Stephenie Meyer fans all over the world are devastated.
They loved the first four books in the vampire romance "Twilight Saga," including the best-sellers "Twilight," "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" — all told from the perspective of the heroine, Bella.
Those fans were anxiously awaiting "Midnight Sun" — a retelling of "Twilight," this time from the perspective of the vampire, Edward.
But because the first 12 chapters of the book were leaked illegally on the Internet, the author has said the book may never see the light of day.
"I really think that it is a bummer," said 16-year-old Ashley Bard of Methuen, who devoured each of the four previous books in less than 48 hours.
Rosemary Kann, a 13-year-old from Haverhill, was also disappointed.
"It's a bit of a letdown that someone would spoil the surprise for us," she said. "It's very sad."
Meyer's books have sold more than 6 million copies domestically, making her a household name — especially in those households where there are teenage girls. Most fans cite the dreamy character of Edward Cullen, a gorgeous vampire frozen forever at 17, as the reason they love the series.
"He's such a great character," gushed 15-year-old Brittany Beaumier of Salem, N.H.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating this book, thanks in part to Meyer's discussion of its progress on her Web site. Some fans have been following its progress closely, and were shocked to find out it might not get published.
SDLqI saw the cover for the new book and I was all excited," Bard said. "Then I heard on the news she is not going to do it any more. That really irritates me."
Meyer isn't a happy camper herself. She said on her Web site, Stepheniemeyer.com, "My partial draft of "Midnight Sun" was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher."
Meyer believes she knows who did it, though she doesn't name the culprit. She doesn't believe someone posted the information maliciously, yet the damage is done.
"I did not want my readers to experience "Midnight Sun" before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being," she wrote.
Therefore, Meyer is putting the writing of "Midnight Sun" on hold indefinitely, saying she's too upset to continue.
"Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything," she wrote.
Meyer posted the draft of her book on her Web site, so fans could see what she was working on.
However Sara Kerr, a 14-year-old from Methuen, can't bear to look at it.
"I really was looking forward to 'Midnight Sun,'" she said.
"I really like the books from Bella's point of view, but I really like Edward and the Cullens."
Beaumier hopes Meyer will eventually reconsider and get back to work on the book.
"What's the point in reading the first 12 chapters?" she asked.
