Last year the movie "Twilight" brought in more than $190 million in U.S. ticket sales alone. And the book series by Stephenie Meyer has brought vampire novels and movies to the forefront of American culture.

"New Moon", the sequel to the movie "Twilight", was released in theaters a few weeks ago, and fans flocked to see it. One fan bought tickets ahead of time to see it 3 times over the weekend of its release. But how many know what these blockbusters, and the novels they are based on, are really all about? 

What is this trend teaching teenagers? And is it the fruit of the Harry Potter phenomenon?

By the way, did you know that there are real vampires today who drink people's blood?

Debra Rae and I talked with Beth Felker Jones, author of "Touched by a Vampire". If you missed it you can catch it online now here: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Changing_Worldviews/archives.asp?bcd=10/28/2009

In the meantime, Debra Rae wrote about this subject in her article "'Tis the Season for Twilight Obsession"...

Last year, Summit Entertainment put the first of the series, Twilight, to the silver screen. In it, vampire Edward Cullens battles a "bad-boy bloodsucker" by the name of James. Preview of its sequel was shown this May during the MTV Movie Awards ceremony. 

As Meyer's saga goes, seventeen-year-old Isabella (Bella) Swan finds her one true heart-throb, Edward-this after relocating from Phoenix to Forts. Problem is her love interest is, well, a vampire-specifically, an "undead" corpse that by nature sucks the blood of the living.

This popular 'tween/teen-flick is characterized as "deeply romantic," "extraordinarily suspenseful," and (in reference to its vampire hero) "a love story with a bite." Come November fans will flock to New Moon, animating the second of the four-book series. Once again, the story centers on Bella, devastated by abrupt departure of her vampire lover. Through a growing friendship with Jacob Black, Bella now is drawn into the dark world of werewolves. (Edward's so mysterious, and Jacob's so cute, what's a girl to do, anyway?)

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