The Puppy Papers: A Woman's Life and Journey into BDSM (Paperback)

by Puppy Sharon (Author), Steven Toushin (Author) "How did this book get started? I am a heterosexual Dom, and I began seeing puppy, a heterosexual female submissive..." (more)
Key Phrases: sub sharon, dear puppy, puppy sharon, Steven Toushin, Master Rob, Sir February (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
thebrc.net BDSM Resource Center.
The Puppy Papers is an instant classic in its genre. While the Story of O and the Beauty Series are fantasy, The Puppy Papers is reality.

There is no other book or story that captures so well the honest and real quest of a women's search for her Master in the alternate world of the BDSM lifestyle. The Puppy Papers is an interesting, well-constructed story geared towards the adventurous woman, the vanguard reader, and those thirsting for a story on the cutting edge of sexuality.

The Puppy Papers takes place in the present, as puppy and her prospective Master get to know and learn about each other. This true story follows an average Midwestern woman through her conversational emails with her Master as she describes to him her journey in the world of BDSM with men who called them selves Masters. In their conversations puppy discuses her childhood sexual explorations on how she learned about her body, a subject that women do not discuss. She tells about her discovery of boys, teenage life, her complicated relationship with her church, marriage, motherhood and her professional life, and eventually her profound SM sexual awakening as she cruises the new sexual frontier, the Internet.

Puppys awakening opens her eyes to new sexual worlds, to those desires and needs that laid dormant with in her. She explains her need to submit mentally, emotionally, and sexually as well as her sexual kinks and submissive masochist needs.

The Puppy Papers through open and honest communication allows the reader to follow puppy on her journey in the world of BDSM to find her Master, a man she needs to please and serve. In her liberating awakening, Puppy reveals her life, with wonderment, humor, and a refreshing humility, as she takes us on her quest for completeness to learn, experience and understand this overwhelming need inside her. Puppy is a remarkable woman unaware of her remarkable story who harbors no guilt, remorse or regrets about her needs and choices in life.

About the Author
Puppy Sharon was born in Illinois in 1962. She is a registered nurse specializing in end of life care in the field of hospice. Professionally, she has taught numerous classes on a wide range of health care and end of life topics, including multiple areas of verbal and non-verbal communication and pain management. She frequently serves as a mediator when communication breaks down among families or between families and health care professionals. She is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Illinois Pain Initiative, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri State Hospice Organizations, and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.

Puppy discovered BDSM over 8 years ago and was involved in several D/s relationships prior to meeting Steven Toushin, her current Master, in the fall of 2003. With him, she has co-authored two books (The Puppy Papers and Puppy's Tales) describing her entrance into BDSM and her experiences as a submissive and slave. She also edited her Master s book, The Destruction of the Moral Fabric of America. Puppy has traveled with her Master to many BDSM events around the country to assist him in vending for Kinky Books. She obediently serves and lives with her Master.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Wells Street Publishing; 2nd edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884760031
• ISBN-13: 978-1884760037
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #419,362 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #49 in

  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Sex > Sex Instruction > Alternative

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Puppy Papers, November 1, 2004

By	Kimberli Olsen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I couldn't decide whether to call this book a biography or an autobiography. It is through a series of emails, over a period of six months, in which Steven Toushin asks puppy sharon probing questions about her past and her understanding of sexuality (in particular hers) that sharon's story comes out but it is through her writings that we get to know her. It could be thought of as an interview as well. Perhaps structurally it is a hybrid. Personally, I like that I can't easily classify this book. It allows it to function as all of the above and creates the ability to enter the material in a variety of ways.

Conceptually it is interesting to find myself (as the reader) participating as voyeur in the budding relationship between Toushin and puppy. To observe as she slowly opens up revealing a fascinating sexual life from childhood to the present. Steven stays out of the way, revealing very little about himself, creating plenty of room for her to divulge her sexual awakenings. The correspondence between the two plays out much like life. There are the mundane emails, the "how are you. I'm fine" aspects, but tucked in between those are treasures of information. Some of which most women growing up in rural and suburban middle America will surely recognize and others that are truly unique to sharon; her openness to exploration reveals a woman self-possessed enough not to be bogged down in the guilt and shame of a slow but maturing understanding of her sexual desires and needs.

sharon's descriptions of her introduction to the BDSM world are absorbing, typically awkward, and sometimes funny as she talks about the pitfalls, as well as the satisfying encounters. Her point-of-view is adventurous and sometimes reveals a naiveté that is inevitable when entering a new world of experience. It is encouraging for those new to this sexual realm to read from a woman's point-of-view who remains intact despite unsuccessful experiences. A woman who handles the situations with calmness, self-possession and a sense of humor not allowing others to defeat or discourage her from continuing her quest to find sexual satisfaction. She seems to know this is all a part of her sexual education, which she is clearly in charge of. It's refreshing to read a woman's story that does not revolve around exploitation.

For those like me, if you begin to become suspicious of who this Steven Toushin guy is (especially after sharon reveals stories about some of the creeps she's encountered) never fear. Check out the appendix. There is plenty of information about him there. Though I do wish he would have included more about himself within the context of the email exchanges I understand the attempt to stay out of the way of sharon's story. It is sometimes successful, sometimes not. There are times when I begin wondering more about who he is which becomes a distraction from sharon.


This book is open-ended leaving the reader with many questions, particularly regarding sharon and Steven's growing relationship. It's some of the most titillating aspects of the book and if you want arousing material then you'll be clamoring for more details regarding their intense sexual interactions. I smell a sequel, which I'd buy. My curiosity has been piqued. The reader is given enough information to keep interested but there is still plenty that is to be explored. Again it is a strategy that points to one of life's conundrums, the inability for one person to fully know another person's mind and the desire to probe their lives all the more intensely. It also reminds us that one cannot judge a person by the way they look. There are plenty of professionals, suburban mothers, and other "normal" everyday people who have interesting and even amazing hidden lives. Makes you what to stop and find out what lurks behind the façade of normalcy that so many exude. It's good to know there are people from all walks of life waking up sexually and being brave enough to follow their inner desires.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Looking for My Puppy , July 5, 2006

By	Kenneth M. Ballard (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this book on the recommendation from a friend of mine. Most books about BDSM are "How To" or fantasy books, the puppy papers wasn't either. The puppy papers was a fascinating book, it took me a while to realize that this book was non fiction. To confirm this I went onto the Internet to see if this Steven person was real, he certainly is, which made this book that much better. Also there are references to nationally known people in the BDSM community who Steven is friends with. Another thing about this book is that it does not have flowery descriptive words or phrases, it is written in the moment in letter conversation form. Their conversations are about life, their relationship, puppy's work, family, even when her husband accuses her of having relationship with another man, her past play partners and Master, her need to be with Steven, her need to serve and a lot of kink.

I was surprised when the story took a turn when Steven started to ask puppy questions about her life and told her that he may be putting a book together from their emails. At this point, Steven becomes an interviewer and puppy continues to reveals open and honestly all aspects of her life. I haven't found a woman that is this comfortable with herself, that can speak so openly about her life, as for myself I don't know if I can be so open and honest about myself either.

I was fascinated by puppy's letters answering Steven questions and that they don't always follow the normal pattern of conversation, but life doesn't always flow smoothly. In one of the letters she brings up about playing doctor/patient with her girl friends, describing how girls learn about their body, I was surprised to say the lest, this is a subject that is never discussed. When asking about her first BDSM awakening, experience which took place in a Hotel room with a stranger, you can take safe and sane and throw that out the window. I found puppy a very erotic kinky masochist who is very devoted to her Dominant and open to all types of play.

The progression of their relationship from Top/bottom to Dominant/submissive is evident in how puppy address's Steven, I found that very interesting. I do wish that there was more about Steven in the last part of the book, he took a back seat to puppy's story which was a good thing, but so is he. In researching Stevens life on the Internet I found it fascinating that he is in the adult porn sex business and his involvement with the police and federal government. I wanted more of him in the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Puppy Papers, Puppy writes very well in the moment and has a wonderful sense of humor. If their relationship lasts and evolves I want to read about it, they certainly do have an interesting life.

By the way, the title has nothing to do with puppy play, this book is about puppy's life in her letters. For myself, I have been involved in the BDSM for many years.

Ken Ballard
Mr. Iowa Leather 2005

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and Interesting Reading, September 11, 2004

By	TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

It was bound to happen after more than a decade of email becoming mainstream and popular. Autobiographies and biographies are best sellers in America these days and there are increasing numbers of them focused on people who enjoy kinky sex. "The Puppy Papers" is a biography told through emails. It is not, however, really just the story of one woman. Through Puppy Sharon's emails we certainly do read about her life but also about the lives of the men and women she'd met. Most of these are rather clueless in terms of how to do kink safe, sane, and consensually, often letting their fantasies dictate where experience would be a better guide. Her story, however, is probably far more common in the kink community than most people realize. At least with her current dominant, the man who organized and encouraged her emails, she has found someone better and that should give hope to everyone.