An Interview with Mistress Michelle

( To give you a better insight about me, this interview was done Aug. 1985, I had 22 years experience at the time. 2005 will mark my 42nd year into B&D and many things have occurred since this interview)

BY Bill James Aug 1985

One of the interesting parts of business consulting is being occasionally hired by a client to do recruiting. They do this for a very simple reason: If a consultant recruits they can raid other companies. I had flown into Detroit Metropolitan and had a schedule of interviews starting at 10:00 AM going straight through to dinner time.

The Detroit area is not only a city known for the automotive industry, and some of the best mechanical engineers in the world but also happens to be the home of Mistress Michelle; probably the best known Mistress in the world of B&D. I write stories about B&D and through some connections, had managed an interview with her. The only problem was getting together. When I first checked into the Detroit Renaissance Center hotel I placed a call only to leave a message that I was in town, at the hotel and I'd try to call back.

My client not only wanted an expert in automated assembly systems but also preferred a female engineer so that his company would comply with the equal opportunity laws so he could bid on federal contracts. Every hour went like clockwork, the hotel hostess would call saying the next candidate was here. In a few minutes there would be a timid knock on the door and a lady in a business suit, with the appropriate leather attaché case would walk in, firmly shake hands and proceed to fall to pieces during the interview. Colleges may teach engineering but they definitely don't teach interviewing.

By mid afternoon I had made my choice: Barb was a Senior Engineer working for Ford, in her mid twenties, had a quick mind, good business sense and an IQ above 120. I called my client and described her towards the end of the interview. His only question was where did she want the plane ticket sent and how soon could she come to Boston for a face to face interview. The rest of the interviews held no surprises. Barb was my first and only choice. By 5:00 PM I had interviewed everyone on my list. However, the hotel desk again called:

"A Ms. Peters is here, Sir." The operator said in a tone that could freeze boiling water. "She says she has an appointment. She's not on the schedule you left with us. Do you want to see her?"

I checked my copy of the appointment schedule and didn't see a Peters anywhere. Since my secretary had set up all the schedules, I could only think that she'd left one name off. I told the hotel clerk to send her up and if anybody else showed up to tell them the job had been filled.

As I looked out over the Detroit river from the 30th floor I heard a knock on my door that told me this was no timid female interviewing behind her boss's back. I said to come in and turned around as soon as I heard the door close behind her.

I was standing face to face with a stunning blond dressed in a royal purple wrap around dress, about 5`10", slim, with brown eyes that twinkled as she looked at me. I offered her a chair as I sat down. Her dress fell from her knees as she sat revealing a pair of legs that could turn heads from a quarter mile.

"I'm sorry," I said apologetically. "But I don't have you on my appointment list."

"Sure you do." She said with a wicked smile. "You're going to take me to dinner! I'm Mistress Michelle Peters, Bill."

The joke was on me. I'd called Michelle, left messages where I was staying but just before the trip I'd been unable able to confirm our interview. I quickly grabbed my tape recorder an we went to the penthouse restaurant for dinner.

Detroit is a beautiful town at sunset. After we had a few drinks and ordered dinner, I turned on the recorder and started asking questions. Here it is:

Bill James: "When (in your life) did you find that you enjoyed dominance?

Michelle Peters: "About a year ago a local magazine In Detroit interviewed me and asked the same question. I don't think anyone is dominant by accident. Recently, there was a study released that said there was a genetic basis for this. It caused hormones to be released which actually caused dominant behavior. While I don't think that it is as simple as that, I do believe there is a physiological component to dominance. So you could say I was born with it."

Bill James: "What other components are there?"

Michelle Peters: "Cultural and psychological. Obviously, If you are brought up in a culture that prizes dominant behavior, you'd be considered normal. On the other hand if your culture is extremely passive, your dominant traits would cause you to stick out like a sore thumb."

"I was born a twin and I do have a slight imbalance of hormones. This is why I believe there's probably some truth in the theory of hormones being related to behavior. Our culture rewards aggressive behavior in most people. Thus, having the trait of being dominant isn't particularly unusual. But that doesn't really answer your question. I think if you have only these two components in place, it still doesn't make you a dominant. I believe strongly that it is your mental state that allows you to be a Dominant."

Bill James: "Did you discover dominance by yourself or did someone introduce you to it?"

Michelle Peters: "This probably applies to every dominant. B&D is not something you do by yourself, like the way a baby learns to walk. Someone has to teach you. For me it started out over twenty years ago. I was involved with a boy friend who often persuaded me to dress in black nylons, garter belt and bra to enhance my sexual attraction. He often showed me pictures in adult magazines of other people. We used these pictures are part of foreplay.

Bill James: "You've probably hit on the reason Fredrick's of Hollywood will never go out of business.

Michelle Peters: "Right." She laughed. "But as this became routine, I decided to try exotic makeup and bizarre hair styles. He was really into this. The more I did, the further he wanted to go. We also discovered Oriental Style Rope Bondage

Bill James: "Before we go any further .... You are perhaps one of the most versatile and experienced Mistresses in the country. Some of the people who read this aren't familiar with the terms you use. Can you explain Oriental Style Rope Bondage? I assume it's not as simply as tying someone up.

Michelle Peters: "In a nutshell it's really tight, explicit bondage using lots of rope. Very snug. A favorite is tying people in Hog Tie positions. The Orientals do a lot of this using bamboo polls. It `s very neatly done. It is probably because the culture was very poor, thus without being able to buy or make this kind of equipment they developed this style of bondage, much like the way they developed Karate because weapons were illegal."

Bill James: "Thanks. Please go on."

Michelle Peters: "For two or three years I played the part of a submissive. By this time it was not only just clothes we were into gags, nipple torture, suspension, whipping, spanking, dildos and verbal humiliation."

Bill James: "You got all this from magazines and your boyfriend?"

Michelle Peters: "You have to understand that back in the 60's, B&D magazines had come a long way from rag sheets sold through the mail, to glossy covers, with full color pictures. It was through those magazines that we both began meeting people with the same interests. The people we met were not into the Scene as much as we were. This meant that most of the time I played a switchable."

Bill James: "A Switchable is someone who plays a Dominant one time and a Submissive the next. Yes?"

Michelle Peters: "Right. Well after about six years I had lost contact with my friend. When I met someone new, I found myself being the Submissive teaching the Dominant. I'd become the teacher, not the student. As time went on I found liked being dominant more than being submissive, I think it was then my dominant side was "born". I'd probably had this trait all my life. But, until I had something to bring it out, I never realized I had it. Once it was nurtured along, however, I realized this was what my destiny was: To be a Dominant."

Bill James: "Once you discovered that you were a true Dominant, did you regret any of your experiences being a submissive?"

Michelle Peters: "Actually, the experiences I'd had being a submissive helped me in being a dominant. This is probably the advantage I have over most other dominants: I understand what submissives feel when they are being dominated."

Bill James: "You mentioned that even with the effects of hormones, environment, and culture. It still takes someone to bring an individual into the world of B&D. For you it was your boyfriend when you were young. What kind of a career and what kind of a person do you think you'd be now, if you hadn't discovered the world of Dominance?"

Michelle Peters: "Probably a in Management job or with the police. I am a dominant personality and I don't think I'd be happy unless I was in a job where I could be dominant. Someone who gives orders, makes decisions that affect other people, someone who controls other people's lives. Where they look up to your authority."

Bill James: "This is a dumb question, but how many different things do you do?"

Michelle Peters: "As I said before, from the beginning I've been into Oriental Style Rope Bondage, nipple torture, spanking, whipping, and dildos. Later, about 15 years ago, I progressed to hoods, weights, gags, harnesses, electricity, golden showers, and public humiliation."

"Eight years ago I was indoctrinated into high volume high colonics and Bardex enemas. Just a year ago I found myself drifting into the world of piercing. As you can see I'm pretty well versed in the art of B&D."

Bill James: " The Art of B&D?

Michelle Peters: "Absolutely! I believe that B&D is an art. It certainly isn't for everyone. It takes years of experience to do it well. If I could give advice to anyone it would be don't attempt B&D by yourself if you are a beginner. I do this everyday. B&D is my lifestyle. Over the years, I've learned how to handle people and what to do in certain situations."

Bill James: "How would you describe yourself? Therapist?, counselor? Sensual Dominant, etc?"

Michelle Peters: "Actually, I'm all of these. But I do this for a living and I pay income tax. Can you imagine the problems filing your taxes, using `Mistress' as your occupation?"

Bill James: "I don't think you could find a better way to have an audit. What do you tell the tax people?"

Michelle Peters: "I classify myself as a Behavior Consultant. If I called myself a therapist or counselor, the state of Michigan would require I have a Master's degree and get a license. However, Detroit is full of consultants in just about every field you can think of. So I can do my thing and be a consultant and NOT have to worry about being certified."

Bill James: "It's certainly not the thing you'd do In Graduate School at the University of Michigan

Michelle Peters: "Exactly. Every quarter I sit down with my accountant and we figure out my estimated taxes. To the IRS I'm a Behavior Consultant because they understand that name, however In the magazines I'm a Dominant or Mistress."

Bill James: "Tell me about your life."

Michelle Peters: "This actually goes back to your question of how I became a dominant. I grew up is Southern California, and went to High School there. By the time I had gotten out of high school this (Dominance) had distilled within me. My dad was an executive for one of the automotive companies. He held a very responsible job that kept him working most weekends and many long hours during the week. His job required him to be very dominant and aggressive. This meant I didn't really see much of him as I was growing up. My mother however, was submissive. She hardly ever disciplined me as a child, saving discipline for when my father came home. I associated discipline with my father instead of my mother. When I was young, he was very strict.

As I grew up, he became very lenient. So I think I became closer to my father than my mother. If you can say there is an "environmental" component to my dominant behavior -- then that is probably it."

"I went to college at the University of Michigan on a Co—Ed program while I was working at General Motors and majored in business and math. This Is a program where you work for six months, go to school for six months, then switch back again. I did that until I had about a year and a half of college, but I still didn't find what I was looking for."

Bill James: "What did you do then?"

Michelle Peters: "I took a leave of absence from General Motors and joined the Army."

Bill James: "Did you like it?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure, I liked it. During this time I went back and forth between General Motors and the Army, progressing from an E-1 and coming out an 0-3 Captain. My career also progressed at General Motors. The discipline techniques I learned in the Army I could apply on the job. At the end of 13 years at General Motors I was in Management"

Bill James: "When and how did you decide to do this professionally?"

Michelle Peters: "As I said before, I'd been into B&D since I was a kid. However, how I became a professional Mistress is an interesting story. Do you want to hear it?"

Bill James: "We've got the entire night..., go ahead."

Michelle Peters: "In April 1976 I was working for General Motors, driving around a car that already had 225,000 miles on it and, even though the union wages were pretty good, I was having problems paying my bills."

Bill James: "I don't think it's changed too much, even today."

Michelle Peters: "You're probably right. Anyway, a friend of mine (actually the one who had introduced me to B&D many years before) came over to my house. I told him I was having trouble paying my bills. Later that evening we were fooling around with the bondage equipment and he said `Michelle ... You're really into this. You are good looking and know how to use this equipment. Why don't you advertise in these magazines and charge a fee. I'll bet you could make a good living being a professional Mistress.'"

Bill James: "What did you say to him?"

Michelle Peters: "Actually, the first thing I did was laugh at him! I didn't think anyone could make a living from B&D! He told me he knew dominants who were making $1500 a week. I thought this was really funny! To prove it he showed me a picture of this girl, and let me tell you she was really unattractive! I thought that if she could make $1500 a week with her looks, I could make $10,000."

Bill James: "What did you do?"

Michelle Peters: "It was really pretty simple: I had a few photo's taken and submitted to a local magazine. They not only published my pictures and address, they also published my phone number."

"It turns out that I was one of the first Mistresses to nationally advertise my phone number and you WOULDN'T BELIEVE the number of phone calls I got in the first week. I kept working for General Motors during the day and answered the phone calls and did sessions in the evenings. I charged thirty dollars per session and in the first week I saw five people and made $150. The second week I made $300! It kept going up until by the end of the month I was making $600 per week. Today that doesn't seem like a lot of money. However, I at that time $150 a week was what I was making at General Motors."

Bill James: "Did you leave your job at GM?"

Michelle Peters: "Not at first. I took a sick leave and decided to see if I could support myself being a professional Mistress. As it worked out I quickly found out I could make an excellent living. So I quit my job and became a Mistress full time."

Bill James: "Are you Married, Single, Attached ..."

Michelle Peters: "I've been married twice. Right now I'm seeing a girl, but I'll tell you more about that later."

Bill James: "OK."

Bill James: "What do you call the people who come to you for a session, Slaves? Clients? Customers?

Michelle Peters: "Slaves. Lawyers have clients and Car Salesmen have customers. I have slaves." "A client or customer comes to somebody. expecting to purchase a specific product or buy a service to accomplish an exact goal. SIaves come to me ONLY expecting domination. What It is, and in what form we do it is up to me. I do what I feel like doing, during a session."

Bill James: "Is it totally up to you, or do you slaves have any input?"

Michelle Peters: "Well, a good mistress will work within the limits of the slave. In other words, I won't do things to people that they don't want done. The purpose of Dominance is to be pleasurable for both of us. Leaving a slave dissatisfied only means he won't come back?"

Bill James: "B&D has many areas such as Bondage, body worship, leather, water sports, TV-ism, foot worship etc. Which do you enjoy best?"

Michelle Peters: "I've been at this for more than 20 years. Unlike some mistresses, I've expanded what I do instead of specializing. I'm probably into more facets of B&D than any other mistress in the country."

"Do I like those things? ... Leather? Sure I like leather. TV-ism? Not so much. But of all the things you've mentioned you left out the most important."

Bill James: "What's that?"

Michelle Peters: "One of the things I REALLY enjoy is Public Humiliation. I enjoy shocking people who are straight. I enjoy taking a slave out in public and humiliating him while others watch. I'm very much of an exhibitionist. I love going to places like The Hellfire Club in New York and putting on shows. When Hellfire West was here in Detroit I used to put on shows and I really got a kick out of it!"

"What I enjoy most is the shock effect of public humiliation."

Bill James: "Could you give me an example?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure. Once I had a slave take me out to dinner. I had him climb under the table, kiss my feet and jack off during the meal. The excitement was both the anticipation of getting caught and publicly humiliating him."

Bill James: "You contribute articles regularly to nationwide B&D publications such as CORPORAL published by Esoteric Press out of New York. Why do you do it?"

Michelle Peters: "At first I did it strictly for the publicity. I'd trade stories and articles for advertising. It also allows people to see my expertise in Dominance."

"This is a fairly harmless way to get to know me. As they look at the pictures and read my stories, they know what to expect in a session with me."

Bill James: "You are a very prolific writer, do You pick the topics, or are they assigned?"

Michelle Peters: "I usually pick the topics. What I try to do is vary my topics. As I've said before, I've been in this business a long time and B&D has many facets. Sometimes I write an article on spanking, the next one on rope bondage, sometimes on enemas.

"Lets face it. These magazines aren't interested In the same topic over and over again. I've been writing on a constant basis for CORPORAL for more than eight years. You can cover a lot of ground writing for that long. These magazines are published by street people whose business is producing magazines. I make my living doing B&D, but these people (the magazine publishers) make their living putting together magazines on B&D NOT doing it. They're probably interested in it, but they don't make their living at it the way I do."

Bill James: "Have you had any problems with publishers?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure, the people who publish these magazines seem to feel that the way to ensure sales of their products is to constantly print pictures of any new face that comes along. The problem with this is that they take on a lot of people who are rip off artists. The basis on any magazine should be the credibility of Its advertisers. Without it the magazine Is as bad as the people who take ad's in them. They seem to think that a new Mistress on the scene is the way to increase business."

Bill James: " And you disagree?"

Michelle Peters: "Absolutely! I've met a lot of women who think of themselves a professional Mistresses. However, they're only in it for the money. They take out an ad. Get a few customers and rip them off. They generally don't last."

"I've found people want a Mistress who is sincere, honest, knows what she's doing, respects the limits of her slaves, and enjoys doing B&D. There's a lot of Mistresses out there who are excellent, but because they've been in the business for some time the magazines give a lot more exposure to someone new, who doesn't know shit, only because nobody has seen her on the cover of a magazine before."

Bill James: "Have you ever thought of compiling all your `how to' articles into a book?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure. I've really considered it. BUT in this business it's not the authors that make any money on books it's the publishers and distributors. If I were to invest my time, I'd like to see a return on my efforts. If I found a publisher that would work with me on a royalty basis, I'd probably do it."

Bill James: "How do your slaves meet you?"

Michelle Peters: "People usually meet me through my ads. Sometimes they've seen me in my videos."

Bill James: "You've made videos?"

Michelle Peters: "Yes, I've made seven of them. However, I've not really gained recognition from them, I've never made a video where I've been able to put my address or phone in the credits. I'm sure people recognize me from the videos when they see one of my ads. People usually start by writing to me. If they read an ad with my phone number, they call. As I said before I was one of the first Mistresses to publish my phone number. Of course I've done shows, I give lectures at schools, and there's probably some word of mouth from other slaves and people like you."

Bill James: "You said you did seven videos. Did they have a plot or were they simply a video of a session."

Michelle Peters: "These kind of videos have plots in the sense of a general outline of what we're going to do. But as we make the video little things change and they kind of make themselves."

"The one that I thought was really good was the BIZARRE WORLD OF MISTRESS MICHELLE. I thought of the plot and we did it as we went along."

Bill James: "If you could make your own video -- (Have complete control over what went into it) what would it be like?"

Michelle Peters: "I'd set the plot and we'll do the video. Because I do B&D day in and day out , I think I know what people enjoy and therefore want to see, more than someone who makes movies and has either a fantasy B&D life or only does it occasionally. I think a good video will have a little of everything. Some humor, lots of action, some heavy things but not too much."

Bill James: "Why?"

Michelle Peters: "Too much heavy stuff will turn most people off. The secret of a good video or session is the mix of the different things you do. I recently talked with some people to make some new videos. They're going to let me do what I feel like doing. These will be fun!"

Bill James: "You said you give talks on Dominance. There's a dominant here in Denver who regularly holds lectures (and demonstrations) on dominance. Do you (or would you) do that?"

Michelle Peters: "If you mean do I give lectures on a regular basis ... No I don't. Once in a while a college or university will call and ask me to speak to a Social Anthropology or Cultural Anthropology class to give a talk on B&D."

Bill James: "What do You say to a class?"

Michelle Peters: "I bring in some photos and equipment and show them what B&D is all about."

Bill James: "B&D appeals to a very select audience. How do the people in these classes react?"

Michelle Peters: "That's the funny thing about this -- They sit there an joke around and laugh with it we make a fun time of it. Some of them I've gotten to know in these classes, I then I get to know them through B&D. These lectures are a way these people discover it."

"To answer your original question, no I don't do this on a regular basis, but I do lecture from time to time."

Bill James: "What is a typical session like?"

Michelle Peters: "It's probably easier to tell you about the first couple of sessions I have with a slave than to try to tell you what a typical session is. There is no such thing as a typical session. People's tastes are as different as the people who have them."

"At the first session, and this is what happens to everyone no matter who they are or what their experience Is, I give them kind of an introductory session. This includes a lot of different things."

Bill James: "Like what?"

Michelle Peters: "We do some verbal humiliation, whipping, spanking, and maybe some harnesses. When we get to a certain point in the session I give the person a choice of what they'd like to do. I won't do anything they're not into. When I was younger, and I felt like doing something, I did it! I got a lot of slaves mad at me and probably lost many of them to other mistresses. I've learned not to do anything people aren't into."

"By the second or third session, I know what the slave likes, and the session goes from there, sometimes It more intense, sometimes we experiment with something new, but the each session is never the same. Everyone is an individual an has their own tastes."

"Since I've done this for so long, and I'm into so many things, there's probably nothing I haven't done short of murder."

Bill James: "If you had a perfect session, what would It be?"

Michelle Peters: "A perfect session would be a slave that came on time, paid on time, and did everything I wanted to do. If I asked him if he was into harnesses he'd say `yes', the same for whipping, spanking, or nipple torture. A perfect session not only requires a good mistress but also a slave who was well versed in everything.

This allows you to show all you skills at being a Mistress, and his expertise at being a submissive. At the end of the session, I'd like him to tell me he liked it."

Bill James: "Have you had any `perfect' sessions?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure! I've had lots of them. They're alot of fun. You certainly don't want a person to come in and you ask him `are you into XXX?' and he says `no', `Well are you into YYYY?' and he says `no` again"

"What's the use in coming? We're not going to sit down and have tea and cookies!! The whole idea is for it to be pleasurable for both of us."

Bill James: "Are sessions sexually stimulating for you?"

Michelle Peters: "Yes they are! That's one reason being a Dominant is so much fun. For me, it's really erotic is when something happens. I can't say that If I have a guy come In, and in the middle of piercing his nipples he passes out that THAT is sexually stimulating. But if a person were to come in, and I did something different to him and he found a new area of excitement for him. Then that's what is really exciting! It's Important to say that this doesn't have to be particularly heavy or raw to be exciting to me. I can simply take a person out in public and humiliate him for It to be exciting for both of us."

"I told you earlier about the slave I had in the restaurant? That was a Blast!"

Bill James: "Do your slaves tend to have an orgasm as part of the session?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure, sometimes I let them have the reward of an orgasm. I have a certain philosophy about this: If a slave is good, they get a reward. If they are not good, they get disciplined. I haven't seen one good slave yet, when they first come to me, but they usually get a reward of some type."

Bill James: "Any limits on what a slave can ask for?"

Michelle Peters: "I don't put up with this garbage about wanting to fuck me or stuff. That would be the ultimate reward for a slave, and I've seen very few that even have the potential to deserve that as a reward."

Bill James: "Is intercourse ever part of a session?"

Michelle Peters: "No. If a guy wants intercourse he can get it from his wife, his girlfriend, or a girl at a bar. They don't come to me looking for sex, they come expecting to be dominated."

Bill James: "It would seem that a large majority of professional dominants are female with only few male dominants. Do you know why?"

Michelle Peters: "Traditionally, males are brought up to be dominant and females are brought up to be submissive. Probably the combination of hormones, environment, and circumstances that caused me to be dominant also cause men to be submissive; if you understanding my meaning. But this is not the way society is set up."

"Once a girl realizes that she doesn't fit into the role of being submissive and has this power of being a Mistress, they either find a man to be a slave or advertise in these magazines. It's not all that uncommon."

"Males are usually dominant. Consequently, the average person either doesn't know a lot about dominance or submission or, for that matter has any particular desire to learn about it. They do it naturally throughout their lives. A husband yelling at his wife, or demanding sex on a regular basis, and his wife consenting to it, is an example dominance and submission. "

"What we tend to call a "henpecked" husband, is his wife actually becoming a Mistress and not knowing it. Males don't particularly have to advertise as dominants because that's the way our culture is. If they did, there would probably alot of people answering their ads.

The reason that females advertise is that there are so few of us. Because there are so few real dominant women we are in high demand, to the point of being able to charge a fee and make an excellent living from being a Mistress."

"Quite frankly, I don't think a male could make a living as a dominant. Who would he dominate anyway? Women? A girl doesn't have to go to a male dominant to be submissive. All she has to do is live in this culture! She could get it for free from just about anyone."

Bill James: "Do all mistresses advert?"

Michelle Peters: "I do, but just the other day I was talking to another mistress who said she never advertised at all, and had lots of slaves!"

Bill James: "Do you regularly talk with other mistresses and exchange techniques, slaves etc. ?"

Michelle Peters: "It's not like we have a professional association and get together on a regular basis to exchange ideas. I do talk to many mistresses over the phone. I think the ones that talk to me are the ones who are not threatened by someone else. They are the REAL Mistresses. They're in complete control of their own lives and totally secure with themselves in the world of B&D."

Bill James: "What kind of people are they?"

Michelle Peters: "The insecure ones are off on their own trips. However, the Mistresses I've come to know are nice people who are totally professional in what they do. They don't try to put you or anyone else down. Over the phone or through letters it's almost impossible to exchange techniques. However, when we visit each other we do end up showing each other new stuff. I can watch them in action, see their dungeons, see the kind of equipment they're using."

"The equipment used is B&D you can't go to your local supermarket and buy it off the shelf. When I see something I can use, I come back and have it made. Some of the Mistresses have some very good ideas."

Bill James: "Are there more men or women who come to you for a session?"

Michelle Peters: "More men come to see me than women. That may have nothing to do with the fact that I'm female and a Dominant, but probably more because of where I advertise."

Bill James: "What do you mean?"

Michelle Peters: "It's a male world. Adult bookstores are geared towards males. Adult movie theaters are geared towards males. Adult newspapers are geared towards males. It's logical that since males see my advertising in these places, I'd have more male slaves than female.

Bill James: "If things were different -- if the bookstores, movies or newspapers either appealed to both men and women OR if there was an equal amount of adult information separately for men and women do you think it would be different?"

Michelle Peters: "Absolutely. But, with one drawback"

Bill James: "What's that?"

Michelle Peters: "Society looks down on a female being with a female. The main attraction is for a female to dominate a male or vice versa. If I was a male dominant, I would probably have more female slaves than male."

Bill James: "Are the sessions for men any different than for women?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure. Whoever does a B&D session, probably 90% of it is psychological. Men's fantasies are different than women's, so of course the sessions are different. Also, I like women better than I like men. So I'm not as hard on the women. If a dominant liked men more than she liked women she'd probably be harder on the women.

"I probably do the same things to both sexes. But because their fantasies are different, the tone of the session changes for men and women."

Bill James: "I've had all human interaction described as being either dominant or submissive. Do you think that is true? Why?"

Michelle Peters: "I think we all have these traits to some degree. This is how we get along in society. However, I don't think that's what you mean. Most people are never exclusively dominant or submissive. They could be 3/4 dominant and 1/4 submissive, or any combination. If you want to look at human interaction in two categories it's probably equally silly to see everything in terms of religion or politics. But I'm sure some people see the world that way also. I think society and people are too complex to make life seem that simple."

Bill James: "Can you describe the typical person who comes to you for a session? age, education, job etc."

Michelle Peters: "In some respects there is no such thing as a typical slave. I've had them from 18 to 80 years old, illiterate to PhD's, and from every walk of life you can name."

Bill James: "Instead of typical, what is the average person?"

Michelle Peters: "The average slave is between 30 and 40 years old, more successful in business that average, and usually better educated." "The age thing is kind of funny though -- I've found that if a mistress is 18 years old, most of her slaves are 18. If she's in her 30's her slaves are in their 30's give or take a few years and so on." "It seems that people prefer Mistresses from people pretty much their own age."

"Dominance is not something for an average person. I think my slaves have already come to the conclusion that day-to-day sex is boring for them. I believe they're looking for something beyond that. For them It is just another form of foreplay."

Bill James: "Why do your slaves come to you? Are they seeking psychological release, acting out a fantasy, or looking for sexual variation?"

Michelle Peters: "I think they come for all three of those reasons. I don't think that they come for sex. If all they wanted was sex, they could get that from just about anyone. Since I'm a professional, they know they're coming to me for just dominance."

Bill James: "What is your definition of Dominance?"

Michelle Peters: "My definition of a person who is dominant is one who controls, has authority or power. It definitely ISN'T someone who gets sexual pleasure out of controlling or inflicting pain on others. That's a Sadist."

Bill James: "Dominance covers a wide area of human sexual behaviors- What do You enjoy? Do you specialize? What do your clients enjoy?"

Michelle Peters: "What do I enjoy? I enjoy doing oriental style rope bondage, spankings, whippings, and public humiliation. But, as I said before, I really enjoy shocking people."

"In terms of specialties, right now I specialize in piercing, enemas, and rope bondage. Actually, the very nature of being a dominant Is being a specialist, so everything I do is a specialty."

"Everyone who comes to me, at some time, has read an ad or story of mine. Depending on what was published I tend get different slaves. If the story is about spanking, I get a lot of people into spanking. If it's TV-ism I get a lot of TV's, enemas I get people into enemas. However, the majority of people who come to me are people who have seen or heard about me and know I'm good at some heavier types of things. This is because I've been into this for more than 20 years."

Bill James: "Heavy?"

Michelle Peters: "You've got to be careful when using the phrases `heavy' or `light' in B&D. What is heavy to one slave may be light to the other."

Bill James: "Do you see society accepting B&D as a normal form of sexual variation in the future?"

Michelle Peters: "Yes and no. First, psychologists tell us there are only twelve things that are normal, and I've never met anyone who is into all twelve. I really don't know what normal is. Do I see more and more people accepting this as a form of sex play? Sure!"

"Society is accepting dominance. Look at the new wave fashions. Leathers and other clothes are now becoming in very fashionable. I don't see this as replacing regular sex just because it appeals to a very few people. But I do see a time when society will no longer condemn it as being "sick". Anyone can have sex. It takes a unique breed of person to understand and enjoy Bondage and discipline."

Bill James: "if someone wanted to try B&D to see if they liked it, how would you suggest they `get into It'?"

Michelle Peters: "If a person is a novice, and had never done this before and thought they like B&D .... Sure, Try It! If you like it, do it. I can't see that it will hurt you. But make sure you do it with the right people."

Bill James: "Who are `the right people'?"

Michelle Peters: "Your very first experience in B&D should probably be with a professional mistress who understands novices. The experience can really turn you off if it Is done improperly by the wrong person who doesn't understand your limits."

Bill James: "Do you have equipment? How often is it used?"

Michelle Peters: "Yes, I have lots of equipment. As a matter of fact I probably have more than any other mistress in the country. I may not have as many of one thing as other mistresses however, I probably have a wider collection of equipment than anyone else."

"I don't own equipment to hang on the wall either. Everything I have, I'm capable of using at anytime during a session. Some things are used on an everyday basis, while other things are used only occasionally."

Bill James: "What type is most heavily favored by your slaves?"

Michelle Peters: "Generally my slaves are into rope bondage, harnesses, spankings, and things of this nature. I also have a lot of neat little things that have been adapted, like disposable towel clamps that are now nipple clamps, fishing weights I use to weight down cocks, balls, and nipples. The equipment used for "heavier" sessions like electricity, piercing, or blood letting, obviously don't get used as much as a paddle or a riding crop."

Bill James: "What is a `heavy' session as opposed to a `light' session?"

Michelle Peters: "It all depends on the person. To me a heavy session is electricity, piercing, branding, that sort of thing. It depends on the person's psyche. To some, rope bondage, spanking and enemas might be heavy but to others this might be light. If a slave asks me to cut his dick off ... I'd say THAT'S heavy!!!"

Bill James: "I'm not going to ask you if you ever have."

Michelle Peters: "Why not? You never find out anything unless you ask!"

Bill James: "What is the most popular session you do?"

Michelle Peters: "I already told you about the novice introductory session, Many people who come to me are novices, and are in it just to experiment. So, you could say the most frequent session Is an introductory session. This includes rope bondage, whipping, spanking, humiliation, light harness, gags, nipple and penis torture, and enemas."

Bill James: "Do all these things happen in the first session?"

Michelle Peters: "No, but they could. It is important to respect the limits of your slave. Some of this stuff we may not do. But I'll do just about anything in the realm of B&D."

Bill James: "Do your slaves come to you with a fantasy they wish to act out? or do you attempt to work it out with them before the session starts? or do they simply leave it up to your imagination?"

Michelle Peters: "Sure, some of them come to me with a fantasy already worked out. But you have to remember I'm not an actress, I'm a Dominant. I usually don't do those types of session the first time. After a few sessions we'll get more into the type of session that the slave might want. But it's still up to my own imagination to determine what happens in a session."

Bill James: "Dr. Gini Scott has recently published a book titled Dominant Women Submissive Men, she grouped people who are into B/D into three groups: those people who experiment with B/D, those who have integrated it into their sex lives, and those who have changed their life style to accommodate B/D as a large part of it. Do you agree or disagree with this? Why?"

Michelle Peters: "That's the kind of a question you'd ask on a college essay test. However I don't agree with it. I think you're either in to it or your not. It's that simple. Most people who are into it have already adapted it into their life. It get's a little complex is when you start talking how heavily you're into it. I think the longer you do it, the heavier you're into it. For me, it's my life. I make my living at it. For you, Bill, it would appear it's part of your life. AND if you weren't interested in it we wouldn't be talking."

Bill James: "Good point. Let's go on to the next question."

Bill James: "If someone did find that they enjoyed B&D and now wanted to share it with their lover. Any suggestions on how to bring it up?"

Michelle Peters: "B&D is not for everybody. Just because you might enjoy B&D doesn't mean your mate or lover are into it. That's probably the biggest failure in human relationships: Communication! You've got to communicate with your mate! And do it with a spirit of openness and honesty. You need to sit down and talk about things. No matter how ridiculous it may sound, each mate needs to get it out in the open. You've got to be open minded about this."

Bill James: "Do you think everyone is that open minded?"

Michelle Peters: "No there are a lot of women through upbringing and other things I've mentioned earlier, who would never think of, or enjoy playing either a dominant or submissive role. You've just got to talk about It."

"If you come to an impasse you shouldn't bring it up anymore. If you have a need that the other cannot satisfy, you need to come to some kind of an accommodation to satisfy that need through another outlet. That's probably why there are people like me."

Bill James: "Most people who are into B&D, while they seek out a professional Mistress or join some of the clubs or S/M organizations, would like to involve their mates in the scene. Coming home dressed In leather and chains announcing you'd like to try `something different' might not be the smartest thing to do. How would you suggest someone approach this subject to their husband, wife, lover etc. ?"

Michelle Peters: "If you're into the shock value of the thing, and don't mind short-term relationships; that's one way to bring up the subject. However, your mate may be out the door before you can explain your motives."

"If you're really serious about this there are several approaches you could take: What Is most important is to dispel the notion that this is sick. If you brought your mate to me, or another Mistress, the first thing we'd have to do is convince this person that we weren t weird or sick. This Is a commonly held opinion by most people even though It is completely misguided."

"I'd look around for a marriage counselor, or therapist who understood and accepted this. Then bring your mate to this person for the first discussions. It's important when someone is introduced to B&D that they see It as another form of sex play and NOT a perversion or substitute for sex. You may be able to find some books or articles in the library that might help, and NOT those found in magazines like PENTHOUSE or CHERRY(because most people think these magazines are smut). You've got to be able to introduce this In a non-threatening way from a positive source. Otherwise, just the thought of B&D will be such a turn—off that they won't look any further."

"Once you've broken the ice, you may sway them to your side. If they're really into it they'll say 'this is fun' and you're all set. Also, they'll meet with other people who are into the scene and find out that most of them aren't perverts, but just people with different tastes. When your mate has figured out that people who are into B&D aren't so bad, I think it will show a whole new light on your sex lives."

Bill James: "If someone wanted to contact you. How would they do it?"

Michelle Peters: "They could write me

Michelle Peters
P.O. BOX 781
Pontiac Michigan 48056

Bill James: "The last question is a giant killer. What else would you like to say? We've only touched the surface on what Dominance is, and the enjoyment of B&D. If you'd like to add anything?"

Michelle Peters: "Doing what I do Is A LOT of work and a lot of fun. However you have to put up with alot of bullshit. I just had a guy call and wanted a session next week. He asks me if I'll do this ...If I'll do that....If I'll do whatever. I say fine call be the day before you want to come In. Whats so hard about that? He finally asks "Will you go down on me?"

"This guy Is a phone freak. He's not going to come in for a session. He's just going to get off on what I tell him. Who needs that crap? Alot of people give you a hard time, and that's something that I don't need."

"For those people who are Interested In me, they make an appointment, they act like gentlemen, they don't hassle me about my fee, they are into it, they want to do it, That's the kind of people I want to see."

"If my life was perfect I wouldn't have to fight with these magazines, for my pictures and articles, I've given thousands of pictures to these magazines and they've probably printed less than 1/4 of them."

"For anyone getting into this business it's hard. However once you get established even though you have to stay here in the dungeon almost twenty four hours a day, you can make a pretty good living doing something you enjoy. Sometimes you work until midnight and watch the things that you'd planned to do In the evenings go right down the drain! The point is you work long hours."

"It takes a lot to be a dominant. You need the attire, equipment, a dungeon all those things. and most of all you need a Commitment to Dominance. The next thing you need is the connection with the magazines -— and that's probably the hardest thing to accomplish."

"Some new girl with heavy eye makeup and a garter belt is on the cover of a magazine but in four months she's dropped out of the scene entirely! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been on a cover?"

"Look at Mistress Destiny —— for a while there she was on the cover of every magazine. However, even though she's an excellent Dominant you don't see her any more. It really shouldn't be like that. It's the Mistresses who make these publications what they are! but it's quite a struggle to have them see your value."

"Someday someone's going to publish a magazine who's more into B&D than they are into publishing AND has a good business sense. It's going to be that person who will put most everyone else out of business because without the hassles I'm currently having to go through, I could do a much better job, and that person would sell alot more magazines than anyone else in the business."

Bill James: "That's quite a mouthful."

Michelle Peters: "It certainly Is, but that's how this business is. You've just about run out of tapes on your recorder.

Bill James: "I've got more than enough now, would you like dessert and some cognac?"

Post Script

At this point, I turned off the tape recorder. For the rest of the evening Michelle and I enjoyed each other as people, not as interviewer and interviewee.

Michelle Peters is a fascinating woman. She's attractive, intelligent, is very good at what she does, and enjoys doing it. If you are ever in the Detroit area, she is definitely worth seeing.