FAIRFAX DISTRICT (CBSLA.com) — E L James, the author of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” erotic-romance trilogy, signed copies of her best-selling books at The Grove Friday night.

Fans began lining up outside Barnes & Noble early that morning for wristbands to attend the event.

“The book was exciting and fun and interesting,” a woman standing in line said.

By the afternoon, the crowd had grown into the hundreds.

The series, which has sold 40 million copies worldwide, is about the sexually-explicit relationship between a naive college graduate and a wealthy business man. The trilogy holds three of the top five spots on the New York Times best-seller list.

“It’s a love story — don’t let anybody tell you any different,” an elderly woman said.