The Trainer

The third book in the Marketplace series, and the one most extensively expanded after publishing houses changed to Mystic Rose Books in 2001.

The Trainer follows the story of  Michael LaGuardia, who has discovered the Marketplace through his uncle Niall and started training with Geoff Negel , a West Coast  trainer  with a weak reputation. Michael soon decides to continue training under  Imala Anderson, the Trainer of Trainers for the United States. He soon discovers that he has a lot to learn, particularly from Anderson's second-in-command,  Chris Parker.

Excerpt:

In the hierarchy of positions within the Marketplace, there is no role as vital as that of the responsible trainer. The extraordinary trainer will at once be a pedagogue, a parent, an exacting employer, a model employee and a drill sergeant. The skills needed to even approach a professional level of ability are rare. We have found that there are certain types of individuals uniquely suited to the vocation, and may in fact feel a calling to it. Our challenge is in howto take that inspiration, that drive, and hone it to razor sharpness, in effect training the trainer, so that the results of their work will improve the stock of clientele.

Most of the book takes place at the Anderson's Training House of Imala Anderson, located in Brooklyn. It is described as  a double-sized brownstone in Brooklyn, located near a park and a subway stop. The front of the house is shady, and there is a backyard. The slaves in training sleep in the third floor/attic area. On staff at Anderson's home is a non-Marketplace cook, Vicente who has been with Anderson for over 12 years at the time of the novel. He is described as about 6’4”, quite dark, with tightly curly ink-black hair  and is originally from Brazil. He has a Jamaican girlfriend.

Another training house featured in the novel is the one owned by Geoff Negel,  a spacious designer house in Santa Cruz, with a never-ending bevy of willing men and women to play with.

When the book was revised and expanded in 2001, Michael's experiences with Geoff Negel were significantly expanded, and include a trip to Great Britain and a visit to Rothmere, a  Training House frequented by trainers in the line of  Howard Ward.

The (revised edition) is a better story than the original and a story which more neatly fits into the series as a whole. . . . There are five added chapters to The Trainer which do a wonderful job of filling in some gaps from  The Slave  and leading us more clearly into  The Academy. . . This version of The Trainer is a better read than the original. — Tammy Jo Eckhart

In 2011, a bonus story was added in the Circlet Press edition entitled  California Dreaming,  which offers a glimpse into the activities that take place in the training house of Geoff Negel, including a mock slave auction to entice potential Owners into a more serious purchase.

Cast of Characters
From Original Version Appearing in the Revised and Expanded Version Characters Who Only Appear in the Story,  California Dreaming
 * Imala Anderson ,  Trainer of Trainers  for the United States
 * Chris Parker, a trainer of Anderson's line
 * Emil Kauffman, an Owner who works for The Marketplace as a psychiatrist; his slave, Greta Mueller is a physician.
 * Eric Parese and Jimmy Appleton, co-Owners of Robin
 * Geoff Negel, a trainer on the West coast
 * Grendel Elliott, a trainer who owns a training house on Long Island
 * Jerry, one of Niall's slaves
 * Jimmy Appleton, co-Owner of Robin
 * Joan, a slave finishing her training with Anderson
 * Karen, Michael's big mistake
 * Lorens, a slave finishing his training with Anderson
 * Michael LaGuardia, lead character and potential trainer
 * Niall, Michael's uncle and an Owner - he owns Ethan
 * Paul, a slave training with Geoff Negel
 * Robin, a slave whose story is featured in  The Slave
 * Ron Avidan, Chris Parker's brother
 * Tara, a slave finishing her training with Anderson
 * Tina, a slave in training with Geoff Negel
 * Arturo Massimiliano, Trainer of slave tops.
 * Dalton, a Trainer in Great Britain
 * Evander, a Trainer in Great Britain
 * Bradley Coffin, a Trainer/Owner working with Geoff Negel
 * Corinne, a trainer of interpreter slaves
 * Crystal, a trainer working with Geoff Negel
 * Mr. Glin, a slave at Rothmere
 * Mrs. Harrison, a slave at Rothmere
 * Walther Kurgan, a Trainer based in Germany
 * Howard Ward, Trainer of Trainers for Great Britain

The event featured in the story is a party with potential Marketplace slaves and Owners who are largely unnamed, except for those below:
 * Alicia, a Marketplace slave in training
 * Rudy, a Marketplace slave in training
 * Tatiana, also known as Tatty, a Marketplace slave in training
 * Salim, a Marketplace slave in training
 * Douglas, a potential Owner
 * Heather, a potential Owner
 * Larry, a trainer working with Geoff Negel
 * a sushi chef and a Mexican woman who is making Oaxacan specialities who may or may not be part of The Marketplace