50 Shades Of Grey

By now, EL James is a household name.  But does the name Snowqueens Icedragon sound familiar?  Icegragon is the author of a sexed up version of Twilight based online at Fanfiction.net  The names have changed but the story remains the same- minus the vampires.  50 Shades of Grey author, EL James,  got her start under the icy pen name, writing fan fiction based on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels.   The concept of fan fiction is not new.  Anne Jamison, an English professor at the University of Utah who taught a unit on the "Twilight" fandom, says it stretches back at least to the early 1900s and the stories of Sherlock Holmes, said "There was fan fiction before you called it fan fiction," she said, "and before there was copyright it was called writing." Twilight fan fiction is the most popular on fanfitction.net with nearly 200,00 contributions.  Harry Potter fiction follows in second place and now, fan fiction for James’ wildly popular “kinky f*ckery” series comes (no pun intended) in third.   "I'm immensely flattered, and it's humbling to know my work is inspiring others to write," James said in a statement less than three months after "Fifty Shades" was published ... Read more!

This is the reaction Ryan Gosling gets when he takes off his shirt: (Warning:  graphic language and might induce fainting)   And that’s just one of the reasons the hottie is the frontrunner to play Christian Grey in the movie version of “50 Shades of Grey.” But he’s not the only one. Ian Somerhalder and Chris Pine are also topping the lists of fans of the steamy page turner. Who were you expecting, Robert Pattinson? Too pale. Too skinny. Too Edward. Sorry Twilighters, these characters need some fresh blood. Pine made intergalactic space travel sexy in the “Star Trek” reboot and after watching the "Vampire Diaries," Somerhalder's bite is hard to resist.            Ryan Gosling                                                                             Chris Pine Somerhalder told Ryan Seacrest he’s game:   We think Somerhalder has the right amount of carnal passion and darkness to pull off Christian.   As for the role of Ana. The fan site Fiftyshadesfilm.com took an informal Twitter poll, with Emmy Rossum and Alexis Bledel coming in the lead.       Emmy Rossum                                                                         Alexis Bledel   Bledel showed she’s got the nervous collegiate thing down on "Gilmore Girls."  But we’ve seen all of Rossum’s naughty bits on "Shameless" where’s she had ... Read more!

It’s no surprise that eco-conscious Christian Grey wanted to spend his nights in the luxurious Heathman Hotel in Portland. The real life hotel boasts a recent 4 million dollar landfill free “green” renovation “combining the best of luxury and sustainability.” And luxury is what they offer. You can easily picture Mr. Grey and Miss Steele lounging in plush bathrobes and slippers, while sipping from their French press coffee and tea service, after having bathed with, L’Occitane French milled soaps after waking from an amazing sleep from the bed of their choice with the Heathman’s exclusive and innovative "Art of Sleep"™ bed menu. That’s right. A bed menu. The Heathman gives their guests the ability to choose from one of the following bed types: TempurPedic, European Pillow-Top and the European Featherbed. Now you too, can experience a night of posh and passion. Portland’s Fox 12 reported that the Heathman Hotel is now offering packages based on scenes from the book. One is the "Charlie Tango" package. Charlie Tango is the name of Christian Grey's helicopter that he uses to travel and give Ana a ride. This package includes a helicopter flight and dinner for six at the hotel, for $2,700. There’s ... Read more!

From highway drives to and from Portland, to graduation gifts, and high speed chases, expensive four-wheeled toys played their part in the 50 Shades trilogy.  Take a look at some of the finer things Christian's money could buy: Volkswagen Beetle Who’s Car:  Anastasia Steele From rags to riches.  “Wanda” is a sea-blue Volkwagen beetle, which used to belong to Jose’s mother.  It provided Ana three years of loyal service. Christian decided it was a “death trap” and was too dangerous for Ana to drive.  He hasTaylor sell the car and buys Ana a new one as a graduation present.   $$:  Ana received a hefty check for Wanda from Christian since she was a classic car.    Audi A3 Who’s Car:  Anastasia Steele The Audi A3 is a two-door red hatchback compact Audi, given to Anastasia by Christian as a graduation present.   Ana later refers to the car as the “submissive special.” $$:  The A3 begins at $27,270 Explore the 2012 Audi A3 here.   Saab 9-3 Convertible Who’s Car:  Anastasia Steele The 9-3 2.0T Sport Sedan in Silver was picked for Anastasia by Christian after the after the Audi A3 was damaged in the Escala garage in ... Read more!

If you've missed any part of our series on "50 Shades of Grey" or just want to revisit a certain topic, listen below:                   Read more!

Dr. Charlie Glickman wants you to have fun, but be safe. So if you're thinking of dipping your toe into bondage, he's got some tips and we couldn't fit them all into one piece. You can listen to our whole conversation here, and learn about dealing with sky-high heels, adapting positions to your body, and why you might want to tell your doctor just how you got that "tennis elbow" -- even though you haven't picked up a racket in years.  You can get a beginners' guide to bondage and spanking and a whole lot more if you check out Good Vibrations. Or talk to your friendly neighborhood sex shop. Odds are they've got classes and resources for you, and they'd be happy to help you out. Read more!

While main character Christian Grey plays the dominant role in 50 Shades of Grey, it’s his lover, Anastasia Steel who holds the power. Without her, domineering Christian falls apart at the seams.  She maintains her right to talk back, explore unknown territory, and to use her safe word, choosing for herself how she wants to be treated in his dark fantasy world.   As her inner goddess does back flips on the chaise lounge and salsa dances her cares away, Anastasia embraces her female prowess and learns to enjoy what makes her alive.   Jennifer O’Neill took a feminine dominance workshop and learned how to find her fierce female voice.             Read more!

Does reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” whet your curiosity for kink? The popular “porn” books from author EL James have introduced the average woman to modern fetish sexuality.  From whips and chains to blindfolds and Ben Wa balls, the sex toy industry has seen a spike in sales.  Talk about more bang for the buck.    Mara Rubin tells the story:        Read more!

It’s a condo building with everything a billionaire bachelor would want, and a place that many “Fifty Shades” fans are aching to learn about. Escala IS in fact, a real world building in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle and also the scene of many racy romps between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in “50 Shades of Grey.” This luxurious building is among Seattle’s most prestigious addresses. The all-inclusive Escala tower hosts 270 grand condominium homes up to 16,000 square feet. Escala is a little more like a five-star hotel than a condo building with amenities like semi-private elevators for each residence, a private spa, a gym with a yoga studio, a theatre room, and a wine cellar with private dining room.  Each home also comes with  floor to ceiling windows that display classic Seattle views of the city skyline and the surrounding mountains and Elliott Bay. If your bank account is anything like Christian Grey’s, the building boasts 5,200-square-foot penthouses on the market for $4M to $6M.Take a look around here:  http://www.escalamidtown.com/Below are some pictures from the Escala website that we can totally imagine belonging to the book's sexy bachelor:  Penthouse living room, complete with C.'s baby ... Read more!

From Christian Grey sitting at his piano to Ana Steele's iPad, music plays a sensuous role in the seductive scenes of 50 Shades of Grey.  Below is a playlist for book one, by author EL  James, to get you in the mood.    Lakmé (Act I): Flower Duet Alain Lombard, Mady Mesple, Danielle Millet & Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra-Comique 50 Classics for Beginners Sex On Fire Kings of Leon Only By the Night (Deluxe Version) Adagio from Concerto No 3 in D Minor, BWV 974 James Rhodes Now Would All Freudians Please Stand Aside Misfit Amy Studt False Smiles (New Version) I'm On Fire Bruce Springsteen Born In the U.S.A. The Lightning Strike Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasilerias No. 5 for voice and 8 cellos: Aria (Cantilena) Ana María Martínez, Prague Philharmonia & Steven Mercurio Soprano Songs and Arias: Ana Maria Martinez Witchcraft Frank Sinatra Classic Sinatra - His Great Performances, 1953-1960 La Traviata - Prelude Italian Wedding Music Italian Wedding Music Toxic Britney Spears In the Zone The Blower's Daughter Damien Rice O (Deluxe Version) Canon and Gigue in D Major: I. Canon English Concert & Trevor Pinnock Pachelbel: Canon & Gigue ... Read more!