TORONTO - Jen Ellenberger would like to think she'd be calm and collected if she met "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson, although she admits she can't be sure she wouldn't temporarily lose her mind, jump up and down and shriek. Or worse, hysterically break into tears.

Michele Tonner says she's a devoted, diehard fan but insists she isn't the "screaming, swooning" type. If given some time with the British heart-throb, she would simply grill Pattinson for insider secrets about the "Twilight" universe.

Maryann Rhodes is the least starstruck of the trio, who all plan to see the latest film in the series, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," as soon as humanly possible. She devoured the four "Twilight" books in less than two weeks but says she isn't totally obsessed by the films or its stars -- although she certainly looks forward to seeing "Eclipse."

Ellenberger, Tonner and Rhodes may stand out when they go to watch "Eclipse," which opens Wednesday in theatres, and might be confused as chaperones among the crowds of other so-called TwiHards, who are predominantly young girls.

The three women are "TwiMoms," an older and -- mostly -- calmer subculture of "Twilight" fans. But while they may be a little more composed about "Twilight" without teenage hormones fuelling their passion, they adore the vampire series just as much as their younger counterparts.

"I'm pretty sure I was hooked within the first five minutes. Completely addicted. I finished the first book in two days and immediately ordered the last three online, said Ellenberger, 27, and a mother to a one-year-old girl.

"I've read all the books and love them -- but I'm not flying to L.A. any time soon to camp out on the red carpet," she added.

"I try to remember I am a 40-year-old woman, married," said Rhodes, a mother of two young boys. "It's fun but I'm not losing my head over it."

TwiMoms are certainly outnumbered by the younger fans but they're not a tiny subculture. They warranted a segment on a recent "Oprah" episode and a popular online forum includes over 40,000 members, who have posted more than 2.2 million messages about their favourite franchise.

They've also caught the attention of members of the "Twilight" cast.

"They might be married, they might be divorced but they find their inner child again and I've never seen so many giddy women before. And they're so sweet," said Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett Cullen in all three "Twilight" films.

"The younger kids are great too, but to talk to the 'Twilight' moms, anywhere from (age) 30 to 70 ... I love."

Like many other TwiMoms, Ellenberger said she got sucked into the "Twilight" world because it took her back to her youth.

"Being set in high school, I think 'Twilight' allows us to revisit a time when life seemed easier than it is now -- no finances to worry about, no bills to pay, no jobs, no kids, marriages, etc. Likely, one of the biggest life experiences you have during that time is your 'first love' and it usually stays with you because it lacks all of the complexities that make the 'real world' seem so challenging," she said.

"At first, when reading the books, you wonder if you can relate to a storyline involving teenagers. But it seems obvious that many women are relating to the lead female character, Bella, and, likely, as a result are putting themselves in her shoes."

Ellenberger said she didn't expect to become so obsessed with the vampire saga and was loathe to admit she was, at first.

"I'm not gonna lie: at first, I was completely embarrassed about being basically obsessed with these teenage vampire books. Then, I started confiding in a few close friends and ... after a while it really became a bonding thing with friends who were also interested in the books."

Tonner, a 37-year-old mother of two young girls, said she's not only a fan but also a collector of all kinds of "Twilight" merchandise.

"I'm one of those," she confesses. "It's my one vice. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't do any of that so 'Twilight' seems to be my one vice."

The books and movies gave her a well-needed escape and distraction after years of devoting every waking moment to raising her kids, she said.

"When I got married, had kids, I felt like I had to grow up and not go for what people would think are frivolous or silly things. Reading these books I was just like, you know what, be damned with it, this is what I'm enjoying and this is what I'm liking," she said.

"I'm feeling, not like a teenager again, but I'm feeling more of myself again, like it's awakened something in me. It sounds very strange that a series of books would do that but it has."

But Tonner said she's not too upset about the prospect of the series coming to an end and has used "Twilight" as a jumping off point to explore other books and authors.

Rhodes agreed, and said for most older fans, "Twilight" was simply a brief respite from ordinary life.

"This is a fad, isn't it?" she said rhetorically.

"The obsession with older women is probably that feeling of remembrance ... nostalgia of teen life, when everything was easier and you didn't have to do dishes and laundry every night.

"There's nothing harmful about it, it's just fun, and if it brings you back a little bit and makes you feel good than sure, why not?"