Let Me Introduce You to My Beloved 50 Shades.

I have debated for months whether I should write this post.  I am conflicted because the story I am going to introduce you to is something that holds a very special place in my heart.  And it is naughty, a little dirty, and oh so delicious.  Something you read and cannot-CANNOT-stop thinking about.  This morning I read on Perez Hilton that my beloved 50 Shades is #1 and #2 on NYT Bestseller List.  What?  Are you for Real?  Seriously?  It is indeed true.

Let me start at the beginning.  If you are under 18 you can just stop reading right now because this story is not for you.

I read the Twilight books in 2008.  My daughter wanted to read them and I figured it was my motherly duty to be sure they were appropriate for a tween.  They hooked me.  I was so enamored I read them back-to-back…. 5 times straight.  The only thing that stopped me from restarting Twilight for the 6th time   longed for more.  It was then that I discovered Twilight Fan Fiction or Twific.  If you have read some of it you know that fanfic is simply women writing stories using the characters and sometimes the loose storyline of Twilight.  Some keep their characters vampires but many write all-human stories.  Some Twific is completely out there, some fills in where Stephanie Meyer didn't go, and some simply tell the story the author wanted to tell.   Oh, and some are very naughty.

from Twilighted.net

Twilight isn't the only fanfic out there.  Oh no, everything from Harry Potter to classic literature to Avatar and beyond have fanfic following.  Maybe  extroverts get dressed up as their favorite character and go to Comi-Con or Dragoncon while introverts write and read fanfic.  There are several sites that host fanfic stories but the biggest Twilight fanfic site is Twilighted.net.   I read several stories over the course of several months, until I stumbled on Master of the Universe.  A delicious, delightful and naughty story written by Snowqueens IceDragon, Icy to us, that took Edward and Bella into humankind, made Edward a bajaillionair who loves to dominate and Bella an innocent, newly graduated college student who meets Edward by fate and eventually warms his cold heart.  The story unfolded over 2 years, a chapter at a time- every few weeks- and it was the most delicious, fun, exiting and dirty little secret I ever held.  I would get a sense that a new chapter was released and I would check my email, literally squeal, pray for evening to hit so I could sit and devour that chapter.  It was delicious torture.   This story moved me….in ways I've never felt from a story before.   Never read a story that consumed me that much.  I am not kidding when I tell you I have read the entire story online 7 times, read certain chapters many more times and have read the books once.   And I never. told. a soul.  It was my secret.

In early 2011, Icy announced the book would be published!   On May 22, 2011 Icy released the last chapter and announced the publication details: it would be "50 Shades of Grey" and would be published in May.  As soon as the preorders were announced I ordered 4 copies: 1 for me, 1 for my sister, 1 for my mom, and 1 for whomever else I decided needed to join the world of 50.  After the books arrived I was still a little unsure about telling anyone.  This was such a fun little secret.    I told me sister I had this deep secret.  She responded "I don't want to know".  "It's not that bad" I said.  I handed them each their copy.  It took my sister a months to read it and she was hooked.  My mom  was hooked.   I took my copy to the beach with my mother-in-law who wanted to know what I was reading…hmmmm should I tell her?  Should I give it to her?  I did.  I told a few more people, gave it to my trainer and waited for #2.

The short version of the story is that suddenly 50 Shades is everywhere. This morning I read on Perez Hilton that 50 Shades of Grey is #1 and 50 Shades Darker is #2 on NYT.  I am sure the 3rd book, 50 Shades Freed-my personal favorite-is somewhere rising up the chart as well.

This book means so much to me. I have literally been giddy all day long.   I can't even begin to put into words what this story means to me.  I wish I knew Icy (E.L. James to rest of the world).  It has been such a ride.  So much fun to see the little Twitfic take off to become a NYT Bestseller.  I keep hearing people say they read the entire series in 3 days and I don't know how to comprehend that .  I read it over 2+ years.  I have entire passages memorized.  This story has been part of my life for 3 years.

Run to the story to get your copy. It is available as an ebook on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, iTunes or as a paperback at The Writers Coffeeshop who has a few copies still and in Pre-order through major booksellers.  It has been purchased by Vintage and will be published by them and widely available.  There are write ups on Huffington Post, NYT, Today Show, and Good Morning America.  Jay Leno told a 50 joke a few weeks ago.  Today I see in the LA Times reports that all the major studios are competing to make this into a movie.  You can view the authors blog 50Shades.com.

If you have read them let me know what you think…if you haven't, run don't walk, to get them.  They are BDSM slanted but that isn't the main focus and really after the first book that isn't important.  You don't have to be "into" BDSM to love the story….I'm not…my mom isn't….Icy isn't.  It is just a beautiful love story between a deeply flawed man and beautiful, honest, no nonsense woman.

Don't forget about my giveaway.  Click here to leave a comment.

Laters Baby…

P.S. See if you can figure out why I end each posts with "Laters baby"