Fifty Shades of (Green)

Coming out of virtual obscurity four years ago, EL James, the author of the Fifty

Johnson and Hunnam get starring roles

Shades of Grey book trilogy, has become the highest earning author in the world.

Forbes Magazine has reported that James, 50 (whose real name is Erika Leonard) earned $95 million over the last 12 months, as the books sold over 32 million copies.

The first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, is to be made into a feature film which is now in production and is scheduled for release in August of 2014.  Currently big best sellers are more lucrative for authors with movie and TV rights, and other fee generators such as translation rights given the much more 'connected' world in which we live.



EL James

James's earnings stem from her erotic novels which are a combination of romance and sado-masochism and should translate well onto the silver screen.  Charlie Hunnam, 33, will star in the Fifty Shades film portraying billionaire Christian Grey.  Hunnam was last seen starring in two TV series, Sons of Anarchy and The Vikings.  Dakota Johnson will costar as Anastasia Steele, Grey's sex toy.  The movie will tone down the steamer sex of the novel as it will have an 'R' rating.

Fun fact.  Although earning mega $s for her novels, James's books topped the list of books most likely to be left at a Travelodge, which reported that of the over 22,000 books discarded at it lodging chain over the last 12 months, Fifty Shades Freed was number one.  Go figure.

Jim Lavorato