The BOYSTOWN Experience

by Jake Biondi

Writing the BOYSTOWN series has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. From the moment the idea came to me in the Spring of 2013 until now, I have enjoyed every moment of the writing and marketing process. But what I have really enjoyed the most about the entire experience has been the interaction with the BOYSTOWN readers. BOYSTOWN fans are, quite simply, the best.

I have been so touched and humbled by the outpouring of kindness and support I have received from BOYSTOWN readers since the moment the first episode hit the internet in June of 2013. People began to email me from all over the country – and beyond – to share with me their thoughts and ideas about the BOYSTOWN characters and story lines. I made it a priority to respond to every email that I received not only because I valued the readers’ feedback but also because I want my readers to understand that I want them to reach out to me. I want to hear from them — their ideas, their suggestions, their reviews, their feedback. In fact, their comments and ideas actually can and do impact the future of the series because I have written some of their suggestions into the series. In short, by contacting me, the readers can actually impact what happens to their favorite characters.

Several dedicated fans voluntarily created online BOYSTOWN book tours simply because they loved the books and wanted to bring the series to the attention of others. Some readers have allowed me to post BOYSTOWN promotional materials on their websites and blogs, and others have contacted me to see how they can become involved with BOYSTOWN.

When I held a nation-wide photo contest looking for “models” whose images we could use in the BOYSTOWN promotional materials, the response was overwhelming. People from all over America submitted their photos 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. Even after the contest was over, people continued to submit their photos asking to be a part of the BOYSTOWN team and I have welcomed several more of them on board.

I met my new BOYSTOWN Director of Art, Design & Advertising, Michael Vargas, and my new BOYSTOWN Director of Social Media, Patrick Murphy, because they were fans of the books. They contacted me on Facebook, we chatted and got to know each other, and now they are running all the promotional and advertising campaigns for the BOYSTOWN series.

I have also been intrigued by the fans’ responses to certain couples in the series. For example, I never anticipated that so many people would be fans of “Kemmett” (Keith and Emmett). Fans are very vocal about what I did to that couple at the end of “Season One” and provided many ideas for how I should write those characters in “Season Two.” Fans of “Dole” (Derek and Cole) are also very vocal. While most readers like and connect with the character of Cole, some like him with Derek and others don’t. Many fans want Derek to stay with his wife Joyelle. Finally, I was really taken aback by people’s reactions to Justin, who only appeared on the BOYSTOWN landscape at the end of “Season One.” Readers really found him appealing and interesting – and wanted to know everything about him: his sexuality, his motives, his plan. Those fans will be happy to know that Justin is a central character in “Season Two.”

People often ask me how many books the BOYSTOWN series will have. I simple tell them this: as long as the fans are interested in the series, I will keep it going. “Season Three” is already in the works and, if the fans want more, “Season Four” will be right behind it. I hope fans will continue to reach out to me and let me know their thoughts and ideas. BOYSTOWN truly belongs to the fans!

About BOYSTOWN Season One

One of the most diverse and lively neighborhoods in the country, Chicago’s BOYSTOWN has something for everyone. So it’s no wonder that Jesse Morgan and Cole O’Brien chose to live there upon graduating from college.

Ready to begin the next phase of their lives in an exciting new city, Jesse and Cole quickly find themselves at the center of a new group of friends. Joyelle and Derek Mancini have been happily married for years, but Derek is harboring a secret that could tear them apart. Derek’s brother Emmett is about to discover that his boyfriend Keith Colgan has a past that will haunt them both. Long time couple Logan Pryce and Max Taylor must face a crisis that neither of them expected.

And, before they realize it, Jesse and Cole find themselves at the center of it all in the adult playground known as BOYSTOWN.

Welcome to BOYSTOWN!

Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks

An Excerpt from BOYSTOWN Season One – Episode One (NSFW)

The emergency room should have been busier, but it wasn’t. After all, Saturday night at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood was usually quite a sight – all the usual unusuals. But things were quiet as Joyelle Mancini checked her cell phone for the umteenth time. She shoved the phone back into her scrubs pocket and headed back to the nurses’ station. Her baggy, blue scrubs covered the form of her gorgeous body and only those who knew her outside of the workplace knew of her model-like physique. She was certainly modest, but enjoyed the compliments she regularly received on a night out on the town.

“Nothing?” Joyelle’s coworker at the admittance desk asked.

“Nope. I just checked again.”

“I’m sure his flight is just delayed a bit. You know O’Hare. Don’t worry, sweetie.” The coworker smiled and Joyelle continued on toward the nurses’ station.   Everyone knew that it was Joyelle’s fifth wedding anniversary and she was anxiously awaiting word from her husband that he was safely back in Chicago from his business trip in Boston.

She quickly passed the nurses’ station, patted her hand on the counter twice to get the attention of her colleague, mumbled “I’ll be right back,” and headed toward the ER doors to the outside. As she approached the doors, they flung open before her, and she stepped outside into the cool autumn air. The area that was usually loud with ambulance sirens was eerily quiet and Joyelle took a deep breath. She loved Chicago in autumn: the crisp air, the bright gold and orange leaves of the trees, and the dramatic waves of Lake Michigan. Winter would be here before she knew it and Joyelle had learned long ago to make the most of Chicago’s short fall seasons.

Joyelle first met Derek about seven years ago at their five-year college reunion. She had never known him when they were both undergrads at the University of Michigan, but they were introduced by mutual friends at a dinner event during their reunion weekend. For her, it was love at first sight. He stood there in front of her with his boyish good looks and a great physique that she could recognize hidden beneath his perfectly fitted suit. They talked all night over cocktails as if they had known each other for years. He had played varsity baseball at Michigan, earned both his BBA and MBA there, and worked at a law firm based in Chicago with clients all over the country. He was intrigued not only by Joyelle’s beauty, but her brains as well. She was articulate, sophisticated, and driven. As a nurse, she spoke with compassion and empathy about her patients and was just about the kindest girl Derek had ever met.

Over time, they learned more about each other and each other’s families. They fell deeply in love and five years ago this very night, they were married at a lovely autumn ceremony at Chicago’s Botanic Gardens. It was the fairytale wedding they had both dreamed of and married life seemed to suit them well. They carefully balanced their careers with their personal lives, enjoying friends and neighbors in their Lakeview neighborhood and beyond. Joyelle hated that Derek’s job took him out of town so often, but she appreciated the income it produced so she kept her concerns to herself.

Joyelle glanced at her wedding ring as it sparkled in the autumn moonlight. Derek and she had designed their own wedding rings, specially crafted with both yellow and white gold and a series of diamonds. People always commented on them because they were so beautifully unique.

Joyelle then checked her phone one more time. No texts or missed calls. So she put her phone away, took one last breath of the night air, and returned back into the emergency room to complete her shift. Optimistic, she still hoped that Derek and she could celebrate their anniversary at least a little bit once her shift ended and he landed back in Chicago safely.

Unlike Chicago, Boston was experiencing a severe storm that night – frequent lightning lit the Boston skyline — but that wasn’t why Derek was late arriving back in Chicago. Although rain pounded against the hotel window, music from an ipod next to the room’s bed drowned out that sound. Lightning illuminated the otherwise dark bedroom, revealing the contours of Derek’s muscled body as he rolled back on top of Cole O’Brien.

Derek smiled looking into Cole’s eyes and shoved his tongue down Cole’s throat. Clinging to Derek as if he would never let go, Cole dug his toes into the back of Derek’s calves and cupped Derek’s tight ass with his hands. Derek’s tongue moved down Cole’s neck, then back up along his jaw line to his ear. Cole’s moans urged Derek to continue, and he did.

In some ways, Cole’s body reminded Derek of what his used to be. While Cole’s body was completely smooth except for a small tuft of blond hair that accented his penis, his muscled chest, arms and thighs were reminiscent of the hard body Derek had during his days playing baseball of Michigan. Certainly, his body was still great, but there was a youthfulness to Cole’s that made it even more appealing.

Cole playfully nibbled on Derek’s chin and smiled. Then he flipped over on top of Derek, sitting across his hips and looking down at Derek’s hairy chest. He leaned forward and put his lips on Derek’s nipple, carefully biting the tip. Derek’s twitched momentarily and then laughed, “Oh, no you don’t!”

Derek powerfully flipped back over on top of Cole and pinned him down, his arms over his head. Cole watched the smile leave Derek’s face and anticipated what was about to happen. Derek reached over to the nightstand to grab a condom and quickly pulled it on. Then Derek once again began to kiss Cole and pulled Cole’s legs over his shoulders. As he took Cole’s toes into his mouth, Derek positioned his hard cock against Cole’s inviting hole.

“Yes,” Cole whispered as he grabbed Derek’s butt and began to pull Derek inside of him. Derek thrust hard, and Cole’s face turned red, the tips of his blond hair stuck to the sweat forming on his forehead.   Cole’s toes curled as he felt Derek’s hard dick pumping into his hole. The thrusts were long and penetrating, while Cole’s own hard dick was sandwiched between the men’s hard abs. Cole loved the feel of Derek’s furry chest against his and ran his fingers up Derek’s back, digging them into his flesh each time Derek hit the spot deep inside of him.

Derek continued to kiss Cole as he pounded deeper and deeper, Cole wiping the sweat from Derek’s back.   Derek intended to once again show this boy who was in charge and Cole showed no signs of resisting.

“Oh fuck, I’m close,” Derek whispered as Cole smiled and tightened his ass around Derek.

“Stay inside me….please,” Cole begged, but Derek took orders from no one. He continued to pump as his entire body began to tense up. “Please,” Cole pleaded once again, but Derek swiftly pulled his cock from inside Cole, tore off the condom, and shot his load all over Cole’s smooth chest, letting out a large moan as he did so.   The load was thicker and larger than the previous ones, nearly hitting Cole’s neck. As it settled on Cole’s chest, Cole’s whole body began to tremble. Derek used some his own cum to stroke Cole’s incredibly hard cock. “Oh God,” Cole moaned as his own load shot and mixed with Derek’s. Derek collapsed onto Cole, kissing him and then rolling over onto his back next to his conquest.

Derek took several deep breaths as he looked up at the hotel room ceiling, the lightning from outside casting strange shadows across it. “Fuck…”

 “You rock,” Cole smiled as he planted a kiss on Derek’s chest. He ran his fingers through the mixed cum on his chest, making a random design.

“Looks like you need a towel,” Derek smiled as he hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Cole enviously watched Derek’s 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.” Cole turned from the window as Derek scanned the room for this 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 just smiled back at Derek, no 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 with that comment, 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 on the floor, half-buried in the carpet. He knelt down to take a closer look and picked up what turned out to be a ring. It was both gold and silver in color 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 and then slipped it on his finger; Derek hopped into a cab outside.

About BOYSTOWN Season Two

In the aftermath of the warehouse shootings, lives are forever changed and relationships are forever altered. As the families of the victims work to put the horrific event behind them, they find themselves at the center of an even larger plan for revenge.

Ciancio twins Marco and Gino are as handsome as they are powerful — and they arrive in Boystown with a scheme rooted in the bad history between the Ciancio and Mancini families.

At the same time, Keith Colgan seems hell-bent on getting back the boyfriend he believes was stolen from him, Ben Donovan continues with his plan for Jacqueline Morgan and her son Jesse, and a stranger from the past threatens the future.

It all leads up to a spectacular New Year’s Eve engagement party that no one will ever forget.

Welcome back to BOYSTOWN!

Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks

About Jake Biondi

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Jake Biondi fell in love with “The Windy City” at an early age. He left the Chicago area for four years to attend the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated with degrees in English and Business. He was awarded the university’s prestigious William Mitchell Award for Playwriting. Upon graduating from Notre Dame, Biondi returned to Chicago where he attended and graduated from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.   He has been living in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood for over 20 years.

While studying literature, Biondi became 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. Because of his love of those novels as well as television dramas such as Dynasty, Knots Landing, Dallas, and Revenge, Jake Biondi decided to create a serialized saga for contemporary audiences. Thus, BOYSTOWN was born.

Biondi 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 him demanding to know what happened to their favorite characters and wanting the episodes to be released faster. They also had suggestions for future storylines! Biondi was surprised and excited by the readers’ response to BOYSTOWN and began to write and release installments more quickly. By November, Biondi had released 10 episodes and his reading audience had expanded well beyond the borders of America.

Because of BOYSTOWN’s huge success online and the serialized nature of Biondi’s writing, readers from all over the globe have been able to correspond with Biondi and influence the storylines of the BOYSTOWN saga as Biondi writes it.

Readers also suggested that Biondi publish the first 10 episodes as a book rather than leaving them online. He took their advice — and “BOYSTOWN Season One” was published in late November of 2013. The book is selling very well locally and nationally. In the meantime, Biondi continued to write additional episodes. Episodes 11 – 20 were released as “BOYSTOWN Season Two” on July 7, 2014. Biondi is currently working on episodes 21 – 30, which will be published as “BOYSTOWN Season Three” at the end of the year.

Because of the popularity of the book, people have suggested that BOYSTOWN be turned into a television series. Biondi has begun to reach out to television networks and producers — and their response has been very positive. Working with actors and other professionals in the entertainment industry, Biondi hopes to bring BOYSTOWN to television in the near future.

BOYSTOWN readers and fans may reach Jake Biondi at BoystownTheSeries@yahoo.com or through the website.

Jake has kindly offered up an eBook copy of BOYSTOWN Season Two one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends August 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm. To enter, click the Rafflecopter link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s reviews of BOYSTOWN Season One & BOYSTOWN Season Two to see what she thought of them!

Good luck!