"Fifty Shades of Grey" author in Madison

I dare you to find a book that has generated more hype over the past few months than "Fifty Shades of Grey."

The media has done loads of heavy-breathing reporting on this erotic novel that has apparently found an army of female of fans.

If you're part of that army, you might want to head to New Haven Wednesday. Author EL James will be interviewed by RJ Julia Booksellers owner Roxanne Coady.

This is rather a big deal, since James (which is her pen name) has not been one to embrace the spotlight. She's refused most interviews.

The author, a former TV exec who's the married mother of two, started writing on a fan site for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books. Out of that grew the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, about a naive college coed and her S&M-laced affair with a billionaire CEO.

- KRISTINA DORSEY

Author EL James, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, New Haven; sponsored by RJ Julia Booksellers; $25, which includes hors d'oeuvres, and $5 can be used toward the purchase of any one of the books in this trilogy; (203) 245-3959.