From the back of the book: Shawna Kenney funded herself through college in Washington D.C. by dressing up in PVC, changing her name to Mistress Alexis, brandishing a whip and humiliating her grateful clients after she answered an advert saying 'Get Paid For Being a Bitch'. She found out she was rather good at it (and that being a Mistress pays better than waitressing).
We learn what goes on behind closed doors, why men pay someone to beat the s*** out of them and what motivates a young woman to take up this unusual profession. This sassy memoir is gripping, graphic and strangely touching in places and gives a compelling insight into the life and world of a Dominatrix.

This book will be traveling on a bookring. Send me a private message if you're interested in participating.

Mailing Order (to be confirmed):
Semming (Finland)
Sirah (Finland)
CandyDarling (Finland)
Margih (Finland)
oisec (Germany)
book-man-8 (Germany)
okyrhoe (Greece)
& PRCS (Canada)
spiritinflight (Canada)
C3 and R2 (Canada)
Kyrissaean (US)
Karenlea (US)
nicolesinger (US)
LaurieS (US)
CheriePie (US)
amberC (Australia)
dopsis (Australia)
Sharky13 (Australia)
bargainqueen (Australia)
kitty-meow (Switzerland)
ktwalker (UK)
Drusillamac (UK)
lolly-the-tall (UK)
Miss-R (UK)
sunlightbub (UK)
Back to me (UK)

Arrived today, thank you! Looks like a quick read. :)

What a brilliant book! Every young girl should read this as a guide to "how to look after and respect yourself". :) This book didn't try to shock people or state an agenda, it simply told a story in an effortless way. Thoroughly enjoyable and nicely written. I'll definitely try to find a copy for my PC collection.

Will be handing this to Sirah in the near future. Thanks for the ring!

Got the book today from Semming. Thank´s, it seems to be an easy read.

Well, as I expected it was an easy read. Ambitious people find their ways of supporting themselves, no matter how it seems to be difficult. So did Shawna. She combined her college girl life with the one of a working girl surprisingly well. What I was missing was how her relationship with her family went on since she started working as a dominatrix.

CandyDarling will get this book next.

Got the book from Sirah at the meet-up. Can't wait to read it!

Wow, I loved this book! It was really entertaining. I loved the style - it was a simple memoir of the author's college years, nothing more. This book was full of interesting stories about being a dominatrix, and I loved reading about all the weird things that turn people on. Like Semming, I think I'll buy a copy of this for my personal collection. Thank you Rosella05 for making me aware of this wonderful book!

I'll send the book to Margih tomorrow.

Thanks, this little book arrived today :)

This was a little but very interesting book. I couldn´t imagine what all must a dominatrix be ready to do... and I do have a rich imagination..! I agree with Semming and CandyDarling80, this is a memoir I´d like to add to my personal collection.

I shipped the book to Oisec already some days ago and by air mail if I don´t rememeber wrong so she should receive it quite soon. Thanks Rossella05 for sharing the book :)

I got this book today and I think I will start reading it this evening... Can't wait!

Update August 4, 2006:
I started reading the book last night and I've already read about a third of it. It seems to be a really good book!

I already asked book-man-8 for his address so that I can send it on asap :-)

August 5, 2006:
After finishing the book I can only say wow! I was seriously astonished by this book. The author managed to tell about her life as a dominatrix without being too blunt and going into too "yucky" details. She appeared to be honest about what her life was like and, to me, it seemed that she was honest about the good and bad parts.
It was a nice, quick read and - like some other participants in this ring - I'll be trying to get my own copy...

RELEASE NOTES:

I will take the book to the post office tomorrow. I had to get some clips first as they're always bitching about my sealing them - they want to be able to check whether it is a book or not.

I just got the book. Thanks for the ring and for sending it!

This was indeed a quick and quite interesting read. But I still don't get it why men go to a dominatrix. I really tried to understand their "drive" (or what else would you call it?) but without success. But for a young lady this career seems to be very helpful to do more than only survive in that murky pond called Life... The main message of this book is "to move on". Thanks Rosella05 for sharing!

The book will travel on as soon as I get the mailing address...

RELEASE NOTES:

On its was to okyrhoe. Enjoy!

RELEASE NOTES:

On its was to okyrhoe. Enjoy!

Arrived in my p.o. box today.

Thanks Rossella05 for having me in this bookring, and book-man-8 for sending the book to me!

Like most of the readers so far in this bookring, I did find the subject matter interesting. Shawna's punk-yet-prudish point of view is unique, and somewhat of a surprise. However, I have to say that her narrative voice is overly collegiate, and her viewpoint somewhat naive at times.

She claims to be a 'punk culture kid.' True, she quotes (mainly male!) musical rebels such as Henry Rollins, The Dead Kennedys, The Church, etc. What surprises me is that she mentions only the 'establishment' feminist thinkers, rather than the Riot Grrls or the 'third wave' feminists as her influences.

Her personal attitude towards sexual morality is also somewhat confusing. I'm not sure she's made up her mind fully as to what these experiences signify for her. On the one hand she repeatedly points out that she was *not* a prostitute, yet she participated in the 'Sex Worker Literati' project, the 'Sex Worker Arts Festival,' and she agreed to meet an interviewer from Salon magazine at a strip club. If it quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck!

At the end of the book, she concludes, "I'm lucky, because I got to experience what I've always felt every woman deserves -- love, adoration, worship, confidence, respect." But the men/clients who worshipped/respected/adored her were worshipping Mistress Alexis*, not Shawna Kenney. In my opinion, she totally fails to see the correlation between her own alienation (something she freely admits to repeatedly), and the pervasive loneliness of her clients.

*note the gender ambiguity of her nom-de-guerre

There is one moment in the book I admit to laughing out loud -- the account of the frightening effect scissors have on men!

This book was in my mailbox today /All the way from Athens Greece/ have read 5o pages approx so far very entertaining and readable I always enjoy memoirs/ this is a big bookring ! will try to finish
within the next 2 weeks,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Finished and sent onto Spiritinflight this week...........was an intersting read some of the things she doesa little offputting !!!!!!!!!!!