From: Rachael Wade
Subject: The charming and witty Ms. E.L. James
Date: JAN 25 2012 08:49
To: Fifty Shades Lovers
Hey everyone, I recently had the chance to sit down with fellow author and my favorite contemporary romance writer, E.L. James, to ask her a few questions. Please give her a warm welcome in the comment section below, or I shall resort to SHOUTY CAPITALS and a twitchy palm.
You can also check out my review for Fifty Shades Freed here and enter to win a free paperback copy below.
Rachael Grey–er, Wade,
Lil Blip lover, Inner Goddess Advocate, and Dr. Flynn’s Most Troubled Case
I think I speak for everyone reading this interview today that one of your most admirable qualities in your writing is your witty sense of humor. What is your favorite comedy—whether in theater or film—and why?
Wow! Thank you for your kind words and for giving me this opportunity. I think one of the best qualities in anyone is a good sense of humour – it does make life a little more fun if you can have a good laugh along the way. I am blessed to be married to a man who can have me rolling on the floor with laughter, he’s so funny – and usually it’s because he’s taking the piss out of
me. My father and brother both had and have an amazing sense of humour, and my mother has a tremendous sense of mischief, so it’s kind of rubbed off… I think.
With regard to films – I like all kinds of funnies. When Harry Met Sally – I love Nora Ephron’s wit – The Life of Brian – I love the irreverence of Monty Python – Friends with Benefits was a complete surprise – I watched this on a plane to New York in November and chortled all the way through. I thought the chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis sparkled off the screen.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
I would like to be as brave and skilled as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy (I am such a coward and I admire strong, capable, fearless women – though not sure she has a great sense of humour) or maybe Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility – who shows such restraint and dignity
and doesn’t tend to over-share like I do.
Katniss is fantastic, but I’d agree–she doesn’t have much of a sense of humor. What movie and book release are you most looking forward to in 2012?
I am really looking forward to Snow White and the Huntsman. The trailer looks incredible. I was recently at Pinewood studios for my real life work and was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Kristen Stewart, who looked determined and beautiful in her costume. With regard to books, I am looking forward to the follow-up to Discovery of Witches by Deb Harkness.
Oh, lucky. Kristen Stewart is a favorite of mine. SWATH is definitely the #1 on my must-see list this year! Which authors inspire you? And out of curiosity, what is your favorite bookstore in West London? (Haven’t been to the UK yet, but always open for recommendations for when I get around to it someday!)
I am inspired by romantic fiction authors like Elizabeth Lowell, Laura Kinsale and Judith McNaught. But the biggest inspiration for me has been Stephenie Meyer. I, like most of the planet, fell in love with Edward Cullen when I escaped into the Twilight saga Christmas 2008. I think I have read and re-read those books five or six times. I don’t have a favourite bookstore in
London. I used to – there was a store called Murder One in Charing Cross Road that specialised in crime fiction, but also had a huge section of imported (mainly American!) romance novels. This is where I discovered the likes of Elizabeth Lowell, Judith McNaught et al. Unfortunately the shop closed in 2009.
Hmmm. Okay, I will have to hunt for a good shop when I visit. You’ve vaguely mentioned plans for a standalone book and a paranormal series. Do those projects fall in the romance category? Have you considered writing in other genres down the road?
I think I’ll only write romance books. I love a good love story. I have a thriller, three more erotic/adult romances and a YA paranormal thing in the pipeline. To be honest though, I just want to tell stories, and it’s the publishing industry that puts these labels on them. For example, I’d class Fifty as adult contemporary romance, but because the sex in it is a wee bit descriptive it has to go in the ‘erotica’ category.
With the success of the Fifty Shades trilogy and your existing background in television, have you given any thought to writing for film someday or is it something you’d like to see happen—to see one of your novels translated to the big screen?
Yes, I have thought about writing for TV – but it’s what my husband does for a living, so I think I’ll leave that to him, as he’s very good at it. I’d love to see something I’d written transferred to the big or small screen, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. A girl can dream though…
Well, that might be a very real possibility in the near future.
Thanks again for stopping by, E.L., and best of luck in 2012.
Thank you too Rachael for giving me the chance to talk to your book club. Happy New Year to you and all the best of luck with your own writing endeavours.











