Robert Dugoni

BIO

Robert Dugoni has been writing his entire life. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a degree in journalism and clerked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before obtaining his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law.

He has practiced as a civil litigator in San Francisco and Seattle for seventeen years. In 1999 he left the full-time practice of law to return to writing. In addition to The Cyanide Canary he is a two-time winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. He lives with his wife and two children in the Pacific Northwest.

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INTERVIEW

February 16, 2007

In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Robert Dugoni explains why his second novel, DAMAGE CONTROL, is much more personal and emotional than his debut work of fiction, THE JURY MASTER, and describes some of the strong women in his life upon whom his characters are based. He also discusses his interest in architecture and shares details about future books featuring protagonists David Sloane, Tom Molia and Dana Hill.

Bookreporter.com: DAMAGE CONTROL is a very different book from THE JURY MASTER. In many ways, it's a much more personal and emotional book. Was there an event or events that led to your writing DAMAGE CONTROL?

Robert Dugoni: I wanted to write a book with a strong female protagonist. First, I wanted the challenge. Second, I've been influenced by a lot of strong women in my life. My mother is a self-professed tough old Irish lady, and my sisters are all professionals. I grew up admiring and respecting them. In the law profession, you also encounter a lot of competent, tough women. So, I wanted a protagonist who reflected all of those things. And of course, as I mentioned in the acknowledgment of the book, my mother is a breast cancer survivor and I remember vividly the day I received that call from my sister to tell me that my mother had cancer. It was a frightening prospect to think that she could die. And yet, she was tough as nails. She would go for her chemo on a Friday, then get up Monday and go to work. She didn't get to stop being a professional, a wife, a mother --- all of those things. Also, recently, my wife's cousin died of breast cancer. She was just 40, with two young sons. She was beautiful and successful. It was so sad. I felt so bad for my cousin and his sons, and can't imagine the pain they suffered. I wanted Dana to have to battle through that while coping with her brother's death.

BRC: Was your writing process during the course of your work on DAMAGE CONTROL substantially different from the way in which you worked on THE JURY MASTER?

RD: Not really. I maintain full days, and try to write or edit from 7 or 8 in the morning until 4-5 in the afternoon. When I'm not writing, I'm researching. I get antsy if I'm not doing something. I also don't outline so much as I script using basic story structure. Outlining for me creates anxiety.  

BRC: You demonstrate in DAMAGE CONTROL that you have the ability to create convincing, believable female characters, particularly Dana Hill and Carmen Dupree. It is somewhat difficult for men to jump the gender fence, so to speak, when creating a female character, but you show remarkable insight into the female psyche. Did you have assistance from any of the women in your life, either in the creation of Dana Hill or in her characterization? Or is there another reason why you think you write women so well?

RD: As I said above, I've always been surrounded by strong, capable women. My sisters helped to raise me and I have tremendous respect for them, as well as my mother. My wife is also a strong woman. She does everything well. I tried to tap into all of those experiences. I was with my sisters through some difficult times, and I remembered those experiences and some of the pain it caused them. As a writer, my job is to be perceptive to the people and the things around me. I try to do that, and I try to write honestly.

BRC: Two of the most important characters in DAMAGE CONTROL, William Welles and Frank Pilgrim, appear only for very brief periods, yet their actions are pivotal to everything that ultimately occurs. Welles, in particular, is perhaps the most interesting character in the book. Did you deliberately keep their appearances brief in order to contrast the influence they had over events in DAMAGE CONTROL? What else can you share with readers about them and their character development.

RD: Frank Pilgrim was a great way to introduce intrigue right at the beginning of the book. I love the way he developed. He is everybody's grandfather, and is so innocent in all that ultimately transpires. I saw him as Bert Lancaster in Field of Dreams. Welles is a bit more mystical. I wanted the reader to be curious about him, but didn't want to overdo his role in the story. He is important, but really, he is important to the extent that Dana can find him and find out what she needs to know. In a way, he becomes a mentor figure to her, letting her know that she can't help her brother until she learns to help herself. He is a bit like her Yoda.

BRC: Jewelry design and architecture are two disciplines that figure prominently in DAMAGE CONTROL. What interest have you had in those disciplines that ultimately led you to --- at least in part --- base DAMAGE CONTROL on them?

RD: Honestly, I'm not much into jewelry. I don't wear any. I saw the earrings that are prominent in the book in a jewelry store on Grand Cayman, and I thought they were amazing in appearance (and price as well). I always remembered them. I'm not sure I ever thought they'd be in a book. I am a bit more fascinated with architecture. I put myself through school doing construction, and I have a lot of knowledge regarding building techniques. In particular, I appreciate the designs of homes --- the things that make them unique. Both of the homes that figure prominently in DAMAGE CONTROL actually exist.

BRC: On a related note, I was particularly intrigued with the design of Michael Logan's home in DAMAGE CONTROL. Is your description of Logan's home based upon an existing residence, or rather description of your dream home, unrealized or otherwise?

RD: See above. Yes, it is in part based upon an actual home in which the builder stripped existing trees of their bark and polished them, etc., to use in the original design. It looked like a tree house inside, like something from SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. It wouldn't be my dream home, but it was incredible to see.

BRC: Your first book was a nonfiction work that you co-wrote. Do you have any inclination or plans to write another nonfiction work?

RD: I'm always looking for a good true story. I love to do research and I love to try to find evidence to support each fact. It's my journalist and lawyer background. It makes it fun, like putting together a puzzle. I'm going to talk to a detective about a potential story. They aren't easy to find. You need the right mix between a story that is interesting and has had some publicity, but wasn't overdone in the media. Also, nonfiction usually needs to be more than a good story --- it has to touch upon a larger, interesting issue that makes it universal in appeal, or at least appeal to a wider audience.

BRC: You were a practicing attorney for many years before turning to writing. What made you want to become a writer? What surprises and disappointments, if any, have you experienced since turning to writing as an occupation?

RD: I'm actually a writer turned lawyer turned writer. Journalism was my major in college, and I worked briefly as a reporter before I attended law school. But writing has always been my passion and writing novels always my dream. I love to create characters and place them in new worlds, watching them grow and develop and come alive. It is an incredible feeling of control that you don't always have over your real world. On days I write, I can't wait to get to the keyboard.

But writing can be a profession of rejection, and that's tough. Even when you finally get published, some readers can be just brutal. You have to have thick skin and realize that it's only one person's opinion. I've been fortunate so far. The vast majority of emails I get are from people who love my work, and that is equally gratifying. Those emails make my day, and I realize that all of those hours spent alone trying to craft characters and plot paid off; that I was able to take someone out of their ordinary world and into a fantasy world --- if only for a little while --- and they are grateful for it.

BRC: I have read elsewhere that you are one of 10 children and that your siblings have followed a wide variety of career paths. Are any of your brothers and sisters writers, aspiring or otherwise? Are they all readers? Who instilled in you your love of reading and writing?

RD: My brothers and sisters are mostly more scientific and math oriented, like my father, who was an independent pharmacist. They weren't much into writing, or reading, for that matter. My mother was an English major and school teacher until she started having children, then went back and became a CPA. She's had her own business for 30 years, but has always had a love for writing and for reading. She gave me the desire and the encouragement to pursue my writing. She also remains the person I ask most often, "What good books have you read lately?"   

BRC: On a related note, are there authors of any genre who have influenced your work?

RD: I have always admired Stephen King's work for his ability to tell stories and to use all of his senses on every page. The guy is in his own league. I also read a lot of Stephen Hunter, Brian Haig, Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, John Lescroart, and two very talented Canadian writers: Mike Harris and John McFetridge.

BRC: What are you working on now? Do you plans to continue to write books that stand on their own, or do you have any plans for a series?

RD: I'm working on a novel that will bring back David Sloane and Charles Jenkins from THE JURY MASTER, and I'm contemplating novel ideas to bring back Detective Tom Molia from THE JURY MASTER and Dana Hill from DAMAGE CONTROL. My intent was to always do stand-alone books and I'd like to continue to do that, but where the opportunity arises, I will bring back characters from past novels. So far, readers have wanted more, which is always a good thing.

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INTERVIEW

March 24, 2006

As the author of a legal thriller, Robert Dugoni successfully melds together his backgrounds in journalism and law. Bookreporter.com's Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Team (Carol Fitzgerald, Joe Hartlaub and Wiley Saichek) interviewed Dugoni about his debut novel, THE JURY MASTER. Dugoni discusses the recurring themes of justice and the abuse of power, and parallels himself with the novel's protagonist, David Sloane. He also shares his lifelong passion for writing --- despite his decision to pursue a doctorate in jurisprudence --- and sheds light on details for future series projects.

Bookreporter.com: THE JURY MASTER crosses a number of genres. In some ways it's a detective novel, in others it's an espionage thriller. Did you begin writing THE JURY MASTER with the intent of blurring genres, or did you simply find that your story was such that it went in directions of its own?

Robert Dugoni: Yes and no. My intent was to distinguish the book from other "legal thrillers," to bring a new voice to the genre, but I've also learned to trust my characters' instincts. Often they will be more creative than my original plot. This book, like my subsequent books, started with an idea, "What if an attorney had the ability to get a jury to do whatever he wanted?" That idea, along with the premise that a friend of the President of the United States found dead in a federal park may not have committed suicide, were the two driving forces behind the plot.

BRC: One of the more interesting plot threads of THE JURY MASTER relates to Mexico as a source of oil. So much attention is focused on the Middle East that it is often forgotten that other areas, including Mexico and South America (not to mention the United States), have great potential as sources for oil. Was there anything in particular that inspired you to use Mexico --- and its political relations with the United States--- as the impetus for much of what happens in THE JURY MASTER?

RD: I found Mexico partly by accident. I was doing research on the Middle East and came to learn that during the oil embargo of the 1970s the United States did turn to Mexico as a potential source of oil, or at least as a bargaining chip against OPEC. That led me to do further research and I was amazed at the history of U.S. and Mexico relations in general --- and the fact that Mexico is sitting on billions of barrels of oil. For me, it raised the question of why we're fighting a war in the Middle East and not looking to get oil from other sources so close to home.

BRC: Do you see a lot of yourself in David Sloane, or is he a wholly fictional character? Who served as the inspirations for Detective Tom Molia and your other supporting characters?

RD: David Sloane is a better lawyer than I ever was. He's the best of the best. But like me, he's not satisfied practicing law. There is a void in his life that being professionally successful does not fill. He is searching for that one thing in life that will make him happy. For me that thing has always been writing. For David, it is finding who he really is and what happened to him 30 years earlier and why. If he can put that behind him he might be able to find happiness.

The inspiration for Tom Molia is actually my good friend, Tom Moglia. We've always called Tom "the mole." He's not a detective, but he has the same gregarious personality and quick wit and is one of those guys everybody just really likes. Charles Jenkins is also a real person, to a degree. My law school roommate, Charles Jenkins, is a 6'5" 240-pound man of African American and Indian descent. A true gentle giant, but don't get him mad.

BRC: Much of THE JURY MASTER ties into politics. Did you face any special challenges when researching to build your fictional White House and political cast?

RD: THE JURY MASTER, like all my books, is about justice and abuse of power. Those are two themes you can find in every administration, Republican or Democrat. My President, Robert Peak, and his White House Chief of Staff, Parker Madsen, are really an amalgamation of historical figures. There's a little Bill Clinton, a little George Bush, even John F. Kennedy in Peak. With the explosion of the Internet there are so many ways to get information. You can learn so much now about Presidents and places. I toured the White House, but did you know that there is a miniature doll house of the White House that includes every detail including the inscriptions on certain mantles? It's amazing. It's just a matter of finding the right information.

BRC: THE JURY MASTER is quite different from your first book, THE CYANIDE CANARY, which was a nonfiction work. Was there any particular event that inspired you to make the jump to fiction?

RD: Though I'm a trained journalist, creative writing has always been my passion. So, actually I wrote THE JURY MASTER first, and my second novel, DAMAGE CONTROL, which will be out in January 2007. THE CYANIDE CANARY was a unique opportunity to use my journalism and legal skills to write a book that also happened to be about justice and an abuse of power. In that case, however, the injustice was real and the ramifications were horrific. I'm very proud of that book because it tells a story that needed to be told, and two years after publication, I'm still receiving invitations to speak about the book and the subject matter.

BRC: You co-wrote THE CYANIDE CANARY with Joseph Hilldorfer. What are the benefits, and drawbacks, to writing a book with another author? Would you do it again?

RD: I'd do it with Joe again. I'm not sure I could do it with anyone else. Joe lived the story. He was the EPA Agent whose job it was to take down the bad guys. Since I wrote the book after the events I needed Joe to be my eyes and ears to what transpired. I had thousands of documents, but I needed the emotions and internal dialogue to bring the book to life. Joe and others who were willing to talk to me provided me with those emotions. Joe was also willing to let me write the story the way I wanted to write it using the words I chose. I'm possessive when it comes to my words and stringing them into sentences. I'm not sure I'd be very good at letting someone else do that on a book with my name as the author.

BRC: We read that you practiced law for 19 years and left legal work to write full-time. Can you share your professional background with us? What kind of law did you practice? Will your courtroom experience form the basis for any of your future novels?

RD: I always intended to be a writer. I graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Journalism and worked for the LA Times before going to law school. I tell people now it was a moment of insanity, but really it was a great education and a terrific career. Like David Sloane, I was a defense attorney. I represented a lot of professionals --- contractors and engineers, architects, even other lawyers. I wanted to try cases, but trials are expensive for clients and time-consuming for courts so there is a lot of pressure for adversaries to reach settlements. Those times I was in court were the most stressful moments of the practice, but also the most exhilarating. But it wasn't enough. One day I woke up and just came to a decision. Being a lawyer was not what I'd intended to do with my life. If my wife was willing to take the chance, I was going to give writing a real shot. I drew on my experiences as a lawyer to write both THE CYANIDE CANARY and THE JURY MASTER, as well as DAMAGE CONTROL, and I continue to draw on them in the novels I'm currently writing.

BRC: What authors in particular have influenced you?

RD: I'm a big Stephen King fan, but he's so good the best I can say is I try to emulate his craft. I also really like the Steven Hunter books with the protagonist Earl Swagger, particularly the way he draws out the suspense and creates flawed heroes. His books are some of the best thrillers out there. Larry McMurtry's LONESOME DOVE stuck with me because of the way he weaves multiple stories together, and John Irving's A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY. I've also read every book written by Nelson DeMille.

BRC: What authors do you read for pleasure?

RD: Stephen King, Steven Hunter, Nelson DeMille, David Baldacci, Scott Turow, Stephen White, John Lescroart, Tess Gerritsen, Dean Koontz, Pat Conroy, and yes, J.K. Rowling. I'll read anything that keeps my attention.

BRC: What can your readers look forward to from you in the future? Will we be seeing more of David Sloane in the future, or is THE JURY MASTER intended as a stand-alone work? Do you have other characters in mind for a potential series? And will you intend to continue to blur genres in your work?

RD: I always thought David Sloane would ride off with THE JURY MASTER, but I recently came up with a great idea to bring him back in a novel set in Seattle, another book about justice and power that will, like THE JURY MASTER, blur genres. Charles Jenkins comes back in that novel as well, working as a private investigator for Sloane. I've always felt Detective Tom ("Mole") Molia has more books in him and I'm contemplating a plot where he comes back to his roots in Oakland, California. More immediately, my second novel, DAMAGE CONTROL, will be published by Time Warner Books next January. It also crosses genres and I can now see the female protagonist in that book, a Seattle lawyer named Dana Hill, also coming back in a series.

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