Runs in the blood

Lincoln mom Cara Wogsland was recently bitten — by a book.

She picked up her twin daughters' copy of “Twilight,” read a few excerpts and had to be pried away.

“I couldn't stop reading it,” the 29-year-old mom said. At one point, two bookmarks — Wogsland's and one of her daughter's — were tucked inside.

Stephenie Meyer's four-book “Twilight” series shares the romance and heartbreak between a mortal, Bella, and a vampire, Edward. The books are a worldwide phenomenon, with more than 8 million copies of “Twilight” in print and each of the three sequels quickly becoming a best-seller. The last, “Breaking Dawn,” sold 1.3 million copies in one day. The first movie in the “Twilight” saga grossed nearly $400 million worldwide.

Teeny-boppers aren't the only gals fueling this phenomenon. Giggling under bedsheets and lining up at movie theaters is a new breed of Twilight fans: Twimoms. These mostly middle-aged women are dropping like blood-sucking flies for the franchise.

As the Friday opening of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” approaches, mom fans are dying to share how they feel about the series and the films.

They recite chapters as if they were song verses. They buy “Team Edward” posters, pins, T-shirts and screensavers. At this year's Comic-Con gathering in San Diego, hoards of shrieking moms followed “Twilight” hunks Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. During a “New Moon” panel, Twimoms asked the unthinkable: “Boxers, briefs or nothing?”

Soccer moms are even getting “Twilight”-inspired makeovers — with dark dye-jobs, makeup, goth-inspired jewelry and clothing — earning eye-rolls from their daughters.

“Twilight” mamas have invaded the Internet, creating sites such as TwilightMOMS.com, where fans post photos, videos and gossip or news about the series. Die-hard fans also can watch “New Moon” movie trailers. The site started as a MySpace fan page but quickly outgrew that profile with nearly 35,000 members.

TwilightMOMS is off limits to anyone who isn't older than 21, married or a mom. The site emphasizes being a place where adults can gather to discuss the books and characters in more adult terms.

The tone is different, said Kirsten Starkweather, TwilightMOMS spokeswoman, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mom in the Fresno, Calif., suburb of Clovis.

“We see the characters a bit differently than the younger teen audience,” she explained.

Edward and Bella aren't just high school students. Bella is a responsible 17-year-old who spends most of her life as a caretaker. At one point, she was responsible for her flaky mother, and she cooks and keeps house for her father.

“These are traits older fans can relate to,” Starkweather said.

The books are an easy read (after all, they're geared for young adults), but the character of Edward Cullen is a classic literary hero and movie leading man. He says all the romantic things. He's tortured. He's handsome beyond belief. He might look 17, but he's more than 100 years old.

“His values, the way he speaks and how he views life is different,” Starkweather said. “More mature.”

Starkweather was mama number 86 to join the site in 2007. She followed a friend's suggestion to read the books. She had never read a young-adult series until “Twilight.” One evening, she picked it up and before she finished the second chapter, she had already ordered “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” the next two installments.

“They've given a lot of people something in common to open up and have a discussion with peers and their teen kids where they might not have,” she said.

Starkweather's 9-year-old daughter has read the first three books in the series.

“She'll have to wait a few years for ‘Breaking Dawn,'” Starkweather said. “It has a bit more of an adult theme.”

For Wogsland, the series has resulted in several mom-daughter bonding sessions. She talks to her 12-year-old twins — Alora and Brittan — about love triangles and relationship themes that arise in the books — or at least she tries to.

“If you're torn between two men,” Mom once tried to explain. “You should ... ”

Brittan interrupted. “Mom, what if vampires are real?”

“Vampires?” she quipped.

That's when Wogsland realized they were on a completely different level. And that's as it should be, she said. The books have opened family dialogue, though. She's used the book's love scenes as a speaking point with her daughters about first kisses, loving two people at the same time and torn relationships.

Alora started the “Twilight” series in the fifth grade last year. Her friends raced to see who could finish the last book, “Breaking Dawn.” Wogsland overheard Alora talking to her best friend about vampires and thought “yuck.” But when Alora mentioned romance, Mom did a double-take.

“I think you should know what your kids are reading,” Wogsland said.

She looked over a few pages to make sure it was parent-approved. A few chapters later, she was hooked. She rushed out and bought the series. Brittan followed mom's lead.

Most parents understand Wogsland's caution. Some of her friends have asked about the mortal-vampire love scenes.

(SPOILER ALERT! You might want to skip the next paragraph if you haven't read the last book.)

“There's lots of passion and emotion,” Wogsland said. “In the last book, they get married and have sex. It doesn't go into a lot of detail ... just hugging and kissing. But I think most kids know at that age what's going on.”

Alora digs that her mom and sister read it after her.

“I could talk with Mom about it,” Alora said. “But I couldn't talk to Brittan about some of the stuff that happened because she was a few chapters behind.”

Alora and Mom would sneak away to a different room so they could discuss passages away from Brittan.

“I'd get mad if I heard them talking about what happens next,” Brittan said.

The girls have nicknames after characters they follow in the book, such as “Nessie” and “Bella.” They've had “Twilight” slumber parties where Mom is actually cool enough to join in.

“It's fun because you don't just have your friends or yourself to talk to,” Alora said, “because Mom knows what's going on.”

The Wogsland family plans to attend the “New Moon” film together. They did the same with the first movie.

Dad Brad doesn't follow “Twilight” much. He calls it a “teeny-bopper love story” with the same Shakespearean monologue of love and loss.

“And then there are vampires and werewolves,” he said. “I guess that helps sell stuff.”

But, Brittan asks him, wouldn't it be cool if vampires were real? “It'd be awesome, but weird at the same time,” she said.

“I know the answer is no,” she added. “But secretly I'm hoping. Imagine if there was a world outside our own ... That's exciting.”

Contact the writer:

444-1075, j.loza@owh.com