Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012

E.L. James

Six months ago she was Erika Leonard, a mother of two who dabbled in saucy stories for the Web. Now she's E.L. James, publishing phenomenon, whose Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has deeply stirred booksellers, Hollywood and, apparently, many, many mothers. Reading may never be the same.

Luscombe is a TIME editor-at-large