By CHRISTINE ARMARIO - The Seattle Times - Associated Press
Young school teachers, middle-aged nurses and even the elderly flocked to a Miami book store Sunday for a chance to meet the author of the bestselling erotic romance "Fifty Shades of Grey" in the launch of her U.S. book tour.
British newcomer E L James drew more than 500 men and women at a morning book signing and spoke that evening to a boisterous, uninhibited crowd at the historic Biltmore Hotel. It was her second-ever book signing, yet the size of the crowd snaking through the store with mimosas and books in hand drew comparisons to the past response for writers such as Anne Rice and even politicians.
"This is a literary phenomenon," said Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, the independent bookstore where James was signing copies. "E L struck a nerve, and her storytelling speaks to so many people."
In a few short months, James has snagged a seven-figure contract with Vintage Books, and Universal Pictures and Focus Films have purchased the rights to all three books in the trilogy about an unworldly college student who begins an unusual romantic relationship with a wealthy young businessman. The books have been called "mommy porn" for their sexual content and large, mostly female following, though men are signing up for autographs as well.
"I read it through lunch breaks and I'm giggling," said Laura Vargas, 31, an executive assistant at a large insurance company. "I'm like, `I can't believe she just wrote that.'"
James began writing the books as fan fiction to Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series and quickly developed a cult-like following of her own. The romance between main characters Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey is surprising because of its unconventional nature: Grey asks Steele to sign a contract, and she agrees to be his "submissive" and to partake in a range of erotic activities. The stories were first published online, and as word of mouth spread, droves of people - many of them not traditional readers of romantic or erotic fiction - began downloading them on iPads and Kindles.
"I'm staggered by this," James said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I never set out to do this."
Until recently, the affable, laid-back author had been mostly preoccupied with her work as a television executive, taking care of her two teenage sons and doing mundane house chores. She was raised in London, studied history in college and dabbled once in a while with writing, but never spent a large amount of time on it until reading the "Twilight" books.
"I tried a couple of times, but never thought I could," James said of writing novels.
Even now, she's not sure she'll be able to write another.
"It's really quite daunting," she said.
A broad swath of mostly women, of all ages and backgrounds, showed up Sunday at the bookstore in Miami's upscale Coral Gables neighborhood. A young server went around with a tray of bright-colored drinks, and fans exchanged giddy stories about their experiences reading the books.
Full story at The Seattle Times.
"This is a literary phenomenon," said Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, the independent bookstore where James was signing copies. "E L struck a nerve, and her storytelling speaks to so many people."
In a few short months, James has snagged a seven-figure contract with Vintage Books, and Universal Pictures and Focus Films have purchased the rights to all three books in the trilogy about an unworldly college student who begins an unusual romantic relationship with a wealthy young businessman. The books have been called "mommy porn" for their sexual content and large, mostly female following, though men are signing up for autographs as well.
"I read it through lunch breaks and I'm giggling," said Laura Vargas, 31, an executive assistant at a large insurance company. "I'm like, `I can't believe she just wrote that.'"
James began writing the books as fan fiction to Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series and quickly developed a cult-like following of her own. The romance between main characters Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey is surprising because of its unconventional nature: Grey asks Steele to sign a contract, and she agrees to be his "submissive" and to partake in a range of erotic activities. The stories were first published online, and as word of mouth spread, droves of people - many of them not traditional readers of romantic or erotic fiction - began downloading them on iPads and Kindles.
"I'm staggered by this," James said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I never set out to do this."
Until recently, the affable, laid-back author had been mostly preoccupied with her work as a television executive, taking care of her two teenage sons and doing mundane house chores. She was raised in London, studied history in college and dabbled once in a while with writing, but never spent a large amount of time on it until reading the "Twilight" books.
"I tried a couple of times, but never thought I could," James said of writing novels.
Even now, she's not sure she'll be able to write another.
"It's really quite daunting," she said.
A broad swath of mostly women, of all ages and backgrounds, showed up Sunday at the bookstore in Miami's upscale Coral Gables neighborhood. A young server went around with a tray of bright-colored drinks, and fans exchanged giddy stories about their experiences reading the books.
Full story at The Seattle Times.
