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Friday, November 30, 2012

Do you love tea? Are you an excitable fangirl/fanboy? You're gonna love this

Back in October, I was excited to see that Jamba Juice had an anticipatory smoothie specifically created for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2.


(I saw Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 on Monday, by the way. *Possible Spoilers* I really liked it - except the part where I learned I am NOT ready for anything bad to happen to Carlisle Cullen. In Alice's vision when Carlisle was killed by Aro, I think I was more upset than Esme was. Fortunately, it was only a vision. I should've remembered there was a happy ending, but it's been several years since I read the book.)

Today, thanks to the magic of Tumblr, I learned there's something even better - Adagio Teas' Fandom Signature Blends line. Remember when I said I wanted drinks to go with all of my favorite books (I specifically mentioned a Thin Red Cranberry-Lime smoothie)? This is probably the closest thing on the earth.

The Twilight fandom gets its set of teas - including a Carlisle blend.


The other vampire franchises have signature tea blends, too. There are some for The Vampire Diaries. This one actually sounds like kind of a weird combination (sour apple, sesame and vanilla), but it's Stefan, so I might like it.

Not left out of the fun is True Blood. This one actually looks like it's red.


(While we're on the subject of True Blood, Season 6 spoilers are already starting to appear. So are some spoilers - or at least the synopsis - for Dead Ever After, Charlaine Harris' final Sookie Stackhouse novel.)

Harry Potter has not one, but several tea collections. One is specifically devoted to potions.


I don't really have a favorite favorite character from the Harry Potter series (other than Harry, of course), but right near the top of my list is Remus Lupin. If only there was a Tonks tea...and it changed color...


The Hunger Games trilogy is also represented; you can get blends including Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Cinna, Rue and Finnick. You can also "ship" two teas and get them together - the Katniss and Peeta combo, for example. So cool.


These are the fandoms that most interest me - all book-related. There are others: Adventure Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter, Dr. Who, Firefly, Game of Thrones, Legend of Korra, Sailor Moon, Supernatural, Teen Wolf and, of course, The Avengers. It wouldn't really be a collection of fandoms unless there was a Loki tea. (It contains gunpowder.)

I'm really going to freak out if someone creates a Person of Interest fandom (Irrelevant) tea collection. Obviously, Finch's would be a sencha green tea. The Reese tea would probably also have gunpowder. Carter's would have notes of jasmine. The Bear tea would taste like doughnuts.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with Adagio Teas. I just think they're cool. I haven't tasted them yet, so I can't tell you what any of these blends taste like. Some are herbal, and some have caffeine.

Organic Butterfly Pea Flower Tea - this is an affiliate link

Monday, November 26, 2012

Five Cafés in Paris That Would Make Picasso Proud


In the age of the internet café and free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, I was wondering, where can you get that old school “I’ll take three hours to drink this artisan latté” experience? We’re talking about the real deal of café culture, the kind of place you could picture Picasso kicking back to enjoy a charcuterie plate and afternoon glass (or bottle) of wine. Obviously any café that could ever come close to offering this much intellectual swagger would be located in Paris. Whether you’re looking for things to do in Paris while pondering the ideas of existentialism, or just want to get tipsy on a quaint side street with European hipsters, the City of Light has a café for you.

Rosa Bonheur

Looking for a place to spend a quintessentially artsy, quintessentially French night out? Rosa Bonheur, named after the famous free-spirited, pants-wearing Parisian bohemian painter is a hot spot to while away a late night enjoying some delicious sangria in a carefree atmosphere. The café originally opened in 2008, but has only recently gained popularity as a pretension-free hangout spot for hip families, fashionistas, art scenesters and local Parisian hipsters. You can get a bottle of wine for a reasonable price (15 euros!), and dance the night away in the charming wood-framed café or outside on the lawn. Café Rosa Bonheur is located in the 19th Arrondissement and is accessible through the gates at 7 rue Botzaris.

Le Sans Souci

Le Sans Souci is a charming dive bar and café located in the middle of the popular Pigalle section of Paris. The laid-back attitude at Le Sans Souci – which literally means “no worries” in French – makes it the prefect place to enjoy an affordable draft after a long day of work or exploring the city. The crowd here is filled with 20-something professionals, international hipsters and drunken intellectuals who all have one thing in common; they love a tipsy chat in a quirky setting. Le Sans Souci is a popular destination so it’s recommended to get there early if you have your heart set on grabbing a seat indoors.

Johnny Lopez, free content license
Au Rocher de Cancale

Famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac was a regular at the Paris café Au Rocher de Cancale, built in 1846 and popular with locals and foreigners alike ever since. Of all the vintage cafés in Paris, Au Rocher de Cancale has perhaps the most reliably festive vibe and endures as a delicious place to eat, drink or as Balzac did, people watch. There is certainly no lack of diversity in Au Rocher’s patrons; on any given day you can find students, families and working professionals enjoying French salads, seafood and old school steins. Don’t think that this place is only good for an afternoon drink, Au Rocher de Cancale also offers tasty afternoon brunch perfected with liquor-filled chocolates.

Le Bar du Marché

Nothing says “perfect Parisian afternoon” like the sight of a street-corner café with a red-and-white striped awning, which is just what you’ll find at Le Bar du Marché. This café is known as the epicenter of the “bobo” phenomenon, the mix of classic French bohemian and bourgeoisie culture. The atmosphere of the bar reflects this trend; the dim lighting and vintage jazz posters create a casual lounge vibe while an intellectual crowd fills the outdoor tables enjoying the simple bistro dining options. The Bar du Marché is by all means a hip option; make sure you’re wearing your trendiest smart/casual attire and in the mood for a croque-monsieur.

La Palette

Paris is full of cafés claiming to have started the “café culture,” but few have the credibility of the iconic coffee houses of the Saint Germain. This famous neighborhood is home to many of Paris’ best-known cafés including La Palette, a favorite of Picasso, Cézanne, and Braque. To this day the café attracts the elite of the creative world, from the students at the famous art school École des Beaux-Arts to Hollywood A-listers looking to relive art’s golden era. This café has truly withstood the test of time and is still popular among tourists and locals alike for its friendly bartenders, artsy atmosphere, and delicious coffee and food.

Daniel Hogan is a writer at Party Earth - a global media and entertainment company that publishes reviews and listings of the best social experiences around the world including: bars in Paris, pubs in London, beaches in Ibiza, plazas in Rome, parks in New York, festivals and concerts everywhere, and more.

https://amzn.to/467d0Kj - this is an affiliate link

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Coffee Talk with Nat and Yesi + Whistle, Babe


Happy U.S.A. Thanksgiving! This post will not be about U.S.A. Thanksgiving. 

1. What is your favorite drink called? What are the ingredients in it?

Guinness. According to The Simpsons, the ingredients are bog water and chocolate syrup. 




2. How old were you when you first got drunk?


Eighteen. It was 1995, and I was a college freshman at St. Mary's College of Notre Dame, Indiana. Some girls from my dorm and I were drinking Bud Light out of a keg at Turtle Creek Apartments, right next to the University of Notre Dame campus. 


3. Name an embarrassing moment about you or your friends that occurred while drinking.


Not that same night, but a couple of years later when I'd had several screwdrivers, my friend Alissa's non-drinking roommate decided we all needed to go to Barnes & Noble and then Meijer (that's like a Wal-Mart for all you non-Midwesterners). In the parking lot, we saw some of the Notre Dame basketball players, and I yelled some rather crude thing about needing a stepladder to perform certain acts. Inside the Barnes & Noble, I was getting into too many things, so the sober girl forced me to sit in a chair. By the time we got to the Meijer, I got very, very sick in the bathroom. 


4. What is your favorite party drinking game?


Rock Band. 


5. Are you a happy drunk? Sad drunk? Sleepy drunk? Paranoid drunk? or other?


Sleepy drunk, mostly. I also sing karaoke better when I'm drunk. My standard song is "Lover Please" in the style of Melissa Etheridge. 


6. Are you a hard drinker (straight liquor, shots, etc.)? Fruity drinker (daiquiris, mixers, etc)? not a drinker at all? or Other?


I'm mostly a beer drinker. If it were up to me, it would probably be mostly Guinness, but Guinness is both expensive and high in calories. I'm happy with a Select 55. 


I like some variety, though. Occasionally I'll want a  shot of straight Jameson, scotch with a splash of water, a tequila shot, a margarita or a fancy martini. The fancy-schmancy bar in my downtown was advertising salted  caramel martinis last night - I didn't drink one, but they sounded good. (Instead I had a Rolling Rock at my regular pub.) I like sake - actually, I like pretty much everything except gin. 





Hey, I made a video this week. I mashed up the Flo Rida song "Whistle" with book covers of James Jones' Whistle. Flo Rida and James Jones are both about equally orally fixated, so it totally works. 



Erin, are you still obsessed with James Jones' War Trilogy, even after you finished reading the His Dark Materials trilogy and all those other books? Um, yes. You know what's not helping?



The fictional video game villain Wreck-It Ralph is voiced by John C. Reilly. John C. Reilly is John Storm from The Thin Red Line (1998). John Storm is Maylon Stark in From Here to Eternity, and Johnny Strange in Whistle. Maylon Stark pissed me off with his ignorant Texan racism in FHTE, and Johnny Strange punched a woman in the face. 

Stark/Storm/Strange is by far not my favorite character from the trilogy, but even he has his sympathetic moments. In the 1953 movie From Here to Eternity, Maylon Stark (Karen Holmes' previous illicit lover before she seduced Milt Warden) was played by classic TV Superman George Reeves, but I'll always think of Stark/Storm/Strange as John C. Reilly.  

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Very Pinterest Thanksgiving: I Am Thankful For...

Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving Eve, everybody! In last year's Thanksgiving post, I told you several of the large and small things I'm grateful for. This year I'll revisit my gratitude list, spiced up with a little Pinterest, and we'll hook up with:

This November, I'm thankful for the big things and for the little things. Most importantly, I'm thankful for my awesome husband/co-writer Tit Elingtin, my family, having a warm house and food, clean water, being able to read and write, having had the chance to go to school and freedom of speech. I'm thankful whenever someone reads one of my books. I’m grateful to live within walking distance of a library.



In fact, a lot of the things I'm grateful for are book-related; that's just me. At the risk of being labeled a crazy cat lady writer, I’m also thankful for my feline familiar, James the cat.



I'm thankful that I got to go to California this year, be on a game show and finally see the Pacific Ocean. 


Every year at Thanksgiving time, I also like to take time to be grateful for the little things that make life so pleasant and interesting. There are many of them, so I could go on and on. I still love the new Simpsons episode on Sunday nights, and I get excited about Futurama reruns on Saturday night. 



Hot coffee makes me incredibly happy. 



Reason #1 to be thankful for Thursday nights: The Vampire Diaries. For the record, I am not at all happy that Stefan and Elena are broken up again. I am not, nor will I ever be, happy with the pairing of Elena and Damon. Stelena is my ship, and I will go down with it. 



Reese-on #2 to be thankful for Thursday nights: Person of Interest. I could fangirl about it for hours - which is pretty much the whole reason I now have a Tumblr blog. 



(Don't you love QuickMeme.com? This particular meme is called "Asshole Reese.") 

I'm also thankful for the third and fourth Thursday of every month, because those are Amazon Vine days. I love my free stuff. 

I'm still thankful for Christian Bale movies and Lady Gaga songs, too. These are only a few of the things I'm thankful for on a daily basis. 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Forgiveness Brings Inner Joy and Inner Peace - Guest Post by Dr. Zhi Gang Sha



Mother Earth is transitioning. You can very clearly see more and greater challenges happening on Earth, including natural and human-made disasters, war, climate change, disease, economic challenges, and more. Why are these challenges happening? They are due to bad karma.

For centuries and millennia, humanity has created huge bad karma by harming each other and Mother Earth. The Divine shared with me a one-sentence secret of karma that is important for you to learn:  

Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.

Karma is the record of services. Karma is also named “deed,” “virtue,” or “te” (Chinese, pronounced duh) in different spiritual teachings. Karma can be divided into good karma and bad karma. Good karma is the record of one’s good services in all lifetimes, present and past. Good karma includes offering unconditional love, forgiveness, care, compassion, sincerity, honesty, generosity, kindness, purity, and all other kinds of good service to humanity and all souls. Bad karma is the record of one’s unpleasant services in all lifetimes to humanity and all souls, such as killing, harming, taking advantage of others, cheating, stealing, lying, complaining, and all other kinds of unpleasant service.
Karma is a universal law.

According to karmic law:

Good karma can bring one rewards in every aspect of life, including:
health, relationships, finances, intelligence, parents, and children.

Bad karma can bring one lessons in every aspect of life, including:
health, relationships, finances, intelligence, parents, and children.

For centuries and millennia, humanity has accumulated a huge amount of bad karma from:
. killing in multinational and civil political, religious, and ethnic wars
. testing and using nuclear weapons
. causing all kinds of harm to humanity, animals, and nature
. depleting and wasting natural resources
. greed
. cheating
. stealing
. and much more

Karma is cause and effect. The examples above are part of the root cause of the natural disasters, economic stresses, and other challenges on Mother Earth now.

Billions of people are concerned about Mother Earth’s transition. How can we redirect Mother Earth’s transition? How can we reduce the natural disasters and other challenges for humanity and Mother Earth?

Because karma is the root cause of Mother Earth’s transition, the solution is to clear bad karma. If millions and billions of people knew how to self-clear bad karma, Mother Earth’s transition would be softened beyond comprehension.
How can a person clear their bad karma?

The most important and powerful technique is a regular forgiveness practice. Apply the Four Power Techniques® that I have taught in all my previous books to self-clear bad karma: Body Power, Sound Power, Mind Power, and Soul Power.

*Body Power is to use special hand and body positions for healing, rejuvenation, longevity, and life transformation.
*Sound Power is to chant sacred mantras, Divine Soul Songs, Tao Songs, or special vibratory sounds for healing and rejuvenation.
*Mind Power is creative visualization.
*Soul Power is to say hello. It is to invoke the Divine, Tao, Heaven, Mother Earth, and countless planets, stars, galaxies, and universes, as well as all kinds of spiritual fathers and mothers on Mother Earth and in all layers of Heaven, to request their help for healing, rejuvenation, and transformation of relationships and finances.

We will apply the Four Power Techniques now to self-clear bad karma:

Body Power:  Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your back free and clear. You may also stand up straight but relaxed, with your knees slightly bent. Put one palm on your lower abdomen below the navel. Put your other palm over your heart. Forgiveness must be from the heart. Five thousand years ago, traditional Chinese medicine shared the wisdom that the heart houses the mind and the soul. Be sure to ask for and offer forgiveness from the heart.

There are many great teachings for the spiritual journey from different religions and all kinds of spiritual groups on Mother Earth. I do not teach religion, but I respect all great teachings. I believe true spiritual teaching always teaches people how to purify the heart.

Soul Power: Say hello. Dear my beloved heart, I love you. I am honored to do a forgiveness practice. Thank you.
Forgiveness practice is a practice to self-clear our bad karma. We do not need to clear our good karma. We want to keep our good karma in order to receive blessings in health, relationships, finances, and more. To clear karma is to clear bad karma that was created by the mistakes we made in past lifetimes and in this lifetime. Mistakes create a spiritual debt. We owe the people and souls we have hurt or harmed. To clear bad karma is to have our spiritual debt forgiven.

Continue the forgiveness practice by applying more Soul Power:

Dear all the souls who were harmed by any of the mistakes I have made in this lifetime and all my previous lifetimes, 
Dear all the souls, including human beings, animals, the environment, and Mother Earth, who were harmed by any of the mistakes my ancestors have made in and all of their lifetimes,       I love you.  I sincerely apologize to all the souls we have harmed. Please forgive my ancestors and me. In order to receive your total forgiveness, I will serve unconditionally. Thank you.

If millions and billions of people truly understood the significance of the forgiveness practice, knew how to do the forgiveness practice, and actually did the forgiveness practice every day, humanity’s karma would be transformed. Mother Earth’s transition would be softened.

When doing a forgiveness practice, it is important to say the words sincerely and humbly from the heart. Do not expect to simply say the words and be forgiven easily. It may not be easy at all to receive forgiveness from some of the souls you and your ancestors have harmed. Your mistakes could have been huge; the harm could have been very cruel.
Continue from the bottom of your heart:

I will serve humanity.
I will serve animals.
I will serve society.
I will serve Mother Earth in order to receive forgiveness.
Thank you for your forgiveness.
Pictographic representation of Pachamama "Mother Earth" in Inca mythology; public domain image
This is how to ask for forgiveness for your mistakes. You must include your ancestors because each of us carries part of our ancestors’ karma, both good and bad. This is called ancestral karma. Think of it as your genetic or inherited karma. It includes not only your ancestors in this lifetime, but also your ancestors in all of your past lifetimes. This could include millions of souls.

Forgiveness practice has two parts. In one part you ask for forgiveness for all of the mistakes that you and your ancestors have made in all of your previous lifetimes and in this lifetime. In the other part you and your ancestors offer forgiveness to all souls who have hurt, harmed, or taken advantage of you or your ancestors in all lifetimes.

These two sides of forgiveness are vital to bring love, peace, and harmony to you, your loved ones, your community, your city, your society, your country, and Mother Earth.

Now let us do the second part of the forgiveness practice where you and your ancestors offer forgiveness to others:
Dear all people and all souls who have harmed me and my ancestors in any of our lifetimes,
We love you.
We forgive you totally.
We are honored to offer you our forgiveness.
Thank you.
Mind Power. Visualize the golden light of forgiveness embracing you, your ancestors, and all the souls you have invoked.
Sound Power. Chant for a few minutes silently or aloud, but always from your heart:
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness …

Do it now for three minutes.
Then chant or sing silently or aloud:
I forgive you.
You forgive me.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.
 I forgive you.
You forgive me.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.

I forgive you.
You forgive me.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.
Bring love, peace, and harmony.
Hao! (Thank You) Hao! (Thank You)  Hao! (Thank You)

Forgiveness brings inner joy and inner peace. Forgiveness self-clears your bad karma. The benefits you can receive are unlimited.

Excerpted with permission from the New York Times bestselling book, Divine Healing Hands: Experience Divine Power to Heal You, Animals, and Nature, and to Transform All Life by Zhi Gang Sha © 2012 Heaven's Library Publication Corp./Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Twilight of the Goddesses

(I recently discovered that, although it was originally published as a guest post on another blog, this post can no longer be found elsewhere on the Internet.)


Inside every woman there is a goddess archetype, according to the feminist classic Goddesses in Everywoman. Jean Shinoda Bolen’s 1984 book combined the psychology of women with classical Greek mythology to describe seven personality types. These goddess archetypes reoccur in women’s lives and in literature.
The women of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series are deeply in touch with their inner goddesses. Bella Swan, the human (at least until the fourth book) heroine of the series, has been criticized for her passivity, submissiveness and resemblance to a stereotypical damsel in distress. Yet the storybook cliché of the woman in need of rescue has a deeper meaning, a resonance with one of the classical goddesses of Greek mythology. From motherly Esme to the half-breed infant Nessie, the women of Twilight resemble five of Shinoda Bolen’s seven goddesses.

Alice ~ Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena was the warrior-goddess of wisdom. She was the patroness of great heroes including Achilles, Perseus and Jason. Alice Cullen has her own hero: Jasper Cullen, formerly a general in an ambitious vampire’s territory wars. Athena entered the pantheon of Greek deities as a full-grown adult; Alice joined the Cullen vampire coven not as a human but as a fully-formed vampire. Athena’s was also goddess of crafts; Alice has a talent for planning over-the-top, sophisticated parties.


Women who follow the Athena archetype always know what to wear. Alice has a distinctive sense of fashion and helps Bella choose outfits for special occasions. Athena women want to marry powerful, successful men; Alice is inseparable from Jasper. Wise Athena women go through life seeing clearly, but Alice does them one better: she has visions, literally seeing the future clearly.

Rosalie ~ Hera
Hera was the beautiful, regal Greek goddess of marriage. She had large, beautiful eyes and was represented by the peacock. Although widely revered in ancient times, she could be jealous and vindictive. When Zeus first tried to woo her, he appeared to her as a shivering, wounded bird, and she took pity on him. His first attempts to seduce her were unsuccessful; he had to marry her first. As an adolescent, a Hera woman is already planning her wedding. A Hera woman feels incomplete without a partner. She wants to get married more than anything else.




Alice’s adopted sister Rosalie Hale is also regal and beautiful. In the first novel, Bella describes Rosalie as “statuesque,” with a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model’s figure. She’s the most beautiful girl at Forks High School.

Like Hera, Rosalie took pity on a wounded creature¾the human Emmett¾when she found him mauled by a bear. Rosalie brought him to Carlisle, her adoptive father, who saved Emmett by turning him into a vampire. Incomplete without a partner, Rosalie fell in love with Emmett. They married, and as Edward reveals to Bella in Breaking Dawn, went through a wildly enthusiastic honeymoon period in which they accidentally damaged several homes with their lovemaking.

Before Rosalie was a vampire, she was a beautiful 18-year-old in 1933. Her beauty was her most important asset, and she enjoyed the attention it got her everywhere she went. Before she even had a beau she was planning the “huge, flowery” wedding of her dreams. Her social climbing parents pushed her into a relationship with Royce King, the son of her town’s wealthiest merchant. Rosalie felt like a princess, until a drunken Royce and his friends attacked Rosalie and left her for dead. After Carlisle turned her into a vampire, a vengeful Rosalie hunted and killed each of them…dressed in her wedding gown.

A Hera woman tends to displaces her anger at her spouse onto others. She devalues her friendships with other women. Rosalie’s treatment of Bella reflects this, as in New Moon when she allows Edward to think Bella is dead. Edward also reveals to Bella that Rosalie is jealous of her because Rosalie wishes she were still human.

Renesmee ~ Artemis
At first glance, the remote and beautiful huntress Rosalie may seem like an Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and the moon. An even better Artemis, though, is Renesmee (Nessie for short), the half-vampire daughter of Edward and Bella. In mythology Artemis travels with a pack of hounds…appropriate for Nessie, the destined mate of wolf shapeshifter Jacob Black.



Artemis was one of a pair of twins born to the nymph Leto. Her twin brother was Apollo. Though the Artemis of Greek mythology never married, she was so close with Apollo that he became jealous of men who attempted to woo her. When an Artemis woman has a husband, she treats him like a brother. They often share an interest in the outdoors. As Nessie grows up, her relationship with Jacob is like sister and brother, and he loves the outdoors.

The Artemis archetype is independent, a trait Nessie shows from a shockingly early age. Artemis babies are interested in the world from the start. Artemis women have a loving, supportive set of parents, like Bella and Edward.  An Artemis woman’s father gives her a set of gifts that enable her to do as she wants, the way Edward passed some of his vampire traits to Nessie.

Esme ~ Demeter
Demeter, the goddess of grain, was ancient Greece’s nurturer/mother goddess. Demeter was driven to extremes when she lost her only child Persephone, who was abducted and taken to the Underworld by the god of the dead. A Demeter woman’s maternal instincts are not restricted to her own biological children; she is maternal toward everyone. She becomes depressed when she loses her literal or metaphorical children. She is the chosen rather than the chooser in romantic relationships. Her ideal partner is a mature, responsible family man.



Esme Cullen, the matriarch of the coven, is a perfect Demeter. She thrives on being the adoptive mother of Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Carlisle turned Esme into a vampire only after Esme attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff¾an extreme she was driven to when her baby died shortly after birth. She was fortunate to have been chosen by Carlisle. Though he appears to be only 23, Carlisle was born in the mid-seventeenth century. He’s the ultimate mature family man.

Bella ~ Persephone
Demeter’s only child, the goddess Persephone was the young maiden abducted by Hades, the god of the Underworld. By eating the pomegranate seeds (which resemble blood drops) Hades offered her, Persephone became part of the world of the dead and reigned as their queen throughout each winter. Bella Swan, when she fell in love with Edward, was transported from her everyday human life to a secret world of cold, unearthly beings, the walking dead. Through ingesting Edward’s vampire venom, she became one of them.



The Persephone woman may go through bouts of depression where she seems to disappear from the world. Disappearing from the world is how Bella’s father, Charlie describes Bella after Edward leaves in New Moon: “But she was…empty. Her eyes were blank.” Stephenie Meyer symbolizes Bella’s depression with blank pages.

As a young woman, a Persephone archetype doesn’t know who she is. She has a passive, compliant personality and few interests of her own. She adapts herself to please a man. Persephone archetypes rarely have close relationships with their fathers. They don’t choose marriage, but agree to get married to please their partners. Although initially unaware of their own sexuality, Persephone women mature into sensual women. All of these characteristics describe Bella, who only agreed to marry Edward after realizing it was the only way to fulfill her awakening sexual desire for him.

Many readers love the Twilight series precisely because of Bella and Edward’s abstinence before their marriage. In her essay “Bite Me (Or Don’t),” Christine Siefert refers to this as “abstinence porn.” It’s interesting that one of the goddesses not represented in Stephenie Meyer’s pantheon is Aphrodite. According to Goddesses in Everywoman, the Greek goddess of love was the one resident of Mount Olympus who was neither virginal nor vulnerable to the designs of the male gods. Nevertheless, whether consciously or not, Meyer gave each of her vampire women a divine counterpart and a unique set of powers.

Author Biography: Erin O’Riordan is a novelist, avid reader and book reviewer. She adores vampires and never tires of reading about them in all their forms. Visit her at the book blog Pagan Spirits: http://www.erinoriordan.blogspot.com

References:

Angela. (n.d.) “Beauty and the Bear: Rosalie and Emmett.” Retrieved January 1, 2011http://rosalieandemmett.net/beauty-the-bear/beauty-bear-rosalie-emmett/

Chung, Daniel. (n.d.) “Twilight Character Guide - Alice Cullen.” Retrieved January 1, 2011. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/twilight_character_guide/alice_cullen/

Chung, Daniel. (n.d.) “Twilight Character Guide - Emmett Cullen.” Retrieved January 1, 2011. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/twilight_character_guide/emmett_cullen/

Chung, Daniel. (n.d.) “Twilight Character Guide - Esme Cullen.” Retrieved January 2, 2011. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/twilight_character_guide/esme_cullen/

Chung, Daniel. (n.d.) “Twilight Character Guide - Rosalie Hale.” Retrieved January 2, 2011. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/twilight_character_guide/rosalie_hale/

Czech, Jan. July 20, 2009. “Bella Swan - A Feminist’s Nightmare.” Retrieved January 2, 2010. http://www.suite101.com/content/bella-swan-a-feminists-nightmare-a133393

Kramer Bussel, Rachel (editor). Best Sex Writing 2010. Cleis Press, 2010.



Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Little, Brown and Co., 2005.

Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. Little, Brown and Co., 2006.

Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. Little, Brown and Co., 2007.

Shinoda Bolen, Jean. Goddesses in Everywoman. Harper and Rowe, 1984. 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Breaking Dawn ~ 1 Day Until 'Breaking Dawn Pt. 2'

"You could run from someone you feared, you could try to fight someone you hated. All my reactions were geared toward those kinds of killers – the monsters, the enemies. When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give your beloved, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?" 

— Stephenie Meyer (Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4))

See also: The Best Parts of Breaking Dawn (Pt. 1) and The Ultimate Twilight Fan Linkup Post

Movie poster



Trailer


The Forks High graduates



The wedding





"Flightless Bird"


The honeymoon



"Why am I covered in feathers?" 
— Stephenie Meyer (Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4))

"Sister Rosetta"


Pregnant Bella



"It Will Rain"



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Eclipse ~ 2 Days Until 'Breaking Dawn Pt. 2'

"Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice."

-Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice."

Eclipse movie poster



"He's like a drug for you, Bella." 
— Stephenie Meyer (Eclipse (Twilight, #3))

Riley



Trailer


"I am Switzerland. I refuse to be affected by territorial disputes between mythical creatures." 
— Stephenie Meyer (Eclipse (Twilight, #3))




"I coveted you. I had no right to want you--but I reached out and took you anyway. And now look what's become of you! Trying to seduce a vampire." 
— Stephenie Meyer (Eclipse (Twilight, #3))



"Heavy in Your Arms"


The newborn vampire army


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

New Moon ~ 3 Days Until 'Breaking Dawn Pt. 2'

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume."

-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene VI

See also: Twilight Fans Want to Know: Is St. Marcus Day Real?

New Moon movie poster: the love triangle



New Moon movie poster: the wolf pack



"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars, points of light and reason. ...And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason, for anything." 
— Stephenie Meyer (New Moon (Twilight, #2))

New Moon movie poster: the Volturi



Trailer


"Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me." 
— Stephenie Meyer (New Moon (Twilight, #2))

The humans



Volturi



"I honestly have no idea how to live without you." 
— Stephenie Meyer (New Moon (Twilight, #2))

Bella in Volterra




Edward in Volterra





The kiss