EL James is a shy housewife behind Fifty Shades of Grey

The real-life EL James drives a Mini, drinks reasonably priced white wine and spends her spare time doing her sons laundry - theres no sign of a scarlet room of drag at her London home.

EL James is a shy housewife behind Fifty Shades of Grey

Since the essayist of the a large amount successful erotic novel in history, one would imagine that EL James lounges around in a kittenish silk negligee, perhaps dangling a leather bondage whip from her wholly manicured fingers. The reality is rather different, however. The author of the \mummy porn'' put your name down for, Fifty Shades of Grey which last week became the fastest advertising adult paperback novel in history is a middle-aged married woman living in a modest semi-detached red-brick house in a rather unfashionable area of west London. Instead of a leopard skin-clad dominatrix, she resembles a housing train dinner lady.

EL James the Author of Fifty Shades Of Grey

Although the heroine of her put your name down for, the virginal college girl Anastasia, eventually wins her damaged Prince Charming, the rich and fine-looking Christian Grey, a bondage-addicted billionaire, EL James is new likely to be found in fluffy pink slippers than fluffy pink handcuffs.

The author has gained a reputation for being somewhat reclusive. She has single given a handful of interviews, and rarely appears in public her first British publicity event single took place this week.

For behind the erotic persona of EL James is a modest 49-year-old, with the name of Erika Mitchell. She lives reach Ealing, with a husband of certain 20 years and two teenage sons. The Daily Telegraph know how to reveal that, although she publicised her bestseller yesterday in Amsterdam, her husband, Niall Leonard was at home dog-sitting the family Westie, Max. The 53-year-old screenwriter was reluctant to comment on his wife's new-found victory, not least because he is saving his publicity firepower for his own hastily written children's put your name down for, Crusher, which resolve be published in September.

Asked to describe what living with the spanking S&M queen of publishing was like, the unassuming Ulsterman told me: As for What it's like being married to the author of erotic fiction'... customarily it's just like being married.'' His wife, though, has confessed that Leonard rather tired of the experimentalism she used since primary research.