence structure of Twilight is a little choppy and hard to get into. The story picks up, right where the author first dreamed about it. Stephenie Meyer wrote the scene in the meadow first and finished the story before returning to write the beginning. Beginnings are hard, and if you can push past the first one hundred to one-hundred-and-fifty pages then it gets good. That is when the story becomes captivating and hard to put down. Edward and Bella is a classic that only gets better.

Rating: 4 Stars

Buy: Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

Originally posted 2008-12-01 01:36:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Between the Sheets with Rebecca Rogers, Narrator of Maestro’s Butterfly

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Between the Sheets is a play on words, not only referring to sex and the bedsheets but also to the pages of a book. This section of the blog is dedicated to going beyond the printed page to learn more about the industry, the parts usually forgotten by the time the product hits the shelves. Today's special guest is Rebecca Rogers, the narrator of The Maestro's Butterfly, to talk about audio books... and more specifically erotica audio books.

How did you get started in book narration?

My family and I own a Renaissance Festival in Washington State. One of our vendors asked me if I had ever thought about recording audio books. I told her that it was a dream of mine. She happened to be one of the cover artists for a local audio book company and was able to get me an audition!

What was the first book you narrated?

My first book was Bound To Die by Brian Lutterman.

What’s your favorite part about narrating?

bedsheetsI love performing and storytelling. Making a story come alive is like magic!

In your opinion, what is the hardest aspect of the whole narration process?

The most challenging aspect for me is doing the author justice. Not having direct contact with most authors, I have to use my best judgment when developing a character’s voice.

Did you feel strange narrating erotica?

No, I didn’t feel strange at all! It was new territory for me, admittedly, but I had a lot of fun with it. I also wanted to sound genuine. It was a challenge that quite often had me laughing!

What do you do to prep for a new narration?

Research is vital. Most importantly I need to KNOW the characters. I try to nail it the first take to minimize corrections. In order to do this I need to know my pronunciations, know when a character has an accent and be familiar with the setting.

Tell us about the narrating process after prep!

Most recently my process has been relatively solitary. I come to the studio with my water and apple slices having prepared several chapters for recording. I act as my own engineer, punching and rolling when I make a mistake. When my session is done I load my files onto a hard drive for my engineer. Once the engineer has listened and we’ve made any corrections we call it a wrap!

I really enjoyed your rendition of Maestro’s Butterfly, how did you decide on the character voices?

Thank you! Maestro’s Butterfly was especially fun for me. Vampires have intrigued me for many years. I pulled some inspiration from Anne Rice’s vampire Lestat who was also French and had a vicious side. I also enjoyed playing with lead characters who were so diametrically opposed to each other; strong/male/foreign/exotic vs. lost/feminine/naive/southern. Such fun!

Besides Maestro’s Butterfly what other books have you done, either for Ravenous Romance or other publishers?

For Ravenous Romance I have read The Brotherhood: To Slay or to Lay by Elizabeth Miette, Haunted Seduction by Morgan James and Destiny's Jewel by Rachel Kenley. With Blackstone Audio I have read Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Framed by Carolyn Keene, Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Dressed to Steal by Carolyn Keene, The Shiloh Renewal by Joan Leslie Woodruff, Foul Play by Tori Carrington, and many others.

And finally, why should people listen to audio books?

Audio books offer another level on which authors can reach their readers. Audio books are an exciting way to “hear” your favorite characters come to life. They bring you closer to the work.

Thank you so much Rebecca! It's been a pleasure to listen and to talk with you!

Photo Credits: Frederic della Faille

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