Laura Antoniou

Laura Antoniou (the name is Cypriot), attributes her earliest literary encounter with dominance/submission scenarios to a children's book entitled Greek Slave Boy, by Lillian Carroll (originally published in 1970), the story of a boy who is purchased in a Roman slave market. It inspired her to write stories from a very early age, all of which had sadomasochistic tones and themes of erotic power struggles.

As she got older, she decided to put aside aspirations to be a novelist, and turned the plot of her epic into a world for an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Her interest in role-playing games leveraged into creating and editing a gaming magazine, Gateways Magazine  in the mid 1980's.

The dream of writing returned when Laura saw a call for authors from Masquerade Books in "The SandMutopia Guardian". Her first novel for Masquerade was The Catalyst, a book about people doing SM for the first time. After that came the first three books in the Marketplace series, The Marketplace, The Slave, and The Trainer. Laura also edited series of anthologies focusing on women engaged in SM behavior: "Leatherwomen," "Leatherwomen II," "Leatherwomen III," "No Other Tribute," "By Her Subdued," and "Some Women." Using a male pseudonym, she also authored and edited several gay male books for Masquerade, including  Musclebound. After the death of author and mentor John Preston, Antoniou collected stories and essays reflecting his influence on other writers in a book entitled "Looking for Mr. Preston," the only hardcover she published with Masquerade. Laura also edited magazines for Masquerade, working as the submissions editor for Badboy and Bi-Curious magazines from 1995-1996. In addition, she was also a columnist for Girlfriends magazine from 1995-1997, and a regular contributor to the SandMutopia Guardian from 1993-2000.

Laura also contributed short stories and non-fiction to erotic anthologies, and many of those works are part of the 2004 reissue of The Catalyst. She is a frequent guest speaker and presenter at BDSM conferences, known for her "rants" (more politely known as keynotes). She was the keynote speaker at the 2005 International Master/slave Contest, 2006 Great Lakes Leather Alliance Conference, 2007 Leather Leadership Conference, 2008 International Ms. Leather Contest, 2009 Northeast Master/slave Conference, and the 2011 Southwest Leather Conference. She was also the sole female judge at the 2010 International Mister Leather Contest.

In the mid-1990's, Laura and her partner created a SM-themed Passover Haggadah, entitled "Avadim Hayinu (Once We Were Slaves)", which has become a popular text for kinky Jews and for people interested in the intersection of BDSM and spirituality.

In the mid 2000's, The Marketplace series went out of print. Antoniou took the books to Mystic Rose Books, a small publisher based in Connecticut. The trilogy was re-released with expanded material (an added short story in the case of the first two books, and nearly six chapters of new material for the third). Antoniou also published Books 4 and 5 with Mystic Rose Books, The Academy, and The Reunion.

In 2010, Laura moved her books to a new publisher, Circlet Press, which created a special imprint for her Marketplace novels, "Luster." In addition to a reprint (with added material) of the first five books, Laura is planning the sixth book in the Marketplace series, "The Inheritor" to be released in 2011.

NOVELS ANTHOLOGIES AS CHRISTOPHER MORGAN - Short Stories AS LAURA ANTONIOU - short stories ARTICLES
 * Laura Antoniou, "Cinema Erotica" (formerly published as "The Catalyst") Ravenous Romance 2010, ISBN 9781607773665 (previously published by Masquerade Books, 1991)
 * Laura Antoniou, "The Catalyst and Other Works," Mystic Rose Books 2004, ISBN 0-9645960-8-3 (previously published by Masquerade Books, 1991)
 * Laura Antoniou, writing as Anonymous: Lady F, Masquerade, 1993, ISBN 9781563336423 (out of print)
 * Laura Antoniou, "Looking for Mr. Preston," Richard Kasak Books, 1995, ISBN 978-1563332883 (out of print)
 * Laura Antoniou, The Marketplace, Circlet Press, 2010 ISBN 978-1-88565-57-1 (originally published by Masquerade in 1993 and then Mystic Rose Books in 2000)
 * Laura Antoniou, The Slave, Mystic Rose Books, 2001 ISBN 978-0964596054 (originally published by Masquerade in 1994)
 * Laura Antoniou, The Trainer, Mystic Rose Books 2001 ISBN 978-0964596061 (originally published by Masquerade in 1995)
 * Laura Antoniou, "The Academy: Tales of the Marketplace," Ed. Karen Taylor. Mystic Rose Books, 2000 ISBN 0-964560-3-2
 * Laura Antoniou, "The Reunion," Mystic Rose books, 2002, ISBN 0-8645960-7-5
 * Laura Antoniou, writing as Christopher Morgan, "Musclebound and Other Stories," Alyson Books, 2002 ISBN 978-1555836511 (previously published by Masquerade Books, 1996)
 * Laura Antoniou, (formerly published stories under the name Christopher Morgan), "Shop Stud," Sizzler Editions 2010, ISBN 9781615083022
 * Laura Antoniou, editor, Leatherwomen, Rosebud, 1993, ISBN 978-1563330957 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, editor, Leatherwomen II: The Revenge of the Leatherwomen, Rosebud, 1994, ISBN 978-1563332296 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, editor, Leatherwomen III: Clash of the Cultures, Rosebud, 1994, ISBN 9978-15633361956 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, editor, No Other Tribute: Erotic Tales of Women in Submission, Rhinoceros Books, 1997, ISBN 1-56333-603-0 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, By Her Subdued." Masquerade Books 1995, ISBN 978-1563332814 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, Some Women," Rhinoceros Books, 1997 ISBN 978-1563335730 (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, editing as Christopher Morgan, The Sportsmen," Masquerade Books, ISBN (Out of Print)
 * Laura Antoniou, editing as Christopher Morgan, Steamgauge," Masquerade Books, ISBN (Out of Print)
 * "Looking for Bubba," in Southern Comfort, Ed. David Laurents, 1996, Badboy ISBN 978-1563334665 (Out of Print)
 * Steamgauge," in Western Trails," Ed. Gary Bowen, 1997 Badboy ISBN 978-1563334771 (Out of Print)
 * "In-Tents Encounter," in "Friction", Ed. Gerry Kroll, 2000 Alyson Books ISBN 978-1555834715
 * "The Way of Heaven" in "SM Pasts," Ed. Cecilia Tan, 1995 Circlet Press ISBN 978-1885865069
 * "In The Name of Art," in "Virgin Territory II," Ed. Shar Rednour, 1996 Richard Kasak Books ISBN 978-1563335068
 * "The Little Urban Maid" in "Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales for Women," Ed. Michael Ford, 1996 Richard Kasak Books ISBN 978-1563334498
 * "Electra On the Rocks: Following the Paradigm Tides," in "The Second Coming", Ed. Pat Califia and Robin Sweeney, 2000 Alyson Books ISBN 978-1555832810
 * "Brian on the Farm", in "Switch Hitters: Lesbians Write Gay Male Erotica and Gay Men Write Lesbian Erotica " Ed. by Carol Queen and Lawrence Schimel, 1996 Cleis Press ISBN 978-1573440226
 * "The First Time" in "Best Lesbian Erotica 1997", ed. by Tristan Taormino, 1997 Cleis, ISBN 978-1573440653
 * "Antivenom for the Soul" in "Pomosexuals: Challenging Assumptions About Gender and Sexuality," Ed. Carol Queen, Lawrence Schimel, and Kate Bornstein 1997 Cleis Press ISBN 978-1573440745
 * "Shayna Maidel," in "Ritual Sex," Ed. Tristan Taormino and David Aaron Clark 1996, ISBN 978-1563333910. Reprinted in "Things Invisible to See" Ed. by Lawrence Schimel, 1998 Circlet Press
 * Unsafe at Any Speed OR Safe, Sane and Consenual, My Fanny. Essay presented at the University of Washington Institute of Sexuality, 1995. Cf. www.sexuality.org/latrans.html (reprinted by permission in "The Catalyst and Other Works")
 * The New Brand. "The SandMUtopia Guardian 18" 1995, reprinted in "The Catalyst and Other Works
 * How to Handle the Personals. (Two Parts) "The SandMUtopia Guardian 19, 20" 1995
 * To Serve in Close Attendance to Nobility: Samurai Tradition in an SM Context. "The SandMUtopia Guardian 21" 1995, reprinted in "The Catalyst and Other Works"
 * Finding a Houseboy. (Two Parts) "The SandMUtopia Guardian 30, 31" (1998)