On her Web site stepheniemeyer.com she writes," Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest."

"This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control."

Meyer says she is fairly certain of how the copy of "Midnight Sun" was leaked online. "I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given."

Meyer’s says she feels too sad about what happened to continue working on the book and "it is on hold indefinitely." She says the draft that was leaked online "is messy and flawed and full of mistakes."

Meyer then explains why she decided to post the draft on her Web site. "To end the confusion, I’ve decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this message on the Midnight Sun page). This way, my readers don’t have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest."