Jake Biondi's Blog - Posts Tagged "bisexual"
BOYSTOWN Release
I am excited to announce the release of my new book, BOYSTOWN (Season One), which is now available on amazon.com.
I am hoping readers will pick up a copy and let me know what they think -- what storylines are best, which characters are favorites, and what they would like to see in the future.
I am hoping readers will pick up a copy and let me know what they think -- what storylines are best, which characters are favorites, and what they would like to see in the future.
An Interview With Jake Biondi
Today on Kaidans Seduction we have a very special guest Jake Biondi author of Boystown (Season One). I have to say, Jake, I fell in love with Boystown right from the opening sentences to the very end. I can’t believe this is your debut book. I mean the way you write has totally drawn me in and kept me reading till late morning because I had to find out what would happen to the gang.
I am a fairly new reader of M/M books and I have to say that Boystown is on my top ten M/M reads for 2013. Thank you for stopping by and answering a few questions. I know readers want to know because dare I say I totally NEED to know the answers to some of these questions. So let’s get down to business shall we…..
1. What inspired you to write Boystown?
I have always been a fan of continuing dramas, whether they be classics such as the novels of Charles Dickens (which were released in magazines in installments, each of which ended with a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back for more) or more modern such as Dallas, Dynasty, and Revenge. I thought it was finally time for a well-written, intriguing drama that had gay characters at its core. And after living in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood for twenty years, I thought to myself, “What better place to inspire a continuing drama?” Thus, my story was born.
2. I have never been to Chicago’s Boystown; can you briefly describe it for us?
Boystown is a neighborhood on the north side of Chicago along Lake Michigan. It is formally known as Lakeview, but its “nickname” is either Boystown or Wrigleyville (because the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field sits in the heart of it). “Ground Zero” of Boystown is the intersection of Roscoe and Halsted Streets, which is where most of the gay bars are located. It’s the gayest and most diverse neighborhood in the Midwest, but recently it’s becoming more and more “straight” as straight couples and families move into the area. I wanted to make sure my story reflected those demographics by featuring some straight characters as well as characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
3. Jesse & Cole are graduating from college; what are their degrees in?
Haha, good question. I had both Jesse and Cole attend the University of Notre Dame because that’s where I went so that’s a campus that I know well. Plus, it is not the most “accepting” of homosexuals so I wanted to have two strong gay males on campus to acknowledge that students like Cole and Jesse do exist and attend the school. As for their majors, I’d have to say “business” because both of them accepted jobs in the financial district of Chicago.
4. Derek & Joyelle meet at their college reunion what brought them together?
They attended the University of Michigan (Notre Dame rivals that I also know well!) and met at a college reunion. They were introduced by friends and quickly fell in love. They did not know each other as students at Michigan.
5. Max & Emmett have been friends for a long time and they discussed opening a restaurant. Why didn’t they open one up?
As I’m sure you know, the restaurant business is a tough one. It’s risky and most new restaurants don’t make it. It’s a competitive market and occupation, and people who do well spend their lives at the restaurant; they don’t have much time for a social life. Max and Emmett talked about it more as a “dream” to try “one day”; they never explored the option seriously, until now, when their lives are at crossroads and they both want a new start in life. Will their dream become a reality? Stay tuned!
6. Why has Jacqueline kept the identity of Jesse’s father a secret?
Jacqueline was very, very young when she got pregnant and by the time she knew she was pregnant, she was no longer with the baby’s father. She is an independent and determined woman who didn’t want to be with a man who felt “obligated” to be with her just because of a pregnancy. So she never tracked the father down to tell him about his son and decided to raise Jesse on her own. But Jesse has always wanted to know his father and maybe someday soon, he will.
7. We didn’t get to read much about Cole’s family; where are his parents and does he have any siblings?
If Cole survives the cliffhanger at the end of the book, we may begin to learn more about his family and his past. Cole’s mother is living with cancer and is in a very fragile state. We don’t know much about Cole’s father or his family. In fact, there may be things that Cole himself doesn’t know.
8. Was Derek Cole’s first sexual encounter?
No, Derek has been discreetly meeting up with men when traveling on business trips for some time. Until Cole, those men were just “hook ups,” nothing more. But there was something about Cole and their Boston weekend together that awakened strong feelings in Derek, feelings that even he couldn’t shake long after returning home from Boston. And Cole was clearly smitten with Derek or he wouldn’t have manipulated things to ensure he found an apartment right across the street. The missing wedding ring may still cause some problems for them, as may Derek’s mysterious brother Justin.
9. Can you tell us what topping & bottoming means? Max punched Jesse in the face when Jesse called him “bottom boy.” Is that an offensive remark?
Haha, tops and bottoms, eh? I love these questions! In a gay relationship, the “top” is usually the one in control and, during intercourse, acts as the man would in straight sex. The “bottom” is usually more submissive in the relationship and during intercourse, the bottom “receives” as a woman would in straight sex. Some people prefer the terms “pitcher” and “catcher.” Hopefully, I don’t need to be any more explicit than that. Sometimes, calling someone a “bottom” can be an insult to his ego and “manliness.” Jesse was trying to insult Max and get under his skin when he made the remark.
10. What is wrong with Logan? Is he sick?
I would certainly describe Logan has having a drinking problem; he abuses alcohol. He uses drinking as an “escape” and a coping mechanism. It stems from his insecurity, always feeling inferior to Max for whatever reason. In the end, the drinking was just too much for Max to deal with on a regular basis. Logan seemed to have no regard for himself, his health, or his relationship with Max. But now that Logan and Jesse are interested in one another, who knows how the drinking will be affected or affect them?
11. Can you tell us about hottie Officer Michael Martinez? Is he gay as well because it does not really say when we read about him?
You know what is so interesting about Michael? I had no intention of even giving him a name! He was just going to be a minor character, the police officer assigned to the investigation of Emmett’s disappearance. But my characters tend to take on a lives all their own and all of a sudden I recognized the storyline possibilities for Michael. So I named him and he is now a permanent part of the cast. And, yes, he is a hottie! I deliberately did not state his sexual orientation explicitly but I think you can figure out which teams he plays on. His interest in Keith isn’t purely platonic.
12. This is your debut novel. How do you feel now that it is published and out in the world? How many more seasons can we look forward to reading about the gang?
I originally introduced Boystown as an online continuing story back in June. I planned to release a new “episode” once each month. Well before I knew it, I had over 1,000 online readers nationwide who began to write to me via Facebook begging for the next installment! They wanted to know what would happen to their favorite characters. So I sped up the release dates – and the writing process – and had released 10 episodes by November. And the audience continued to grow – from 1,000 up to 4,000 readers. The fun thing about releasing one installment at a time is that readers can write to me and actually influence what happens to the characters. I take all my readers’ comments to heart. Anyway, a friend suggested that I publish episodes one through ten as a book while I began working on episodes eleven and twelve. I had no intention originally to do publish it as book but I’m really glad I did. It’s exciting to walk through the neighborhood and see it in the windows of the bookstores.
13. What does the future hold for BOYSTOWN?
Well, it’s interesting. There has been a lot of interest from production companies and studios who want to turn BOYSTOWN into a television series. So I am exploring those opportunities now, in addition to writing additional episodes of BOYSTOWN for my readers. To have BOYSTOWN appear on HBO or Showtime or LogoTV one day would be a dream. Stay tuned!
Jake, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and sharing with your readers. I don’t often do interviews for authors because I never really know what to ask but I just could not get enough of Boystown and I needed some answers like I needed air to breathe. By the way, I am so Team Cole and Emmett that I hope they get a HEA!
That’s funny too – you have no idea how many readers have told me that they want Cole and Emmett to be together. It’s not a couple that I ever remotely considered. But who knows? Maybe I need to give the readers what – or who – they want?!
I am a fairly new reader of M/M books and I have to say that Boystown is on my top ten M/M reads for 2013. Thank you for stopping by and answering a few questions. I know readers want to know because dare I say I totally NEED to know the answers to some of these questions. So let’s get down to business shall we…..
1. What inspired you to write Boystown?
I have always been a fan of continuing dramas, whether they be classics such as the novels of Charles Dickens (which were released in magazines in installments, each of which ended with a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back for more) or more modern such as Dallas, Dynasty, and Revenge. I thought it was finally time for a well-written, intriguing drama that had gay characters at its core. And after living in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood for twenty years, I thought to myself, “What better place to inspire a continuing drama?” Thus, my story was born.
2. I have never been to Chicago’s Boystown; can you briefly describe it for us?
Boystown is a neighborhood on the north side of Chicago along Lake Michigan. It is formally known as Lakeview, but its “nickname” is either Boystown or Wrigleyville (because the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field sits in the heart of it). “Ground Zero” of Boystown is the intersection of Roscoe and Halsted Streets, which is where most of the gay bars are located. It’s the gayest and most diverse neighborhood in the Midwest, but recently it’s becoming more and more “straight” as straight couples and families move into the area. I wanted to make sure my story reflected those demographics by featuring some straight characters as well as characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
3. Jesse & Cole are graduating from college; what are their degrees in?
Haha, good question. I had both Jesse and Cole attend the University of Notre Dame because that’s where I went so that’s a campus that I know well. Plus, it is not the most “accepting” of homosexuals so I wanted to have two strong gay males on campus to acknowledge that students like Cole and Jesse do exist and attend the school. As for their majors, I’d have to say “business” because both of them accepted jobs in the financial district of Chicago.
4. Derek & Joyelle meet at their college reunion what brought them together?
They attended the University of Michigan (Notre Dame rivals that I also know well!) and met at a college reunion. They were introduced by friends and quickly fell in love. They did not know each other as students at Michigan.
5. Max & Emmett have been friends for a long time and they discussed opening a restaurant. Why didn’t they open one up?
As I’m sure you know, the restaurant business is a tough one. It’s risky and most new restaurants don’t make it. It’s a competitive market and occupation, and people who do well spend their lives at the restaurant; they don’t have much time for a social life. Max and Emmett talked about it more as a “dream” to try “one day”; they never explored the option seriously, until now, when their lives are at crossroads and they both want a new start in life. Will their dream become a reality? Stay tuned!
6. Why has Jacqueline kept the identity of Jesse’s father a secret?
Jacqueline was very, very young when she got pregnant and by the time she knew she was pregnant, she was no longer with the baby’s father. She is an independent and determined woman who didn’t want to be with a man who felt “obligated” to be with her just because of a pregnancy. So she never tracked the father down to tell him about his son and decided to raise Jesse on her own. But Jesse has always wanted to know his father and maybe someday soon, he will.
7. We didn’t get to read much about Cole’s family; where are his parents and does he have any siblings?
If Cole survives the cliffhanger at the end of the book, we may begin to learn more about his family and his past. Cole’s mother is living with cancer and is in a very fragile state. We don’t know much about Cole’s father or his family. In fact, there may be things that Cole himself doesn’t know.
8. Was Derek Cole’s first sexual encounter?
No, Derek has been discreetly meeting up with men when traveling on business trips for some time. Until Cole, those men were just “hook ups,” nothing more. But there was something about Cole and their Boston weekend together that awakened strong feelings in Derek, feelings that even he couldn’t shake long after returning home from Boston. And Cole was clearly smitten with Derek or he wouldn’t have manipulated things to ensure he found an apartment right across the street. The missing wedding ring may still cause some problems for them, as may Derek’s mysterious brother Justin.
9. Can you tell us what topping & bottoming means? Max punched Jesse in the face when Jesse called him “bottom boy.” Is that an offensive remark?
Haha, tops and bottoms, eh? I love these questions! In a gay relationship, the “top” is usually the one in control and, during intercourse, acts as the man would in straight sex. The “bottom” is usually more submissive in the relationship and during intercourse, the bottom “receives” as a woman would in straight sex. Some people prefer the terms “pitcher” and “catcher.” Hopefully, I don’t need to be any more explicit than that. Sometimes, calling someone a “bottom” can be an insult to his ego and “manliness.” Jesse was trying to insult Max and get under his skin when he made the remark.
10. What is wrong with Logan? Is he sick?
I would certainly describe Logan has having a drinking problem; he abuses alcohol. He uses drinking as an “escape” and a coping mechanism. It stems from his insecurity, always feeling inferior to Max for whatever reason. In the end, the drinking was just too much for Max to deal with on a regular basis. Logan seemed to have no regard for himself, his health, or his relationship with Max. But now that Logan and Jesse are interested in one another, who knows how the drinking will be affected or affect them?
11. Can you tell us about hottie Officer Michael Martinez? Is he gay as well because it does not really say when we read about him?
You know what is so interesting about Michael? I had no intention of even giving him a name! He was just going to be a minor character, the police officer assigned to the investigation of Emmett’s disappearance. But my characters tend to take on a lives all their own and all of a sudden I recognized the storyline possibilities for Michael. So I named him and he is now a permanent part of the cast. And, yes, he is a hottie! I deliberately did not state his sexual orientation explicitly but I think you can figure out which teams he plays on. His interest in Keith isn’t purely platonic.
12. This is your debut novel. How do you feel now that it is published and out in the world? How many more seasons can we look forward to reading about the gang?
I originally introduced Boystown as an online continuing story back in June. I planned to release a new “episode” once each month. Well before I knew it, I had over 1,000 online readers nationwide who began to write to me via Facebook begging for the next installment! They wanted to know what would happen to their favorite characters. So I sped up the release dates – and the writing process – and had released 10 episodes by November. And the audience continued to grow – from 1,000 up to 4,000 readers. The fun thing about releasing one installment at a time is that readers can write to me and actually influence what happens to the characters. I take all my readers’ comments to heart. Anyway, a friend suggested that I publish episodes one through ten as a book while I began working on episodes eleven and twelve. I had no intention originally to do publish it as book but I’m really glad I did. It’s exciting to walk through the neighborhood and see it in the windows of the bookstores.
13. What does the future hold for BOYSTOWN?
Well, it’s interesting. There has been a lot of interest from production companies and studios who want to turn BOYSTOWN into a television series. So I am exploring those opportunities now, in addition to writing additional episodes of BOYSTOWN for my readers. To have BOYSTOWN appear on HBO or Showtime or LogoTV one day would be a dream. Stay tuned!
Jake, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and sharing with your readers. I don’t often do interviews for authors because I never really know what to ask but I just could not get enough of Boystown and I needed some answers like I needed air to breathe. By the way, I am so Team Cole and Emmett that I hope they get a HEA!
That’s funny too – you have no idea how many readers have told me that they want Cole and Emmett to be together. It’s not a couple that I ever remotely considered. But who knows? Maybe I need to give the readers what – or who – they want?!
BOYSTOWN: The Story
BOYSTOWN: The Story
BOYSTOWN is the continuing story of several couples living in Chicago's famed BOYSTOWN neighborhood (recently named the country's "most incomparable gay neighborhood" by readers of OUT Traveler Magazine and users of its website).
The Mancini brothers -- as well as their friends and significant others -- are at the core of BOYSTOWN. Emmett Mancini, the youngest of the brothers, is a bright, caring guy whose boyfriend Keith Colgan has a past Emmett knows little about...yet. Derek Mancini, and his wife Joyelle, are BOYSTOWN's straight couple...but a recent encounter with hunky Cole O'Brien could have life-altering consequences for Derek. And Justin Mancini, the oldest brother, arrives in BOYSTOWN in episode 9 and brings with him a family history that both Emmett and Derek were hoping to forget.
Before long, BOYSTOWN's newest residents Cole O'Brien and Jesse Morgan find themselves at the core of the drama and intrigue that makes up this adult playground.
Welcome to BOYSTOWN!
BOYSTOWN is the continuing story of several couples living in Chicago's famed BOYSTOWN neighborhood (recently named the country's "most incomparable gay neighborhood" by readers of OUT Traveler Magazine and users of its website).
The Mancini brothers -- as well as their friends and significant others -- are at the core of BOYSTOWN. Emmett Mancini, the youngest of the brothers, is a bright, caring guy whose boyfriend Keith Colgan has a past Emmett knows little about...yet. Derek Mancini, and his wife Joyelle, are BOYSTOWN's straight couple...but a recent encounter with hunky Cole O'Brien could have life-altering consequences for Derek. And Justin Mancini, the oldest brother, arrives in BOYSTOWN in episode 9 and brings with him a family history that both Emmett and Derek were hoping to forget.
Before long, BOYSTOWN's newest residents Cole O'Brien and Jesse Morgan find themselves at the core of the drama and intrigue that makes up this adult playground.
Welcome to BOYSTOWN!
BOYSTOWN: The History
BOYSTOWN: The History
BOYSTOWN has an interesting history. I have always been a huge fan of continuing dramas -- whether they be classic ones such as the novels of Charles Dickens (which were released in magazines in weekly installments that always ended in cliffhangers to keep Dickens' readers coming back for more) or more modern ones such as Dallas, Dynasty, Nashville and Revenge.
I decided that I wanted to write a continuing saga that had gay characters at its core. Because Chicago's Boystown neighborhood grows more and more diverse each year, the BOYSTOWN book reflects that diversity by featuring interesting characters with a variety of backgrounds.
I began BOYSTOWN in June of 2013 as an online story and intended to release one "episode" online per month, each ending in a cliffhanger. The story became so popular -- and the online reading audience grew so quickly -- that people from all over the country began to email me demanding to know what happened to their favorite characters and wanting the episodes to be released faster. They also had suggestions for future storylines! I was surprised and excited by the readers' response to BOYSTOWN. So I began to write more quickly and, by November, I had released 10 episodes and readers from all over America and overseas as well.
Readers then suggested that I publish the first 10 episodes as a book rather than leaving them online. I did -- and BOYSTOWN Season One was born. The book was released in mid-November of 2013 and is selling very well locally and nationally. In the meantime, I am continuing to write additional episodes. Episodes 11 - 20 will be released in the Spring of 2014 as BOYSTOWN Season Two.
BOYSTOWN has an interesting history. I have always been a huge fan of continuing dramas -- whether they be classic ones such as the novels of Charles Dickens (which were released in magazines in weekly installments that always ended in cliffhangers to keep Dickens' readers coming back for more) or more modern ones such as Dallas, Dynasty, Nashville and Revenge.
I decided that I wanted to write a continuing saga that had gay characters at its core. Because Chicago's Boystown neighborhood grows more and more diverse each year, the BOYSTOWN book reflects that diversity by featuring interesting characters with a variety of backgrounds.
I began BOYSTOWN in June of 2013 as an online story and intended to release one "episode" online per month, each ending in a cliffhanger. The story became so popular -- and the online reading audience grew so quickly -- that people from all over the country began to email me demanding to know what happened to their favorite characters and wanting the episodes to be released faster. They also had suggestions for future storylines! I was surprised and excited by the readers' response to BOYSTOWN. So I began to write more quickly and, by November, I had released 10 episodes and readers from all over America and overseas as well.
Readers then suggested that I publish the first 10 episodes as a book rather than leaving them online. I did -- and BOYSTOWN Season One was born. The book was released in mid-November of 2013 and is selling very well locally and nationally. In the meantime, I am continuing to write additional episodes. Episodes 11 - 20 will be released in the Spring of 2014 as BOYSTOWN Season Two.
