So, ever since one of my long standing readers (thank you #OfficeLadyProbz) mentioned that Erika was taking a hammering on Twitter, amongst other places, and that we should “rally around our girl”, I’ve been wondering about what to do. How would I feel, I asked myself, if I was in her shoes; this totally contradictory world of points of view, all of them clashing around me, all about a fictional story I wrote? I bet EL James NEVER expected things to get so big, so fast, and with it the sad criticism of a story that has so much more to offer than the broken, uncertain man and his proclivities, the demons that tormented him into the action he took. Perhaps she’s developed a thick skin, impervious to the FSOG storm raging outside our happy Christian bubble, but I felt that, at the very least, a show of support would be in order; so here goes….
Please feel free to copy, reblog, repost, or whatever this pic if you agree on any and all social media sites – let’s get the message across, girls and rally the hell around our girl!
Monique
Ps: Thank you to my friend Melly whose Photoshop prowess always saves my hide! 😉
fifty shades of grey and more 
Beautifully written, and very necessary. I hope she knows that we all love this story so much, and I couldn’t be happier for her. You have said it all for us. Well done………
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😉
LikeLike
I loved the letter Mo. I posted it on my instagram! Twitter and FB. So we should all spread the love to Erika. The people who are being haters are the ones who don’t even know whats the story of Christian and Ana’s about. So f’them!
Lovely words my friend 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s great, Kereny! Thank you very much! 😉
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Kerecb's Blog and commented:
Here is a letter writen by my beautiful friend Monique Lain. To support our lovely E.L James.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Beautiful letter Monique
Unfortunately I don’t do any social media at all so can’t post but I will copy this letter and email it around the girls but to be honest I know that some of them feel that she sold out to Hollywood so don’t know if they will repost on their Facebook etc.
Personally even though I didn’t like the film at all I’m still on the fence about the whole thing and do feel that a lot of the bad reviews are justified but don’t agree with the personal attacks on EL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Katherine. That’s the issue I have too. I have NO probs with people not liking the movie, or the book, or whatever, but damn, why get so personal and so ugly? It irks, me! LOL! Thanks for sharing with your mates, though. Keep warm, yeah? 😉
LikeLike
Hi Monique, I just needed to put this out there. My 13 y.o. daughter told me that her classmate read FSOG and went to see the movie with her mom and another classmate. Then, the classmate and her friend posted a nasty review of the movie. Stating that it was rape and sexual assault and that people who like the movie and read the first book suffer from psychotic turmoil and need to be put in therapy b/c people who would see a movie like that and like it are sick. I nearly suffered from a psychotic episode myself. My daughter knows about the books and I have myself told her that it is a romance novel but it is an erotica romance (with visual detail sex) not for her age . Which she understands. My point is, not all reviewers are of an appropriate age and many older women do not have a special someone and if they do, they stick to missionary and leave the rest to a mistress or prostitute like my aunt said to me. Believe me, like you, I was shocked. I am pretty sure that quite a few have not experience an orgasm nor do they know what an orgasm is. If they did, they would scream, I want an orgasm all the time and their mate would take some lesson from FSOG. I just thought you should know that not all reviewers have experience and just talk about things they know nothing about. They think everything is a sin. They are just cynical people and we just need to tune them out.
LikeLike
Holy smokes, Roslyn! That’s insane! I don’t know what to say. Isn’t it ironic that there are parents out there that sends their innocent little kiddos to movie like that? I agree with you on the latter also, but still, even more reason for those folks to go comment on something that they actually know something about 😉
LikeLike
Hi Monique, thanks for responding to my note. Any word on the second movie? Do you think we should all get together and give ideas to what should be written in the second movie or is that overstepping?
LikeLike
LOL! Yes, I do think that’s an excellent idea, though I’m not sure the producers would appreciate our overzealousness! 😉
LikeLike
Beautifully said… Reposted.
Wondering if all of the personal attacks would be made on a man writer?? I know I know chauvanistic… But all over I have heard “what do women think they are doing having mommy porn” … Well to that I say at least we have ours in the open…on a massive IMAX screen and we share … EL is the first so she will unfortunately take heat. But all the haters do well to remember that the world is not “black & white” its Shades of Grey!! Oh yeah it is! Thank you Monique, I hope she reads it.
Hugs ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hear, hear for shades of grey and respecting all hews in the spectrum of views 😉
LikeLike
Amazing words I shared everywhere thank you Monique for saying what I wanted go say
LikeLike
Thank you for spreading the looooove 😉
LikeLike
Beautiful words Monique and I totally agree. I watched the movie last night with some wonderful ladies and I loved it. I didn’t have any expectations because I wasn’t really taken with the trailers but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I have read and reread the books countless times and I am still so in love with this story and even though the movie missed a lot of important scenes and had changed just about every scene I still loved it because I could visualise what El James had written. All the ladies who did not read the books were a little shocked with the content and they did not understand Christian like we do. Although I have to say a few of them are now going to read the books which is a positive. I totally support El James and this beautiful love story and I for one will not be brought down by the haters of these books and film as we are all entitled to our opinions now matter how diverse they may be. The role of Christian was crucified in order to make anastasia a strong woman but he at no time took advantage of her or her vulnerability this was something that she was willing to try and I think that people should remember this. Once again I thank you for being a caring person and writing this lovely letter to El James and I hope she does realise that the true fans of these books will never give up on her. I cannot wait until the fifty shades darker and freed.
Take care Monique and enjoy your week
LikeLike
Beautiful comment, Carmela. Thank you 😉
LikeLike
Well done!!
Stephi Luken
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I’ve been working so much and it’s hard to stay in the loop. I truly enjoyed the heartfelt letter you wrote to E L James. I could not have said that better myself. I will send it to everyone I and ask them to forward as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for taking the time to share despite your busy schedule 😉
LikeLike
Monique, your letter truely reflects my thoughts as well. I will be happy to share your letter.
LikeLike
Thank you, Karen, I appreciate the camaraderie! 😉
LikeLike
I agree with every word Monique! I will always support the love story between Ana and Christian and look forward to the next movie.
LikeLike
Thank you, Mabel 😉
LikeLike
I totally agree and echo your letter, Monique. This story has permeated my life and my consciousness for 3 years. It’s helped to change my life in many ways, especially in my relationship with my husband…AND with myself. I will always be grateful and humbled by the way a story would touch my heart and the hearts of so many, so deeply. It’s a love story through and through…and truly underscores the idea that Love is always the way through anger, pain, sorrow and loneliness. Ana and Christian are alive and all of us and their healing is our healing.
LikeLike
AMEN, Franne! Wonderful point, well made 😉
LikeLike
Well hell Monique.
I’ve been told I can be quite intimating and some times a bit high handed, but your words to E. L. are so beautifully written and came across with so much love I need several kleenex to finishing reading it.
Fair point, well made Ms. Lain
LikeLike
Awww, I’m glad you think so, Crystal. Just trying to fight the haters with love… 😉
LikeLike
Monique, I’m not one to pass comment on everything I read or receive via email, however, I feel I had to respond to your open letter Erika (E L James) I am an over the top fan of FSOG, I have read the Trilogy over and over again. I think that every time I read it, I discover something that I have either missed before or have forgotten about. I don’t look at the sex or BDSM, I read between the lines and look for the underlying story line. This has the most amazing story, and I really wish people would just let go of all the crap that they are carrying on with. Erika, (E L James) has an amazing mind and I hope she continues to be a very successful author. FSOG fan Jo PS. I also loved reading your version and look forward to reading more.
LikeLike
Thank you again for this lovely comment, Jo. I’m happy that it touched you enough to speak up 😉
LikeLike
Wonderful and very well said. X
LikeLike
Thank you 😉
LikeLike
Very well written Monique! I do agree with you 100%! Sadly I think Erika has been dealing with this negative reactions for a long time. From the moment the books came out she had to explain herself many times…. And now it is even worse…. I feel so sorry for her. She has done everything for us, her fans, and I think she should focus on that! She has changed so many lives with her books, and still is. I hope she can find comfort in her loving fans.
I feel we could write a letter to Sam too, She is being portrait as the wicked one who tried to wreck Erika’s story. I do not agree with that.
She had to deal with Erika and the expectations of us all, the studio bosses etc. Not an easy task! And I think she did a great job under the circumstances!
So many people have an opinon about this whole thing, I feel it is frightening at times.
Fifty shades has brought me soooo much, I don’t want my happy feelings destroyed by all this negativism!!!!!
Janien
LikeLike
She has, Janien but it felt REALLY bad to me after the movie. Yeah, all of them are copping it from all directions. I can never understand why people watch stuff they don’t enjoy. If you don’t like it move along and go find your joy, you know? Why rain on someone else’s parade?
LikeLike
Congratulations Monique you have said everything that we fans of 50 Shades of Grey would like to say to EL James. I have not seen the film yet, but I have seen enough clips to know that I will love the film. I love the books, I have lost count of the times I have read them. When I got my Kindle, I had the books downloaded although I bought the books in the first place, so I have two copies of each book. Well done for speaking up for the fans who enjoyed her work, there are too many around mocking the film and they have not even read the books! The characters of Christian and Ana went deep into our souls and we just loved them, warts and all. When I first read the reports in the newspapers about ‘mummy porn’ I was quite shocked, as the friends I have who read the books do not read porn. (well they might, but you know what I mean) That is why I bought the books and I just thought it was a love story, okay Christian is a Dom but it did not take anything away from the fact it was a love story if you read between the lines when the books started. As I was reading book one I was thinking Christian you are falling in love. Anyway enough waffle from me, thank you again Monique for putting your and our point of view to EL James.
LikeLike
Great comment, Sheila. Thank you! 😉
LikeLike
I have not seen the movie as of yet and probably won’t see it until all 3 movies have been finished. When I read the books I had the foresight to purchase all 3 at once on a special amazon deal. Having finished the first book, I could not wait to start the second which turned out to be my favorite of the three. I suspect many of the naysayers about the movie have not read the books. YOU MUST see the story as a whole before putting down the first part (movie 1) just as you had to have read all 3 books before commenting negatively about the subject matter. It is a love story and a story of growth and change.
LikeLike
Oh absolutely, Susie. We’ve made that point numerous times. It’s not actually three books but one long one, meant to be read as one.
LikeLike
Your intro to your letter makes me want to tread the books about my (okay OUR) broken boyfriend for a 5TH time!!
LikeLike
You go, girl! I finished my 10th time just before the movie… 😉
LikeLike