Erika Leonard: London Mother's S&M Stories Grip USA

A London mother of two has been revealed as the author responsible for re-kindling the sex lives of US women.

Erika Leonard, who writes novels about bondage and S&M, has become a huge hit in the US with tales of bondage and discipline, all written from the comfort of her terrace home in the west London suburb of Brentford.

Under the pseudonym EL James, she has been a prolific author of erotic literature with titles including Fifty Shades of Grey, which is ranked 28<sup>th in the New York Time's bestseller list and also tops the Amazon and Barnes & Noble charts.

During a recent interview with the New York Times, the former TV producer said that she felt "blown away by the popularity" and said she was "gobsmacked by all of this."

However, the writer now has become publicity shy. Approached by the London E|vening Standard, she said: "I didn't want my real name to come out."