‘Twilight’ Author Stephenie Meyer’s Website Crashes as She Reveals Companion Novel ‘Midnight Sun’

Author Stephenie Meyer‘s website crashed Monday morning as she confirmed that fans would be heading back to Forks, Washington, with her new novel, Midnight Sun. Coming 15 years after the first book in the Twilight saga came out, the new novel will tell the story from Edward Cullen’s perspective.

Speculation that Midnight Sun would finally be coming more than a decade after Meyer had first teased it was sparked over the weekend after a timer appeared on her website counting down to Monday morning. The clock was also posted on the social media pages of her production company Fickle Fish Films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The clock sent fans into a frenzy, many speculating what the timer could be leading to and many correctly guessing the confirmation of a new book. As fans flocked back to the website Monday morning as the time ticked down to zero, however, the website crashed.

Although fans were initially left in the dark and scrambling for answers, the announcement eventually came in the form of Meyer’s appearing on Good Morning America. In the clip, which made its way to social media, she confirmed that Midnight Sun would be hitting store shelves on August 4. The book’s release date and information was also posted to her publisher’s website.

“This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting beautiful, mysterious Bella is both the most intriguing and unnerving event he has experienced in his long life as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he let himself fall in love with Bella when he knows that he is endangering her life?” a synopsis for the book reads in part. “In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and, drawing on the classic myth of Hades and Persephone, brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love.”

The original Twilight saga consisted of four books – Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn – that were published between 2005 and 2008. Midnight Sun was initially set to drop in 2008, though Meyer canceled those plans after a copy of her manuscript was leaked online. A partial draft of the book was then published to her website.