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Anything But a Wasted Heart
“Anything But a Wasted Heart” picks up where “Anything But a Wasted Life” left off.
In short, you should read (or listen) to that book before this one.
Sita’s debut memoir gave you the day-to-day in-the-life-of a sex worker interwoven with backstory from her life. This is not that. This memoir—a chronologically documented mind mapping spanning just two years—is heartbreakingly achy and a little fucked up. At the heart, it’s a love story that never stood a chance. At the core, it’s about a woman doing her level best to keep it together while attempting the impossible; make all the men in her life happy—even at her own peril. Sita maneuvers through the complex relationships that fulfill her, deplete her, and pay her rent. Including Cole; a charismatic male with the communication skills of an M.C. Escher drawing who vexes Sita like no other.
Anything But a Wasted Heart drops you into a world of carnal pleasure with tragicomic hues with Sita smack dab in the middle of real-life and fantasy in the world’s oldest prostitution. Working as an escort is anything but easy; it’s a constant battle between how much Sita’s clients can get and how much she’s willing to give without losing her mind.
Thirty years is a long time to cater to men’s needs and dance around their feelings.
This follow-up portrayal has all the classic Sita wit and grit, flanked closely by a burning vulnerability we haven’t seen before. As Sita muddles through uncharted territory, trying desperately to maintain boundaries while she drinks enough booze to kill a horse, she tackles the hard Why do people cheat? Why do men hire call girls? And why is lying sometimes the right thing to do? Strap in, folks, it’s a turbulent ride filled with drugs, porn, and a healthy dose of wtf.
Sita’s debut memoir gave you the day-to-day in-the-life-of a sex worker interwoven with backstory from her life. This is not that. This memoir—a chronologically documented mind mapping spanning just two years—is heartbreakingly achy and a little fucked up. At the heart, it’s a love story that never stood a chance. At the core, it’s about a woman doing her level best to keep it together while attempting the impossible; make all the men in her life happy—even at her own peril. Sita maneuvers through the complex relationships that fulfill her, deplete her, and pay her rent. Including Cole; a charismatic male with the communication skills of an M.C. Escher drawing who vexes Sita like no other.
Anything But a Wasted Heart drops you into a world of carnal pleasure with tragicomic hues with Sita smack dab in the middle of real-life and fantasy in the world’s oldest prostitution. Working as an escort is anything but easy; it’s a constant battle between how much Sita’s clients can get and how much she’s willing to give without losing her mind.
Thirty years is a long time to cater to men’s needs and dance around their feelings.
This follow-up portrayal has all the classic Sita wit and grit, flanked closely by a burning vulnerability we haven’t seen before. As Sita muddles through uncharted territory, trying desperately to maintain boundaries while she drinks enough booze to kill a horse, she tackles the hard Why do people cheat? Why do men hire call girls? And why is lying sometimes the right thing to do? Strap in, folks, it’s a turbulent ride filled with drugs, porn, and a healthy dose of wtf.
268 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2024
About the author
Sita Kaylin
5 books15 followersI was born in San Francisco and raised by a single parent in a loosely organized hippie commune of vegetarian drug dealers. My mom worked at the famous Trident restaurant in Sausalito, and although she loved me, she was checked out—I raised myself for the most part. In addition to selling (and doing copious amounts of) cocaine, the house patriarch trained standard poodles, showing them at stuffy dog shows while gaked out. At the tender age of eleven, I already knew life was a sham.
I started working at ten, first cleaning offices, then touring the carnival and craft fair circuit selling crystals and pewter figurines. I moved out of the house just before my sixteenth birthday. I took the California High School Proficiency Exam and stopped going to high school to quit my night job and work full-time. My abusive childhood caught up with me emotionally, I started cutting and starving myself. Seven months after I had moved out, I was locked in a mental institution in East Oakland for general teenage angst, self-loathing, and suicidal tendencies. To get out, I entered and graduated from a thirty-day adult rehab. I remained clean and sober for twelve years. I eventually went back to school. Through hard work and many simultaneous jobs, I earned my Bachelor of Arts at San Francisco State University in 1994, intending on law school.
Two years before graduation, I started stripping. I had money for the first time in my life; it was incredible. I always say: money isn't happiness, but it sure the fuck is freedom. I worked at Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre, the city’s premier strip club for nine years, where I was surrounded by other creative, intelligent, open-minded women like me. Law school never happened. Like most strippers, I figured I'd dance for a short time to pay for school, save a little dough and have some fun...I never thought I'd still be in the sex industry over three decades later.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2001. While attending UCLA’s Recording Engineering program, I worked at Sound City Recording Studios while stripping part-time at a club by LAX. Although I loved studio life and recording music, the exhaustive hours and singular lifestyle wasn’t for me; I was back to the proverbial drawing board. In 2004, one of my co-workers asked if I would take photos of her. I absolutely loved it. Not only was it fun and creative, but I also discovered that I had an eye for it.
I've always loved writing—even though I’m terribly dyslexic. I'd considered writing a memoir years before I started it (mostly at the behest of others). I brought my Composition Book to the club so I could write while it was slow; it spilled out of me. My first memoir, "Anything But a Wasted Life", was written mostly in strip clubs as well as local watering holes around Los Angeles.
During my tenure as a stripper, I also hooked when the price was right, and I was single. I stopped dancing in December 2013 but have continued to see private clients.
"Anything But a Wasted Life" was published by HarperCollins in 2018. I self-published the updated edit with new cover art in 2023, plus, an audiobook I recorded this spring!
"Anything But a Wasted Heart", the second installment in my series was published June 2023. For further information about the people in my orbit, see ORIGIN STORIES on my website.
I started working at ten, first cleaning offices, then touring the carnival and craft fair circuit selling crystals and pewter figurines. I moved out of the house just before my sixteenth birthday. I took the California High School Proficiency Exam and stopped going to high school to quit my night job and work full-time. My abusive childhood caught up with me emotionally, I started cutting and starving myself. Seven months after I had moved out, I was locked in a mental institution in East Oakland for general teenage angst, self-loathing, and suicidal tendencies. To get out, I entered and graduated from a thirty-day adult rehab. I remained clean and sober for twelve years. I eventually went back to school. Through hard work and many simultaneous jobs, I earned my Bachelor of Arts at San Francisco State University in 1994, intending on law school.
Two years before graduation, I started stripping. I had money for the first time in my life; it was incredible. I always say: money isn't happiness, but it sure the fuck is freedom. I worked at Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre, the city’s premier strip club for nine years, where I was surrounded by other creative, intelligent, open-minded women like me. Law school never happened. Like most strippers, I figured I'd dance for a short time to pay for school, save a little dough and have some fun...I never thought I'd still be in the sex industry over three decades later.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2001. While attending UCLA’s Recording Engineering program, I worked at Sound City Recording Studios while stripping part-time at a club by LAX. Although I loved studio life and recording music, the exhaustive hours and singular lifestyle wasn’t for me; I was back to the proverbial drawing board. In 2004, one of my co-workers asked if I would take photos of her. I absolutely loved it. Not only was it fun and creative, but I also discovered that I had an eye for it.
I've always loved writing—even though I’m terribly dyslexic. I'd considered writing a memoir years before I started it (mostly at the behest of others). I brought my Composition Book to the club so I could write while it was slow; it spilled out of me. My first memoir, "Anything But a Wasted Life", was written mostly in strip clubs as well as local watering holes around Los Angeles.
During my tenure as a stripper, I also hooked when the price was right, and I was single. I stopped dancing in December 2013 but have continued to see private clients.
"Anything But a Wasted Life" was published by HarperCollins in 2018. I self-published the updated edit with new cover art in 2023, plus, an audiobook I recorded this spring!
"Anything But a Wasted Heart", the second installment in my series was published June 2023. For further information about the people in my orbit, see ORIGIN STORIES on my website.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
February 3, 2026
WOW! After the first book I did not know what to expect. I wanted more of the first book, but I was pleased to find out that this one is very different. What stands out first is Sita is a fearless and refined storyteller. I love how Sita shares her love, loss, connection, and regret with remarkable vulnerability. She shares both incredible stories and personal demons. I appreciate her visceral style as she paints scenes so vividly that you feel as though you’re right there with her.
Once again Sita’s sharp observational style allows her to balance humor with heartbreak in a wonderful way that make even the heavy parts feel approachable. Her inner thoughts are beautifully stated, her voice remains authentic and relatable, and the inclusion of personal details—like the contents of text conversations woven into the narrative—adds another level of intimacy. I had meant to read it over time but ended up devouring it in one sitting. It was too hard to put down. Thank you for sharing yourself with us Sita!
Once again Sita’s sharp observational style allows her to balance humor with heartbreak in a wonderful way that make even the heavy parts feel approachable. Her inner thoughts are beautifully stated, her voice remains authentic and relatable, and the inclusion of personal details—like the contents of text conversations woven into the narrative—adds another level of intimacy. I had meant to read it over time but ended up devouring it in one sitting. It was too hard to put down. Thank you for sharing yourself with us Sita!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review