BOYSTOWN

The sexy serial, killing it.

“I have always been a huge fan of Charles Dickens whose novels were originally released in installments, each ending in a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back for more.”

In June of 2013, Jake Biondi wrote the first episode of a series set in Chicago’s famous gay neighborhood, Boystown. He only intended to release one episode per month, but eager fans soon demanded to know what happened to their favourite characters faster and more frequently. They even suggested their own storylines.

Biondi responded and Boystown has since sprawled into two seasons (a third is being written), print and e-books, and he’s now talking to Hollywood about adapting it for the small screen. DNA sat down with the man behind Boystown to find out what makes the series tick, but first – have a read.

In the excerpt below from the first episode of Boystown, Derek and Cole don’t know much about one another, but they did just finish a couple days of intense hotel-room sex…

“Looks like you need a towel,” Derek smiled as he hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He knew Cole would enviously watch his ass as it disappeared behind the bathroom door. Derek tossed Cole a towel and then closed the door completely.

Cole tasted some of the cum on his fingers, then wiped up the rest with his towel. He sat up and flipped his legs over the side of the bed as he pulled on a pair of Notre Dame shorts and shoved his toes into some flip flops. Then he stood up and walked to the window. It was still raining.

“Oh fuck!” Derek yelled as he ran back into the bedroom. “I’m gonna miss my flight.” Derek scanned the room for his pants and shirt. He pulled on his pants and sat down to put on his socks. Cole crawled across the bed and wrapped his arms around Derek’s back, kissing his neck. Derek smiled and continued to put on his shoes. Then Derek stood up and pulled on his shirt. “Notre Dame? Really?” Derek quipped as he caught a glance of Cole’s shorts. “Yup. So?” “I went to Michigan,” Derek smiled. “Notre Dame sucks.” Cole smiled back at Derek without comment. “What are you doing in Boston anyway? You said you’re still in school.”

“I’m graduating early, in a few weeks. Job interview here.”

“Oh cool. Good luck with that,” Derek said as he pulled on his suit coat. “I gotta grab a cab.” “When’s your flight?” “I think I missed it. Fuck.” “Before you go, can I get your number?” Cole smiled, then bit his lip. “I told you. Can’t do that.” “Aw, come on,” Cole pleaded again.

“Look, these two days have been awesome. Hot, even. But I have to go back to my life. And you do, too.” Derek leaned in to kiss Cole quickly on the lips. “Thanks, man.” And Derek was out the door and gone.

“Ya, thanks,” Cole mumbled to himself. He walked over to the mirror on the wall and checked himself out. Then he let out a sigh and returned to the window to contemplate the storm. As he walked across the room, the lightning reflected off something shiny halfburied in the carpet. He knelt down to take a closer look and picked up a ring. It was both gold and silver and had a series of small diamonds in it. Cole turned toward the hotel room door, then looked back at the ring. He examined it more closely, then slipped it on his finger.

DNA: Hi Jake. In this excerpt, readers learn that Derek is likely married. Spoiler alert, but – do fans want him to stay with his wife, Joyelle, or to come clean and come out?

Jake Biondi: Fans tend to have pretty strong opinions about that storyline. Some people want Derek with Joyelle and others want him with Cole. They will just have to keep reading to find out what I have in store for these three. You’re known for your cliffhangers that have readers swiping to the next chapter. What are

some of your literary influences? I’ve always been a huge fan of Charles Dickens, whose novels were originally released in installments, each ending in a cliff hanger to keep readers coming back for more. They were really just

great soap operas with amazing characters and plot twists. I also love television dramas such as Dynasty, Dallas, 90120 and Revenge. Boystown is written much more like a TV show than a traditional novel. You attended Notre Dame like your character Cole. Is he the character you most identify

with? Cole? No way! While I love writing Cole, I don’t identify most with him. I guess every character is a part of me, but I identify most with the character of Emmett Mancini.

What did you study at Notre Dame? I studied English and was honored at graduation with its prestigious playwriting award. You are a long-time resident of Boystown in Chicago. Which gay hotspots are your favourites? I love living in Boystown. It’s

“Readers actually can and do impact the future of the series because I have written some of their suggestions into it.”

such peoplea greatand places. neighborhoodThere is filleda nice with mix diverseof clubs, bars, around and for restaurantsa long time – and some some that that have have been only favourites recently include joined Sidetrack,the scene. Minibar,Some of Progress,my Replay, Twisted Vine and Elixir. Has the local community been helpful or

involved in the series? People who know my books have been very kind and supportive. Local performers such as Amy Armstrong and Whiskey And Cherries have been kind enough to talk up the series at their performances. Whenever possible, I have donated my books to local charities and organisations to use as silent auction items or giveaways at their events. The community has been good to me and I do what I can to give back. We all have to help each other; we’re all in this together. How would you describe your typical Chicago

Boystown gay boy? Wow, that’s a tough one. I’m not sure there is one. Boystown is made up of really diverse people, and many residents are transplants from other parts of the country. The good news is that there is someone for everyone here.

Are you single? Yes, I am. I’m always open to meeting new people and am definitely open to a relationship when the right guy comes along. I know he’s out there somewhere. There is a lot of violence and injury in the series. Is the Midwest really that dangerous or are these characters just unlucky? Well, Boystown is a drama, so I have to keep it exciting, right? In general, Chicago and the Midwest are not dangerous places. The Boystown neighborhood is constantly evolving and my books ref lect that evolution. There is crime here just as there is in every urban neighborhood, but it’s generally a safe, fun place to live and socialise. Are the plotlines or character arcs based

on people you know? I think every author incorporates his personal experiences into his writing. While the characters are fictitious, my experiences with friends and family have certainly inf luenced them. You’ve had a massive reaction from fans. Do

they ever influence the storyline? I have been so touched and humbled by the outpouring of kindness and support I have received from readers since the moment the first episode hit the internet. I made it a priority to respond to every email not only because I value the feedback but also because I want my readers to understand that I want them to reach out. I want to hear their ideas, suggestions, reviews, feedback. Readers actually can, and do, impact the future of the series because I have written some of their suggestions into it. You also found your promo models

through your fan base, right? Yes. I held a nationwide photo contest and the response was overwhelming. People from all over submitted in the hope of becoming one of the faces of Boystown. I ended up selecting five winners for that contest because I wanted to include as many people as possible. How did you first market Boystown without

any prior fan base? Thank goodness for social media and word of mouth. Boystown would be nothing without them. All marketing began on Facebook and Twitter. Eventually, some local publications began writing stories and fans began to voluntarily promote the series as well. I met my Director of Art, Design and Advertising, Michael Vargas, and my Director of Social Media, Patrick Murphy, because they were fans of the books. You weave together many lives and stories. How far ahead do you work when it comes to plotting? I have a general, long-term idea of each of the main couples’ storylines before I begin writing each book. Some other twists and turns develop as I write, and I do incorporate reader suggestions. In some cases, I know where I want the characters to be at the end of the book and work backwards from there. There is a lot of sex happening all the time.

Would you label Boystown erotica? That’s a funny question because a lot of people have referred to Boystown as Fifty Shades Of Gay. You could call it erotica, but I think it’s much more than that. Shows like Revenge, Nashville, and Queer As Folk, have a lot more than just sex going on. Same with Boystown. I think most readers like the series for its characters as well as its twists and turns. There is even straight sex; how have gay

readers responded to that? Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood is always evolving and one of the ways it’s evolving is that it’s becoming much more “straight”. To not include straight characters in the series would be to inaccurately depict the neighborhood. You’re looking to take Boystown to the screen. Are you thinking a webseries, TV,

film? I think it would make an amazing TV series. I even call the books “seasons” and the chapters “episodes”. I recently spent a great deal of time converting the books into TV script format because I’ve received some inquiries from Hollywood. I’m working with a couple of people now and am always reaching out to those in the TV industry to help me bring it to the small screen. I think it would be perfect for a cable station such as HBO or Showtime, but a webseries may be a possibility as well. As an indie author, how are you finding e-books distribution, and are more people reading this way? Do you foresee paper books going extinct? More and more people are reading e-books, and I see that ref lected in sales. E-books are less expensive and easy to access from anywhere. That said, I think there will always be a place for paper books. Some people just prefer to hold a book and turn the pages rather than reading on a tablet. And there is a demand for autographed copies as well, so that alone may keep paperbacks alive.

MORE: Boystown is available in paperback and all e-book formats. Visit JakeBiondi.com for more information, purchase links and to contact the author. Find him also on Facebook and Twitter @Boystown_series.