Q: It's pretty obvious from your piece in A New Dawn, "The Great Debate," that you're a member of the pro-Edward camp. Why do you prefer Edward over Jacob? And does that mean you think Bella should, too?

A: Oh, y'know, I'm pretty easy. Stephenie is in the driver's seat, and justifiably so; she's written incredibly engaging characters who have formed passionate fan followings-- not an easy thing to do. I think I like Edward partly because of his hidden depths; one of the attractive thing about vampires for me is the breadth of their experience. They've been there, done that, and so when something sparks a reaction in them, it seems more powerful to me. Not that I don't think Jacob is also awesome. I do. But Bella's mind (and Stephenie's) must be her own.

Q: Who is your favorite Twilight series character (presuming, of course, it's not Edward)?

A: Probably Bella. I think she's incredibly well written-- a real, live person who is trying so hard to be responsible and good. She's insecure and uncertain, and she comes across to me as absolutely someone I'd like to spend time with in real life.

Q: So okay, you write in "The Great Debate" that the Twilight series's vampires appeal to us because they represent "sexual fulfillment, the lure of social power, and the romance of adulthood and immortality, as well as the hidden power of the outcast." But what about Twilight's werewolves? Do they stand for the same thing, or do they represent something a little different?

A: Werewolves, to me, have always represented not so much the outcast-- although they are-- as the power of the wild. Vampires, no matter how vicious, come in human form, and can be dealt with mentally as at least having human touch-points. Werewolves are something else again, at least part of the time, and anybody who's experienced being attacked by an animal, particularly a large canine, knows that you just can't tell what they're thinking. There's an overwhelming sense of beauty, loneliness, rage and tragedy to werewolves for me, partly because we're losing so much of our natural world.

Q: In your piece, you have two academics, arguing that the Twilight series is inappropriate for teenagers, squaring off against two teenage bloggers, arguing (of course!) that the Twilight series is totally appropriate for teenagers. But what really struck me was the fact that the "pro" side were both bloggers. How do you think the Internet has affected reading?

A: For those below the age of about 30? Tremendously. It's funny, I was at a SF/F convention this last weekend where one of the topics was "Blogging: Is It Helping or Hurting Your Career" … and I couldn't quite wrap my head around that. Why is it even a question? Yes, it takes time, but people now interact online, or at least through technology, at least as much as they do in person (and quite likely more). I think the question is more why wouldn't you blog?

Blogging has a tremendous power. People declare their opinions on books from one end of the internet to the other (well, it's more like a donut than a straight line, but you get my drift). And those opinions sway others. Especially in the teen markets, having books recommended by your peers is heavily influencing how teens read, I believe.

Q: And a follow-up: How do you think the Internet has affected your writing?

A: I have to resist the urge to put smileys in my prose.

No, really.

But … it's a huge advantage to me. I can instantly research questions. I can quickly and efficiently ask for (and receive) feedback. I can poll readers to find out what they like and don't like. I can organize and inform my fans. HUGE benefits that quite literally didn't exist before the rise of the web.

Q: You also contributed a story to an upcoming Borders Exclusive anthology about vampires and love, Immortal, edited by P.C. Cast. Will you tell us a little bit about that story?

A: I am always delighted to take a quick side trip to Morganville, and this anthology gave me a golden ticket to do just that. Since the Morganville Vampires books are told from Claire's perspective, I like to use short form to explore other characters in more detail. This particular story happens to be about Shane, although Michael also has a part in it, and Claire and Eve make cameo appearances. The biggest challenge is to take that quick side trip and not interfere with my timeline of events in the books, but it's huge fun to do.

Q: Speaking of your Morganville Vampires series: How do the vampires in the Twilight series compare to the vampires in your books?

A: The Twilight vampires have certain aspects to them that are so unique and interesting (which I won't go into, for fear of spoilerage) that I think they really do stand in a class by themselves in some ways. The Morganville variety are more traditional, but they've also absorbed some lessons from non-traditional sources … they're organized more like the Mafia, and it's really all about self-preservation for them as a species-- and power structures. They're probably more organized that the Twilight vampires, in terms of how they inter-relate.

Q: What do you think would happen to Edward and the rest of the Cullens if they somehow stumbled onto Morganville?

A: I think they'd probably end up very quickly on Amelie's side, and she'd find them extremely valuable as allies. They do share a lot of personal values. However, she'd make very sure that they understood the rules of Morganville … or else. And that might lead to some very interesting confrontations.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: Book 8 of the Weather Warden series, as well as Book 6 of the Morganville Vampires (Carpe Corpus). I also have a new series starting up in January 2009, Outcast Season.

Q: If you could tell us to read one book this year, what would it be?

A: I have certain books I re-read every year, so I'll choose from those. I'll make two recommendations, one vampire, one non-vampire.

Vampire: Those Who Hunt The Night, by Barbara Hambly. It's in competition for my favorite vampire story of all time (with Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin)-- and I still absolutely love this book.

Non-vampire: The Great Book of Amber, Roger Zelazny. This is actually all 10 volumes of Zelazny's Amber series, which riveted me when I first read it and still entrances me every time I read it.

See how I managed to get a third rec in there? Sneaky of me.