10 Aug, 2007.

Question: I was wondering if, in your mind, if things *garbled*  ... If Bella and Edward were in love any less now that she loves Jacob too.  How are Bella and Edward's thing so special, that she ...

Stephenie Meyer:  Well, it all depends on your perspective.  She says to me that to her, it felt like in Eclipse that it made Edward and Bella's love less special because she loved someone else in a different way.  And I have seen that reading quite often.  And for me it's the opposite.  To me it takes a lot to be able to recognize the different ways that you are able to love people and to be able to see clearly which ways are the more important ways and to be able to make that decision.  I have heard some qualms from people that that decision wasn't made, but let me assure you that it was.  Bella really needed - she hadn't done a lot of thinking up to this point.  She had done a lot of reacting.  And she needed to really stop and look around at what was important in her life and what she was giving up to make the decision count.  So for me it seemed like it made it a lot more vital that she was able to really explore what she was giving up.  And that was a good question, good job.