I have heard all kinds of opinions regarding 50 Shades of Grey by E L James but I think what speaks the loudest is the voluminous book sales. Whether the writing is on par with literature isn’t really the point. People, most especially women, are eating it up.
I did read the first book just recently and enjoyed the tension she created between the main characters. People have asked me how 50 Shades compares to my series and I respond by saying my novels are darker, have more tension, the characters are older, and there is more exploration regarding motivations. The My Body Trilogy is erotic suspense and not erotic romance.
I recently read that since the 50 Shades phenomena hit, that rope sales have gone up nationwide. I personally will champion anything that will support people to be less uptight about sex. Since erotica is one of my favorite genres to read, I am hoping that the door the 50 Shades series has opened, remains open and we can be entertained by alternative relationships that until just recently were too taboo to be mainstream. It would be nice for my series to walk through that open door as well.
Go E L James and 50 Shades! Long live Mommy porn!
From what I’ve heard (and read over several people’s shoulders), 50 Shades is not stellar writing, but it’s not necessarily the point. I believe it has more to do with the storyline and characters then dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s. This is the same in my book Jeremiah Stone; all the feedback of the story has been awesome, though a few comment on the grammatical errors. Because of that, I went back and corrected things and re-published just so people aren’t distracted by the little things when reading and can just enjoy the story. I mean, that is our purpose for writing a book. What I do like about 50 Shades, however, is it’s opened up a genre’ to a much broader public and I hope people expand their minds in that area. Once they do, I know your book will be a hit because even I find My Body-His captivating.