Well I am busy today, but I have to insist that you just have to get a load of Jake Bondi’s Boystown *just look at those hot bods ~swoon~* so I am leaving you with a brief visit from Jake. đ ~Pixie~
How did your book BOYSTOWN come to be?
I have always been a huge fan of serialized stories of all kinds. In school, I studied many of Charles Dickensâ novels and I fell in love with them â not just his characters, but the way his books were originally published in installments, each ending with a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back for more. He is the master soap-opera writer. I was also a fan of TV shows such as Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest and more recently Revenge and Nashville â shows with characters that viewers love so they keep tuning in week after week.
BOYSTOWN was born out of my love for those stories and my love for the neighborhood. I thought it would be great to create a realistic core group of characters who would be like friends and neighbors I know who are living in Boystown in Chicago.  While Boystown is certainly a âgay neighborhood,â it is very diverse and I wanted to make sure my characters reflected that diversity. So while most of my characters are gay, there are some straight characters as well â and the characters are very diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, economics, etc.
I began BOYSTOWN in June 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 and is selling very well locally and nationally. In the meantime, I am continuing to write additional episodes. Episodes 11 – 20 will be released this Spring as BOYSTOWN Season Two.
People can purchase the book directly through my website www.JakeBiondi.com or from Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago or online at amazon.com and bn.com.
What can you tell us about Keith Colgan?
Keith Colgan is one of BOYSTOWNâs central characters. Handsome and sexy, Keith has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth and gives off a bit of âattitudeâ to those he doesnât know well.
Keith and his boyfriend Emmett Mancini have been together for about five years and Keith is ready to take their relationship to the next level.  No one enjoys the Christmas season more than Emmett, and Keith thinks the holiday season is the perfect time of year to âpop the questionâ to Emmett.  A few of their friends are in on the exciting surprise, but Emmett is clueless about his Keithâs intentions. And Emmett is clueless about something else as wellâŚKeithâs past. Will Emmett say âyesâ to Keithâs proposal? Will Keithâs past put an end to their happiness? Keep turning the pages to find out!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and have basically lived in the Chicago area my entire life, except for the four years I went away to study at the University of Notre Dame. I have been living in Chicagoâs Boystown neighborhood for over 20 years and I love it. I love the neighborhoodâs people, social life, diversity, culture, and proximity to Lake Michigan. As far as Iâm concerned, Chicago is the best city in America.
I have been writing for most of my life, mostly as a hobby in my spare time. I find it to be a great way to relax and put aside the demands of âreal lifeâ while focusing on something productive. For me, itâs energizing and relaxing at the same time.
Anything else you would like to add?
I would just like to sincerely thank everyone who has read BOYSTOWN and reached out to me with their comments, suggestions, and questions.  I have heard from people all over the country â and overseas â and I am forever grateful for their kind words and support. I love interacting with my readers and encourage them to contact me. In fact, they often contact me with ideas for future storylines and couples. In some ways, they have a unique opportunity to âdriveâ the story. Keep the comments coming!
How can readers reach you and/or buy the book?
Readers can contact me and buy the book through my website www.JakeBiondi.com. Autographed copies of the book are available at Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago (in person or through their website). Books may also be ordered through amazon.com or bn.com.
Just in case you can’t make out those two first pictures (well they are kinda small)…. *pant*
*drool*
I’m just gonna wipe this drool up and then lie down đ