1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Dylan Madrid. I live in the city of Denver, but I grew up in California. I am a full-time writer and a part-time teacher. When I'm not writing novels I instruct college courses in writing and the arts. Writing is my greatest passion, especially when I'm able to tell a wonderful love story.
2. Describe your book ‘Mind Fields’ in 30 words or less.
When college student Adam Parsh accepts a tutoring position, he finds himself the object of the dangerous desires of one of the most powerful men in the world – his married employer.
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The book went through many revisions - especially the final scenes. I was really determined to get everything right, to make sure every character's story was told to the best of my ability. I struggled with the erotic content of the novel. I wanted to write a novel that was focused more on love, rather than sex - so I did. Halfway through writing the novel, I had an epiphany which prompted me to change the second half completely. The original ending was not as strong as the one that made it into the book. I'm really proud of my writing in this novel. The reaction to it has been wonderful and far greater than I expected.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
In this particular novel, there's a lot of influence of Jane Austen's classic 'Northanger Abbey'. More than any other novel I've written, there's a more gothic feel and mood in this particular book. In terms of my other writing, I really love the classics. I find myself constantly going back to books like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Jane Eyre' and authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare to study the brilliant architecture of how and what they wrote. There's so much to learn from them. In terms of contemporary literature I really admire the works of Julia Alvarez, Jo Ann Beard, Sandra Cisneros, Joyce Carol Oates, and Meg Wolitzer.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
In addition to social media, most of my work is marketed by word of mouth. Someone discovers something I've written and they enjoy it and then tell others about it. I'm always amazed when I meet my readers and they tell me great stories about how they stumbled upon my books.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
When I'm not writing or teaching, I'm often traveling to literary festivals and writing conferences to talk about my work, meet readers, and instruct writing workshops. For fun I love watching classic movies. I'm a big fan of film noir. I also love playing board games, reading a good book, or just spending time with my family and friends.
7. What are you working on next?
I have just finished my next novel. It's a romantic spy thrilled called 'Love in the Shadows'. It will be available in January from my publisher Bold Strokes Books. I'm very excited about 'Love in the Shadows' because it's the first novel in a trilogy. This will be my first series. It was a very fun novel to write. I can't wait to see if my readers love it as much I do.
