{Book Review & Exclusive Q & A} The Scarlett Letters: My Secret Year of Men in an L.A. Dungeon by Jenny Nordbak (@JennyNordbak @SMPRomance)

Jenny Nordbak takes us to a place that few have seen, but millions have fantasized about, revealing how she transformed herself from a beautiful USC grad into an elite professional dominatrix.

On an unorthodox quest to understand her hidden fantasies, Jenny led a double life for two years. By day she was a construction manager, but at night she became Mistress Scarlett. Working at LA’s longest-running dungeon, she catered to the secret fetishes of clients ranging from accountants to movie stars. She simultaneously developed a career in the complex and male-dominated world of healthcare construction, while spending her nights as a deviant sex worker, dominating men. Far from the standard-issue powerful men who pay to be helpless, Mistress Scarlett’s clientele included men whose fantasies revealed more complex needs, from “Tickle Ed” to “Doggie Dan,” from the “Treasure Trolls” to “Ta-Da Ted.” The Scarlett Letters explores the spectacularly diverse array of human sexuality and the fascinating cast of characters that she encountered along the way.

​When Jenny decided to transform into Mistress Scarlett, it wasn’t for the reasons that you might first expect.  She did it to uncover the truth – her own truth.
 
With the Dungeon as a backdrop, Jenny uncovers so much more than the stark reality of sex.  She discovers the vast depth of humanity, the nuances of pain and the power of simple kindness. 

So I began an internal odyssey to find my way back to my authentic self, starting with the source of my greatest frustration – sex.

When I read the blurb for The Scarlett Letters, I knew that I had to read it.  I was expecting plenty of kink and sex but I wasn’t at all prepared for the emotional undercurrent of Jenny’s story.
 
She created such a complex combination of both the cerebral and the physical that it spoke directly to my secret self.  And I would really love to know who her client “Oliver” really is ;)
 
It’s honest and cruel, wickedly sexy and thoroughly empowering. 

Every time I played with Dan, I was reminded that just because people get older doesn’t necessarily mean their libido withers and dies.  It is perhaps uncomfortable to think of our grandparents in that light, but I think we unfairly cast older men as “dirty old men” simply for not having the decency to lose all interest in sex because they’ve passed an arbitrary age.  And the idea of a promiscuous older woman is unacceptable to most people.  Women of a certain age shouldn’t even think about sex lest they be judged.  I for one plan to be a dirty old lady.

​And I couldn’t agree more. Meet you in the dungeon…

Our Exclusive Q & A With Jenny!

The top 5 most empowering things about being a Dominatrix
​
          1.   You have permission to take charge.
As women, we unknowingly spend so much energy toning ourselves down so we’re not too aggressive or masculine. I didn’t realize just how much until I was allowed to express my full feminine power as a Dominatrix.

2.    People reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to you.
We all walk around with our guard up and interact with most people on a superficial level. My clients were willing to be vulnerable and go deep with me, which was a powerful experience.

3.    Working with incredible other women.
There is a common misconception about women in that type of field that they are either exploited or desperate, and that wasn’t what I found at all. I worked with some of the most driven, successful, talented women I’ve ever met. More importantly, I got to experience what it’s like when women support and empower one another instead of putting each other down.

4.    The rules don’t apply.
As a Dominatrix, you don’t have to tip toe around people’s feelings or watch what you’re saying. Those things you wish you could yell at people in public when you’re pissed? Fair game. Messing with someone just because it amuses you? Totally encouraged.

5.    You learn that there’s no such thing as “normal”.
Growing up, I always felt like I was weird or different, but after working at a dungeon I now know that everyone is weird and different, and most people feel that way. Once I grasped that there truly is no such thing as normal, it was liberating to stop worrying about whether I fit in with false expectations.  

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