The Insider.com

The only thing more enigmatic that Christian Grey, the domineering dreamboat at the center of Fifty Shades of Grey (the suburb's favorite new dirty secret), is its author, E L James.

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The British wife and mother hasn't spoken with the press very much since her hyper-sexualized tome became the hottest book in America but that changed this morning when she sat down for a brief chat with the Today show.

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And it quickly became clear that James is just as flummoxed by the book's success as its detractors, of which there are many. "I'm stunned by its popularity," James said, after admitting there is nothing revolutionary about the book, which she also concedes is not that well-written.

But while she doesn't praise its prose, James did detail just how dedicated she was to scripting this sexual awakening adventure. "I was obsessed. I didn't do anything else for two years," she said. "I was writing all the time."

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When talk turned to the book's critics, James said that she believes a dominant/submissive relationship appeals to women because it's very attractive on paper. "I think in real life it's very different. You want someone who does the dishes," she laughed.

"You're in charge of your job, house, you're in charge of your children, you're in charge of getting food on the table – doing all this all of the time, you might want someone to be in charge some of the time."

Or at least E L James did. She calls Fifty Shades of Grey "my midlife crisis," adding that through writing the book she put all her sexual fantasies out into the world. And with more than 250,000 copies sold, it's safe to say she isn't alone.