Writing Exercise from my CircletPress Retreat

Below is a scene based on a world I created for a paranormal action book. Sadly, no editor or publisher has yet expressed an interest in a bunch of kinky/queer sexual transgressives fighting monsters like gay werebears. *sigh*

The one rule of the Cordon Sanitaire observed more in theory than in practice was to not foul the nest with extraneous passions not related to the prime mission. And yet, there was always someone waking in the armory with a runaway circus performer, a partner in a clandestine affair of enormous complications, twin trans hookers with a service dog - all manner of decadence and oddity, needing a quiet exit after hushed tiptoeing through the corridors or a loud and exuberant morning orgy send-off.

The morning after the vampire debacle in Westchester, there were no extra partners to consider except for Roland’s ghost, who ruled the morning communing held in the west tower. Not that he would have wanted this; being a devout Christian, no doubt he wanted to move on to his suitable divine reward, but he needed to be debriefed, and calling him back was the only way to confirm the details of the raid and why they had been so unprepared.

What wasn’t in the plan, however, was his annoyed spirit waking every other sensitive and even the psiblind, who had been trying, desperately, to forget the tragedy of his death in the one guaranteed way to send a mind into timeless thoughtlessness – orgasms. And so it was when Dare, his cock hard as a bayonet in slave Vera’s mouth, heard Roland saying the rosary and lost, simultaneously, his erection, his grip in her silky hair and his temper.

“Jesus Chris Roland, you died yesterday!” he shouted at the ceiling. “Give a brother a fucking break, eh?”

50 Shades of Sellout

50 Shades of Sellout

by LAntoniou

"Double Crap!" Tiffany extrapolated, as she realized her perfectly perky 37D breasts had gained another D overnight. "Now what will I wear to the company party! I must make a good impression on Mr. Momzer Macher, the new President and CEO and CFO and CBO and...oh, whatever he is!" Sighing with frustration, the gorgeous blonde gazed at her mirror image and fingered the honey gold waves of her naturally wavy hair. "I know! I will wear that daring leather bustier that my gay BFF talked me into buying at that strange street fair he took me to in San Francisco! Gee, I wonder if he worked things out with that hunk he met that day. He said he was into leather, but when I asked him where to find a good purse, he just laughed."

She blinked her cerulean eyes in her memory and then went to get her fetching outfit. It was tight in all the right places and really emphasized her 37-24-36 shape, and the leather felt so stiff and hot and sexy against her alabaster skin! And how it molded her perfect 110 pounds! "How will I ever get through the night without fainting?" she wondered as she strapped her tiny, delicate alabaster feet into her four inch heels, deciding not to take the really high ones. "Good thing I already threw up."

At the party, everyone was in their fanciest clothes and the music was awesome and loud and there was dancing and great food like chicken fingers and the little hot dogs in pastry and sushi and tapas and stuff. Tiffany said hi to all her girlfriends, except for Boring Brenda and kissed all the gay guys and was licking a cherry popsicle that had a fancy imported liquor in it when suddenly she saw...HIM.
Like. O. M. G. There he was, so freaking hot. In his leather pants from Dolce and Gabanna and his black silk shirt and really expensive black tie and black jacket and black diamond stick pin through the really expensive black tie and his ink black hair and jet black eyes and his big feet in big, black boots, oh, he was so into black.

"you're Tiffany," he murmured as he leaned in toward her, gracefully looking at her plunging cleavage, and her heaving alabaster breasts.

He was so tall! Even with her lithe 5'7" frame enhanced by those 4" heels, he was at least a foot taller! And his piercing black eyes pierced her to her very soul.

"I...I..." Tiffany stammered, letting her booze popsicle drip, drip, drip down her hand to splat, splat, splat on the floor. She bit her full, ruby red lips in luscious lasciviousness.

"I'm disgustingly rich and dominant," he sneered dominantly. "you will be Mine!"

"Oh, wow," Tiffany seized. "Um. Wow. OK. Sure. What does that mean, exactly?"

"I have a checklist!" he said triumphantly, while texting an URL to her. "Go to My Web Page and fill it out, and tell Me whether you like, dislike, or are neutral about the 300 activities and fetishes listed there, and whether you've done them before and with whom, and what you thought about it, and then rate them on a scale of 1-10 on whether you'd like to do it now, tomorrow, next week, or after the Mayan Apocalypse."

"Um," Tiffany coughed out, a delicate flush gathering on her porcelain features, her beautiful, full lips, her high, sculpted cheekbones, her delicately feathered eyebrows and her oh-so-cute upturned nose. "But I'm sure I haven't done anything on your list at all! Despite being an adult in 2012, working at your huge corporation and having been through some form of schooling, I am still completely virginal and know nothing at all about kinky sex! I am beautiful, though."

His anthracite eyes brightened under His heavy, midnight brows and He gazed at her with an acquisitional hunger, like a Guy who hasn't had anything to eat in days. And yet she could see some painful memory, some dark - dare she think black? - secret lurking behind those onyx eyes.

"Then you're really going to be Mine!" he thundered. "Because I Alone can teach you the gift of submission, give rise to your slave heart, grant to you the loving dominance of My Masterful Aggression, all tempered, of course, with rationality and with all due care and attention given to risk-aware negotiation! I will teach you to serve Me with your submissive soul, your passive power, your girly gushiness, train you to come at the snap of My Fingers and find true freedom in your complete subjugation to My Will. Yes...you will even learn...Bad Grammar."

"Triple crap!" Tiffany declaimed. "All that? But...how is that possible? It all sounds crazy! And yet...when I look into your charcoal eyes under that irrepressible lock of ebony hair, as I run my searching, trembling fingers across the steel buttons on your sable silk shirt, all I can think of is...Jesus Christ, I am so horny I can die. I think. But i don't really know, because of the virgin thing?"
Mr. Momzer Macher took her pale, shaking hand and led her gentle, undulating form away from the party into his private boardroom where the table could be set up like a bed and tumbled her back onto it.

"I will teach you, little one," he said with intrepid confidence in himself. "And you will be my prized little party girl possession for all time. Just like the last seventeen."

"Oh, quadruple crap!" she extremed, as he tore away her leather bustier with one hand and fell on her like a ravening wolf. A ravening black wolf.

To be continued...OK, not really.

Feel free to share!
And for SM fiction of a different color, see lantoniou.com

Heading to Boston at the End of April

While I wait for the rest of the submissions for the Marketplace fan-fiction anthology to arrive, I am headed to the Boston area, where I will present two workshops.

Sunday, April 29th:  Romancing With Words, an erotic writing workshop on Sunday, April 29th.

If you've ever wanted to go beyond "love and kisses" at the end of your notes, or pondered how to seduce that hottie via e-mails, you'll want to attend this class. From 140-character teases to a novel-length paeon to your perfect partner, you too can translate your sexy thoughts to text.  Find your voice and use your words and thoughts to rev up your romance. No writing experience necessary! Your experience, desires and imagination are all you need. Bring something to write on and write with.

Romancing With Words is being sponsored by the New England Leather Alliance. The class runs from 6:30-8:30 on Sunday April 29th, at the Unity Church of Somerville. There is a fee for the class, so please check the NELA website for more information and to register.

Monday, April 30th: Once We Were Slaves: Ritual at the Intersection of Sexual Identity, Community & Tradition.
How do we build ritual that authentically honors tradition while making room for the experiences of our faith communities? What can we learn from reading and participating in liturgies that draw deeply from the well of personal and group identity? Join me as I meet with Queer Rites at Harvard Divinity School to discuss "Avadim Chayinu: Once We Were Slaves," the kinky Passover seder I co-wrote with my wife.  The workshop will take place from 1-2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 30th at the Rainbowitz Room of the Harvard-Andover Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge. The workshops is being sponsored by Queer Rites, is a group of students who have come together to foster dialogue and to explore ritual around what it means to be queer, what it means to be spiritual, and where those two intersect and interact. RSVP not required but requested to trinsf (at) gmail (dot) com.

Extended Deadline for Marketplace Fan Fiction

April 30 is the new  deadline for my Call for Submissions to No Safewords – A Marketplace Collection

Do you have what it takes to enter The Marketplace? For the first time since The Academy, I am opening the doors to my exclusive playroom, for this first collection of fan fiction!

Yes, you can write a Marketplace story – and this is your chance to really push the limits! Use any character, any setting. Delve into the onlineMarketplace wiki to brush up on existing characters or create your own. Fit the story to what already exists or imagine a sort of alternative universe to my alternative universe. You can even add elements that do not exist in the books – want to make it paranormal? Set in the past/future? Care to slash together characters you thought shouldhave hooked up? Do you think there should have been more gay/lesbian/straight/rubber/steampunk/food fetish/Canadian/sexy accountant stories in the books? Now is your chance to write one!

I am the sole owner of the Marketplace series and all derivative works set in that universe. Therefore, I reserve the right as the owner/creator of the universe to refer to or use any character that an anthology contributor introduces, but by the same token, you the writer also keep the right to use that character yourself in your future work, although the MP setting will not be yours to continue to play with. Neither of us would have the right to stop the other from using a version of the character or name in future work. Fair 'nuff?

Questions I suspect will be frequently asked:

Q: I wrote this Mary Sue story ages ago! Do you want it?

A: Is it good? Then sure!

Q: I've written novels all about these other characters but I have this idea about what would happen if they encountered the MP. Is that OK?

A: If you own the rights to those characters and don't mind that I might use them again later, then sure.

Q: What if these Star Trek/Twilight/Farscape/Disney characters found the MP, and...

A: Sorry, no characters belonging to other people, especially people who resemble large corporations with lawyers.

Q: So, Chris Parker is a vampire, see and Geoff Negel is a werewolf...

A: That story better be REAL good, that's all I'm saying. Or, intentionally hysterical.

Q: We can write funny stories??

A: Have you read the books? Of course you can.

Q: Does it have to contain a sex scene?

A: Read the books. Sex scenes are not what drive these novels – power and the human relationships and conflicts do. Of course, kinky sex is more than welcome, especially if it is necessary to tell that story!

Q: Do I have to read the books?

A: I am editing other anthologies. Try one of those.

Q: Can I really write about any character? Doing anything I want?

A: I'm human. I am more protective about some characters and story arcs. But the key question remains – Is the story good?

For all submissions – send a MS Word .doc (NOT .docx) or a .rtf file to AntoniouEdits (@) gmail (dot) com. Do not paste the story into the body of an e-mail. Include your full contact information, e-mail address and mailing address in both the e-mail and on the attached document. Format neatly according to professional guidelines, and include a brief personal bio.
I prefer a story length between 3000-7000 words. Shorter? Then that story better pack a punch. Longer? Maybe you should consider publishing a novella.
These are erotica collections, so make sure your stories contain sex. Sex is defined as any activity that increases the potential for orgasm; so by all means do not limit yourself there. While your story might be dark or edgy for a particular book, please do not include murder, suicide or unhappy endings. Do not expect an answer until after the deadline has passed, although I reserve the right to answer earlier if I want to.

Gay Pride Comes Early This Year

Usually, I wait until June to put on my rainbow duds and chant "I'm here! I'm queer! Buy my books, my dear!" But this year, Gay Pride comes early for me.

On Saturday, March 3rd, I am reading at a monthly "Queer Memoir" event. The March event's theme is "Leather" and is being curated by my friend and fellow transgressive, Sassafras Lowrey.  It's an evening for truth-telling, and I'll be pulling up tales from my leather past and present to share.  It's also a benefit evening to support another fellow transgressive story teller, Toni Amato's Write Here, Write Now. Toni and I go way back, and we still bump up against each other on a regular basis, most recently when we were both published in Tristan Taormino's Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica.

At the end of March, I'm attending the 4th annual Rainbow Book Fair, held at New York City's LGBT Center in Manhattan. The Fair runs pretty much all day, and I'll be wandering around, signing and selling books, and reading in the afternoon.  It's the largest LGBT book event in the country, and it's free. How could you say no? Join me Saturday, March 24th. I'll autograph your books, whether you buy them that day or bring them with you.

If you are bummed that you'll miss these opportunities to hear me read, fear not! Folks have been posting videos of me reading at various events over the past few months. You can find those videos, podcasts, and interviews of me here.

Voyeur Eyes Only

 A few months ago, I attended the first ever erotic writers conference in Las Vegas. It was a great motivator for me: since the conference, I've written and published several short stories, I'm completing a novel, and I am editing five anthologies - and of course, I continue to work on Book Six of the Marketplace series.

The conference was inspiring for many of us. So my fellow smut writers,  D.L. King, Essemoh Teepee and Genevieve Ash put together a great anthology of short stories written by the authors who attended the conference. With a Vegas theme, Voyeur Eyes Only is not only a hot collection of erotica, its proceeds help support the conference. My contribution includes some Marketplace characters, for you avid fans who like searching out the stories that don't end up in my novels.

If you are an avid smut reader and want your writers to stay inspired and motivated to write, I encourage you to purchase Voyeur Eyes Only. 

Find me in NYC, Providence

I am making two NYC appearances this week - the first at Iron Bell Academy in Queens, where I'm presenting a new workshop on Thursday, February 2nd entitledThat Ain't Necessarily So: Lies, Exaggerations and Silly Shit You Keep Hearing in the Scene.

On Friday the 3rd, I'm joining the first Friday Ravenous Nights readings at the Happy Endings Lounge on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The other readers will be Lolita Wolf, Angel Propps, Elizabeth Thorne, Sara Eileen, and my lovely wife, Karen Taylor. The theme is "leather," so expect some hot kinky stories.

And with luck, you may be able to pick up this new edition of The Academy, with a hot new cover by Lochai if you see me at Providence Rhode Island Fetish Fair Flea Market February 10-12. If you can't make it, keep your eyes out for the new edition to hit your e-book lists soon!

What's New in 2012

The new year is bringing a new edition of The Academy, new anthologies, and new trips around the country.  In other words, I'll be busy, Busy, BUSY!

For fans waiting on the new e-book edition of The Academy, complete with hot new cover by my friend and photographer Lochai, keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. The book has gone into final edits, and, as with all of my new Luster Imprint editions, I've added a new short story available in the e-book edition only.  Continuing in my theme, "Life's a Party," the bonus story in The Academy will take place at a wild sex party.  Here's an excerpt, featuring Trainer Marcy Teodor and her trainer-in-training, Stuart. 

I'll be sticking close to home over the next few weeks while I review the stories that have been submitted to the various anthologies I plan to put together this year.  The largest event I'll be attending during the winter is the Providence Rhode Island Fetish Fair Flea Market, a great shopping extravaganza for the kink-inclined. Otherwise, I'll be in the New York City area, so check my events calendar on the right for upcoming trips. And as always, if your group is interested in having me come and present, please check my details at "Hire Laura," and I'll be happy to get in touch with you.

Happy 2012!

A Christmas-Themed, Historical, Gay-Themed Story

Recently, I was challenged to write outside my usual area of "contemporary smut."

I love taking on challenges like this - they help me stretch my writing muscles, and give me renewed creativity when returning to my main projects. Plus, I am a big fan of historical fiction, as anyone who has seen my bookshelves (heavily stacked with Clavell, Galebon, Jakes, McCullough,and others) can attest.

Given the season, I chose to set this story during the famous "Christmas Truce" of 1914:

On an icy Christmas morning on the Western Front, 1914, British and German soldiers huddled in trenches less than fifty yards apart, away from their homes and families, cold, weary and afraid. But Lt. Glbert Tillsdale and Captain Wilheim von Faulkner will spark more than a Christmas truce as they walk across no man's land to shake hands. They find passion, comfort and pleasure in each other and share a moment of peace that can only be called miraculous.Purchase the story here.

My serious Marketplace fans will recognize the family name of one of the characters above -- one that will return in a future Marketplace novel, as well.

Oh, and if you're looking for some last-minute holiday gifts, please check out my extensive selection of e-books, easily and quickly available for a spicy stocking stuffer!

Deadline Approaching for Hot Butches/Hot Femmes Anthologies!

A few posts back, I announced my intention to start editing anthologies again. The deadline for my companion volumes of stories about Hot Butches/Hot Femmes is due at the end of 2011! Here's my reminder:

Hot Butches/Hot Femmes: Deadline – December 31, 2011 

Two companion volumes, one goal – to celebrate the classic identities of butches and femmes, those who love to play with gender! Your story must feature at least one butch or femme (depending on the volume) matching the title description. They can be the point of view character, the protagonist or the lust object of the story. Don't dial back the sex – keep it hot and spicy! But these are celebratory books, so I am looking for happy endings. Kink/leather/BDSM themes welcome, but not required – the flavor here is gender and gender expression.

Submission Guidelines and additional info can be found on my Calls for Submissions Page.

Wondering what else I'm looking for?

Leatherwomen 2012 – Still Kicking: Deadline - January 31, 2012

Is leather dead? Hell no! But it has changed and so have leatherwomen. Celebrate the thrill of skins and kink and the hot women who embody the name leatherwoman in this new universe of kinky potential. Like the previous Leatherwomen anthologies, stories may contain characters of any physical, emotional and sexual identity you believe falls under the name leatherwoman. BDSM, latex, punk, heterosexual, queer, single, couples, poly, orgies – if you believe your story and your characters belong in this crew, then convince me. Extra points for non white/American/party-going/lifestyle characters and situations, and much love for pushing the boundaries of identity and politics. Make it romantic or ironic; sweet or scary. But fill it with power and presence and desire.

No Safewords – A Marketplace Collection: Deadline - February 28, 2012

Do you have what it takes to enter The Marketplace? For the first time since The Academy, I am opening the doors to my exclusive playroom, for this first collection of fan fiction! Yes, you can write a Marketplace story – and this is your chance to really push the limits! Use any character, any setting. Delve into the online Marketplace wiki to brush up on existing characters or create your own. Fit the story to what already exists or imagine a sort of alternative universe to myalternative universe. Do you think there should have been more gay/lesbian/straight/rubber/steampunk/food fetish/Canadian/sexy accountant stories in the books? Now is your chance to write one!

Submission Guidelines and additional details on all of the Calls for Submissions can be found on my Calls for Submissions Page.

Free Holiday Erotica Tale!

On the first Fridays of the month, there's an erotic reading series at the Happy Endings Lounge in New York City that I sometimes attend. The December theme was - no surprise - holiday erotica!

What may be a surprise to some of you, however, is that I have actually written a short holiday erotica piece.  In the spirit of giving, here's an excerpt from "Ho Fuckin' Ho:"

A long and tall drink of water poured into a latex elf costume. Spikey green boots that clung to shapely legs all the way to the thigh, same color boy-cut shorts, and a plunging vest, both trimmed in white fur. Jaunty Santa style hat in the same green, with pointy ear tips rising to each side of her head. I groped for her name… Stacey!

“Hi, Santa,” she purred, leaning over to adjust my sack. “I’ll be one of your elves tonight. I hope you have a special present for me!”

Now, I am an equal opportunity Daddy, I like boys and girls, naughty and nice. This fiasco was looking up already.

I struggled and won the fight to not say, “I got your present right here,” and grab my package. Instead, I went for the equally cheesy, “What’s a nice femme like you doing in a boy’s club?”

She leaned in closer and whispered, “Hoping to get gang banged in the back room, later. You’re invited, if you’re not busy, and your boy, too, if he’s been real good.”  Click here for more...  

If you're still looking for some gift ideas, don't forget Circlet Press is offering a special deal on the first three books in the Marketplace series. In addition, several of the romance sites where you can find my other fiction are offering holiday specials, so check out the links here, too!

Just in Time for the holidays!

If you're like me, and prefer to do your holiday shopping on line, I have a great deal for you!  My original trilogy is available through December 31st at a discount price fromCirclet Press.

Get The Marketplace, The Slave, and The Trainer, normally $19.95 each plus shipping, for only $55 including shipping within the US/Canada. This is a great way to introduce a friend to the series or to replace your lost/borrowed/stolen copies for yourself!

This limited time price is only offered until December 31, 2011. Please place orders by December 13 if you want the set in time for Hanukkah, by December 15 if you want them for Christmas.

And if you are buying electronic readers for yourself and special friends, why not fill them with some spicy erotic stories? In addition to the Marketplace trilogy, check out rotating carousel on the left side of my webpage, where you'll find an array of my smut.  And nothing says "I know what you really like for the holidays" than that!

Winter Plans

While I am taking most of winter off to write and edit anthologies, I have been doing some local readings and will have an upcoming appearance.

Last month, I read a story about Chris Parker that has not yet appeared in any Marketplace novel. It is in Tristan Taormino's Take Me There, a groundbreaking anthology of transgender and genderqueer erotica. For those who missed it, here's a video of the reading.

I am also a regular reader at the Ravenous Readings series which take place the first Friday of every month in New York City's Happy Endings Lounge on the Lower East Side. The theme in November was erotic non-fiction, so I contributed my piece on how to train a pleasure slave, which appears in another Tristan Taormino anthology, The Ultimate Guide to Kink, BDSM, Role Play and the Erotic Edge.  

I will be headed to New Jersey at the end of this month, teaching I'll be teaching "Beyond Bossy" and "Service Development" at Brimstone on the Jersey Shore.

And that's where you'll find me between now and the end of the year! I am booking dates in 2012, however, so please check out my speaking requirements or my tour calendar, posted on the right of the page.

Submit to Me!

It's twenty years since I started to collect stories for the original Leatherwomen, and anthologies have refused to die. With the explosion of e-book publishers of erotica, there has never been a better time to get your stories out into the world – and after twenty years, I'm eager to collect all sorts of delicious smut. From sweet and romantic to edgy and kinky, show me what you've got!

Submission Guidelines and additional info can be found on my Calls for Submissions Page.

Here's a brief overview at what I'm looking for:

The Best of Leatherwomen: Deadline - Dec 31, 2011

Did you write for me back in the day? Find me, please! We'll make a combined collection from all three of the groundbreaking Leatherwomen anthologies and you can get paid again for work you so long ago we all rode dinosaurs to the play parties.

Leatherwomen 2012 – Still Kicking: Deadline - January 31, 2012

Is leather dead? Hell no! But it has changed and so have leatherwomen. Celebrate the thrill of skins and kink and the hot women who embody the name leatherwoman in this new universe of kinky potential. Like the previous Leatherwomen anthologies, stories may contain characters of any physical, emotional and sexual identity you believe falls under the name leatherwoman. BDSM, latex, punk, heterosexual, queer, single, couples, poly, orgies – if you believe your story and your characters belong in this crew, then convince me. Extra points for non white/American/party-going/lifestyle characters and situations, and much love for pushing the boundaries of identity and politics. Make it romantic or ironic; sweet or scary. But fill it with power and presence and desire.

Hot Butches/Hot Femmes: Deadline – December 31, 2011 

Two companion volumes, one goal – to celebrate the classic identities of butches and femmes, those who love to play with gender! Your story must feature at least one butch or femme (depending on the volume) matching the title description. They can be the point of view character, the protagonist or the lust object of the story. Don't dial back the sex – keep it hot and spicy! But these are celebratory books, so I am looking for happy endings. Kink/leather/BDSM themes welcome, but not required – the flavor here is gender and gender expression.

No Safewords – A Marketplace Collection: Deadline - February 28, 2012

Do you have what it takes to enter The Marketplace? For the first time since The Academy, I am opening the doors to my exclusive playroom, for this first collection of fan fiction! Yes, you can write a Marketplace story – and this is your chance to really push the limits! Use any character, any setting. Delve into the online Marketplace wiki to brush up on existing characters or create your own. Fit the story to what already exists or imagine a sort of alternative universe to myalternative universe. Do you think there should have been more gay/lesbian/straight/rubber/steampunk/food fetish/Canadian/sexy accountant stories in the books? Now is your chance to write one!

Submission Guidelines and additional details on all of the Calls for Submissions can be found on my Calls for Submissions Page.

Calling All Leatherwomen!!

I'm happy to announce that I'll be editing several anthologies over the winter and into 2012. In addition to some new projects (keep your eyes out for "Calls for Submission"), I am bringing back my "Leatherwomen" brand.

If you are a writer who was published in one of my original Leatherwomen anthologies, I am asking you to get in contact with me at Antoniouedits (at) gmail (dot) com as I build a "Best of Leatherwomen" collection!

(cue harp arpeggios, musically implying that we are traveling back in time)

Back in the pre-internet 1990's, there was a dearth of fiction available to kinky women written by kinky women. Pretty much all we had was the groundbreaking Coming To Power by Samois, the periodic s/m themed short stories in On Our Backs, and a few writers like Susie Bright, Artemis Oakgrove and a writer I consider my mentor, Dorothy Allison.

I decided to fill that void by editing a series written by and for Leatherwomen of all orientations. So, in the mid-1990's, I put out a call for submissions.

There was only one problem. Pat (now Patrick) Califia and Robin Sweeney were collaborating on"The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader," billed to be the follow-up to the Samois anthology. Every kinky lesbian writer I knew had already promised their work to Pat and Robin.

I persisted, and not only published "Leatherwomen," but even got out "Leatherwomen II (Revenge of the Leatherwomen)" before The Second Coming was published. I then published "Leatherwomen III (Clash of the Cultures)" in the late 1990's.

           

Now, a decade later, I think it's time to bring back the Leatherwomen brand. So much has changed in the kink community since Leatherwomen III was published, ranging from the rise of sex through social media to the increasing fluidity of gender and sexual identity. I think it's time to hear from leatherwomen again.

To launch the return of the "Leatherwomen" series, I am calling all contributors to the earlier anthologies to get in touch with me. Let's bring back those sexy, smutty, kinky, toe-curling stories and introduce them to a new generation of readers. Contact me atAntoniouedits (at) gmail (dot) com.

And for the rest of you: keep your eyes open for additional "Calls for Submission" from me!

New Chris Parker story!

On Wednesday, October 12th, I'll be reading The Man With the Phoenix Tattoo, the first-ever story about Chris Parker that is not in a Marketplace novel. The reading will be at 7:00 p.m. at Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street on New York City's Lower East Side.

The story is part of a new anthology entitled Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica. I've known editor Tristan Taormino for many years, and when she contacted me about this project, I knew Chris Parker needed to be included in this anthology. Trans and genderqueer folk are fiercely sexy to me, and I am proud to have created the first-ever FTM romantic lead in a long-running erotic series.

Take Me There is a great collection of  erotica by, for, and about transfolk, FTMs, MTFs, genderqueers, gender outlaws, as well as two-spirit, intersex, and gender-variant people. The power of seeing and being seen is a central theme in the anthology; it’s not simply about passing or not passing (an idea often explored with transgender characters), but about being acknowledged and desired in a sexual context.

Other contributors include authors Kate Bornstein (Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation), Patrick Califia (Speaking Sex to Power), S. Bear Bergman (Butch is a Noun), Ivan Coyote (Missed Her), Julia Serrano (Whipping Girl), Helen Boyd (My Husband Betty),  Toni Amato (Pinned Down by Pronouns), Alicia E. Goranson (Supervillianz), filmmaker Tobi Hill-Meyer, musician Rahne Alexander, songwriter Shawna Virago, blogger Andrea Zanin, and others.

If you join us on Wednesday, October 12th at Bluestockings, you'll not only hear my story, but the contributions of author Rachel Kramer Bussel, blogger Sinclair Sexsmith of The Sugarbutch Chronicles, and poet/performer/activist Rachel K. Zall.

I hope Take Me There not only gives me an opportunity to introduce new readers to the Marketplace series, but that it will offer my long-time fans a look at Chris Parker's fictional peers.  See you at Bluestockings!

I Love to Write.

I spend a lot of time at leather conferences. They make me feel good about what I write. But going to a writers’ conference makes me feel good about being a writer.

I learned that earlier this month when I attended the Erotic Authors Association conference. I returned to New York feeling energized, and ready to tackle some long-awaited (and some new!) writing projects. I am dedicating my fall and winter to writing.

One of the workshops I taught at the conference was on how to write a series. I am bringing more creative energy to my own series, and hope to have The Inheritor, Book Six of the Marketplace series, completed by early 2012. For those of you who wish you could find out more about it – visit my Marketplace wiki! I use this wiki as a codex to keep track of all the characters in the Marketplace universe… and as I write the sixth book, those characters are included on the wiki. Which, by the way, is an excellent tool for anyone writing a series (as I told my workshop participants.)

I also updated my workshop offerings to include some writing workshops. Look for “Romancing with Words: Erotica for Beginners,” “Unsafe Words – Exercises to Jazz Up Your Sex Writing,” and “It’s a Long Story: Writing an Erotic Series” among others.

I will also be joining some readings taking place in the NYC area in October. I’m delighted to have a short story in “Take Me There,” a genderqueer collection edited by my friend, Tristan Taormino. My contribution, “The Man With the Phoenix Tattoo,” is the only story about Chris Parker that I have not published in the Marketplace series. Join us at Bluestockings on Wednesday, October 12th at 7:00 p.m. and hear it live. For more details, check out my events calendar on the right.

And I’m working on a series of other projects as well. I’ll be sharing those with you over the next several weeks, as they come to fruition. So stay tuned! I’m going to have a very productive autumn and winter.

Stay tuned – I think it will be a productive autumn!

Readings and More in Las Vegas

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be in Las Vegas for the Erotic Authors Association Conference. I've also added two readings to my schedule, and I hope that fans in Sin City will join me!

First, my friend and fellow author Rachel Kramer Bussel is co-hosting a an erotic open mic at the Erotic Heritage Museum on Friday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. I'm joining her, as well as other authors from the conference and local writers for what promises to be a very steamy evening!

Then on Saturday the 10th,  I'll be stopping by PT's Pub (where the Sin City munch is held) for a reading that is free and open to all. PT's Pub is located in the Sahara Pavilion Complex in the Sahara Pavilion Complex 4604 Sahara (near Decatur). Doors will open at 6:30 and the reading will begin at 7:00. I'll have books available for sale, and you can bring your well-loved copies for autographs, too! 

I also hope you'll join me at this great conference. I'll be on a panel about “writing queer” and teaching a class on – what else? – the challenges of writing a series. 

See you in Vegas, Baby!

Headed to the Erotic Authors Association Conference

In September, I'm going to attend the first-ever Erotic Authors Association conference.

Most erotica events tend to be focused on the visual: models, fashion, and, well, lots of nearly-naked people. This conference promises to titillate the brain first, and be a bit more reflective of reality.

I'll be part of a panel on "writing queer" and teaching a class on - what else? - the challenges of writing a series. I've often wondered why there aren’t more lengthy sagas on the erotica shelves – that don’t involve magic, vampires and werewolves. The Marketplace series didn’t leap into existence overnight or even over a few years, but is nearly 20 years in the making. I'll talk about character arcs, bibles, making a codex, the dreaded trilogy trap, and the temptation to repeat your first success by writing the same story over and over.

The Erotic Authors Association conference will bring together erotica readers, publishers, aspiring authors, and my fellow writers. It's always a pleasure to hang out with other writers - especially the ones that write dirty, sexy stories!

If you're looking for a rewarding weekend with authors and fans of erotica, I hope you'll join me in Las Vegas, September 9-10.  For more information on the Erotic Authors Association conference, cilck here,

The Original Marketplace Trilogy is Back in Print!

I'm pleased to announce that the original Marketplace trilogy, The Marketplace, The Slave, and The Trainer, is now back in print, thanks to Circlet Press, where the motto is Celebrating the erotic imagination. 

The third book in the Marketplace Series brings us into the House of Anderson, the Trainer of Trainers, where Chris Parker and a few clients are in residence. Michael LaGuardia loves being part of the Marketplace and loves the sex slaves he regularly trains. After a couple of years in California, Michael thinks he is ready for a step up, ready for an apprenticeship with Anderson. (He's wrong.)

To read an excerpt from The Traienr, click here.

The Trainer was originally published fifteen years ago by Masquerade Books. At the time, I felt that I had given the lead character, Michael LaGuardia, short shrift. When Masquerade left the publishing business, I moved the Marketplace series to Mystic Rose Books, and expanded The Trainer by nearly a third, adding more to Michael’s story.

Now that I’m settled at Circlet Press, I’ve been expanding my series even further. I’ve developed thematic short stories for each of the Marketplace novels, and including them in the e-book editions. The “Life is a Party” stories are, as the title implies, short stories that all take place at parties which happen during the timeline of the novel.

In the case of The Trainer, the short story features a sex party complete with slave auction at the home of handsome, controversial Master Trainer Geoff Negel, where Michael launches his career in the Marketplace.

“California Dreaming” is only available in the e-book edition of The Trainer. However, the first two short stories, “For Want of a Nail,” published in the new edition of The Marketplace; and “That’s Harsh!” in The Slave, are now available for separate download for just 99 cents! You can download them here.

Once The Academy: Tales Of the Marketplace, is published (winter 2011), “California Dreaming” will also be available for separate download. The same will happen for The Reunion, (spring 2012) and for the long-anticipated Book Six in the Marketplace series, The Inheritor (summer 2012).