Fran Lewis recently reviewed Mad Dog House, in anticipation of her upcoming interview with Mark Rubinstein. Click here to see what else she had to say about this “great novel written by a practicing psychiatrist who [she hopes] brings back Danny and Roddy for the final chapter.”
About a Sequel
“Mad Dog House” has many favorable reviews, even though it’s been out for only one month. I find that very gratifying. Many reviewers have commented that it should become a film, while others ask for a sequel. I never wrote the story with either a sequel or series in mind; rather, it was written as a stand-alone novel.
But while it has its own power, the novel, leaves plenty of room for a sequel. My concern is that I’ve read many suspense/thriller novels that were followed by poorly written sequels. They were obviously rushed so the novelist could ride the seductive wave of demand. The second book suffers as a result.
I’ve decided to write a sequel to “Mad Dog House.”
But I’ll do it only when there’s been enough time for the creative juices to flow. I find that reading reviews and listening to readers’ comments help cement the undercurrents in the novel. They also provide insights about the characters I never willfully thought about. The novel and its characters need time to marinate in my mind. It will all evolve into a new and perilous situation from which Roddy and Danny must extricate themselves, if they can.
The last thing I want is for “sequel fever” to take hold, resulting in a formulaic novel. I want Roddy Dolan and Danny Burns to ride a perilous, fear-filled rollercoaster just as they did in “Mad Dog House.” That will satisfy readers far more than a rushed sequel.
After all, a good story takes time to tell.
Mark Rubinstein,
Author, “Mad Dog House”
Mad Dog House featured in the Wilton Bulletin
Mark Rubinstein spoke with the Wilton Bulletin to discuss Mad Dog House and the sorts of questions and experiences that motivated him to write the book. Read the full interview here.
Video: Good News Broadcast
Local author/psychiatrist Dr. Mark Rubinstein spoke with Good News Broadcast’s Paul Sladkus about his novel, Mad Dog House.
Mad Dog House Chosen as a Weekly Featured Great Read
Digital Book Today, a website dedicated to “helping book lovers find authors in a digital age,” chose Mad Dog House as one of their Weekly Featured Great Reads.
Mad Dog House Chosen for List of “Ten to Taste”
Mad Dog House was selected as one of Crime Fiction Lover’s list “Ten to Taste – Debuts and Indie Releases.” Crime Fiction Lover, “the site for die hard crime and thriller fans,” chose Mark Rubinstein’s book as one of 10 books by new writers that caught their attention.
Video: Mad Dog House WTNH
Local author/psychiatrist Dr. Mark Rubinstein discusses his new novel, Mad Dog House, which is a gripping psychological thriller that asks the question whether we can ever escape the demons of our past and change our lives. View article.
Mark’s Guest Post on Omnimystery News
Mark recently wrote a guest post for Omnimystery News in which he discussed the inspiration for his new psychological thriller, Mad Dog House, what went into his writing process, and where he found some of the ideas for the novel. His guest post can be found in its entirety here.
The genesis of a novel
Readers often ask how an idea for a novel comes to an author. I’ve been asked how MAD DOG HOUSE (due October 23rd) came into being. It’s a very strange—almost dreamlike—process for me. I’ve found it the same way for the other three novels I’ve written which will be published over the next two years).
It’s as though my mind went through some semi-conscious period where things from the past and present seemed to coalesce and began building on themselves. In all honesty, once the story was on paper, I was unable to reconstruct its genesis. It seemed very strange, almost the way you feel when you wake up some mornings knowing you’ve dreamed, but the dream dissolves before you’re completely resurrected from a sleeping state.