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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AUTHOR TALK

April 10, 2009

Attorney David Sloane, the protagonist of the 2006 bestseller THE JURY MASTER, has resurfaced in Robert Dugoni's latest thriller, WRONGFUL DEATH. In this interview, Dugoni explains why he decided to resurrect this character after having no previous plans to do so, and discusses the inspiration behind the novel's plot, which centers on the current war in Iraq. He also elaborates on injustices brought about by the Feres Doctrine, which figures predominantly in the book, describes how he was able to accurately portray the atmosphere overseas, and shares details on Sloane's future in upcoming works.

Question: What sparked the idea for WRONGFUL DEATH?

Robert Dugoni: Like most of my novels, it was just a small thing. In this case, I read a newspaper article that mentioned the Feres Doctrine in reference to a soldier injured in Iraq. I thought it interesting, looked more deeply into the doctrine, and found that it had really been bastardized from the initial legal case, to the point of absurdity. I have tremendous respect for the men and women who leave their families behind to go and fight for the principles this country was founded upon. In Iraq, with the use of National Guardsman, more than ever we have men and women with families and careers putting everything on hold. I thought it would make an interesting premise to write a book that discussed the doctrine and what it means to be injured “incident to your service.” But I didn’t want it to be a book about the Iraq war. I wanted to write what I always try to write, a book about justice and injustice, a legal/political thriller. Hopefully I succeeded.
 
Q: What is the Feres Doctrine?

RD: The Feres Doctrine developed out of three cases that were consolidated and heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1949. Essentially, soldiers had died or been injured during their military service and the families were suing the government and military for negligence. For instance, Feres was housed in a barrack that had a faulty heater that caught fire and burned the barrack to the ground. Justice Jackson, writing for the majority, was faced with a true dilemma. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were returning from World War II and a decision that made the government and military subject to lawsuits for injuries or deaths could have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars. So Jackson came up with what is now called the Feres Doctrine, which says that a soldier injured or killed “incident to his service” cannot sue the government or military for damages even if the government acted negligently or intentionally to injure him or her. In theory the rationale was that military benefits were the proper way to compensate soldiers injured in combat. However, over the years, the term “incident to service” has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits and has been expanded so far that soldiers who were, unbeknownst to them, part of a study to determine the effects of LSD on humans, were found to have been injured "incident to their service."
 
Q: Your stories balance legal and political issues with your characters battling injustice. What compels you to tackle these themes and ideas?

RD: I think they're interesting. In some respects I'm like Sloane. I'm a person who really doesn't like it when people get away with things because they have power or money or influence. I don't like people who don’t play by the rules that the rest of us in society have to live by. So I read about some issue and it sticks in my craw and festers until I find a way to let it out. I try not to preach or get on a soap box, but just raise the issue in an interesting way. For instance, I make no judgments about the Iraqi war. WRONGFUL DEATH is not a book about the war. The soldiers I spoke with said that being a soldier is about serving your country, not about whether the war is right or wrong. I wanted to write a book about one woman's struggle to find justice for her husband. I made him a soldier because it was contemporary. But really, I could have made James Ford a corporate executive who had been lied to and died as a result.
 
Q: Why bring back David Sloane from THE JURY MASTER? What qualities of his make him such a compelling character?

RD: When I finished THE JURY MASTER I really thought I had wrung just about all I could out of David Sloane. I put the poor guy through hell. Then a review came out saying, "One can't wait for the return of David Sloane," and readers began to e-mail me asking when "the next Sloane book" was coming out. I started thinking about it and realized that what the readers picked up on wasn’t the story so much as the character. Sloane is endearing because he is so much like all of us. He isn’t a super hero. He isn't James Bond or Indiana Jones. But he's a guy with a fierce sense of right and wrong who really hates it when others don't play by the rules the rest of us in society have to play by. He’s a guy who believes in justice and is willing to stick out his neck to see that it is served. He’s also a person who, like a lot of people in life, got a raw deal as a child, but has picked himself up and is trying to make the best of life, to find, and be a part of a family. He’s a guy still searching for who he is.
 
Q: How did you research the scenes in Iraq? How difficult was it to write about and stay realistic?

RD: I found soldiers who had served in Iraq and asked them to sit down and talk to me. It was painstaking at times because what was normal to them, isn't to the average reader, and because it was hard to get them to give a lot of detail. But I knew I was getting close when I asked one Guardsman in particular to read some scenes and he stopped in the middle. When I asked him why he said, "This stuff isn't easy to go back to." I also read a lot of blogs of soldiers in Iraq as well as first hand published accounts, magazine articles, and newspaper articles. The mission in the novel is based upon several different scenarios I read about.
 
Q: Was James Ford based on a real soldier?

RD: To the extent that the soldiers I spoke with who shared their experiences with me are real, yes. But James Ford is a fictitious character. He is not based on any one person and the “mission” is also fictional.
 
Q: Is Argus International based on an actual company?

RD: The company is also completely fictitious. However, the scenario of American and other foreign companies supplying Iraq with the raw materials it used to create chemical weapons, including shipping those materials after it became illegal to do so is real. I did read about an inspector who obtained an unedited account of the Iraqi disclosure that did name these companies as being complicit in supplying chemicals that the Iraqi’s used in Iraq's war against Iran and that are suspected to have been used against American Soldiers in the Gulf War. I'm not aware of any of those companies being brought to trial or otherwise punished.
 
Q: How can companies recreate settings from other locations? Is this standard for military training?

RD: Again, during my research I learned that the government has created mock Iraqi villages at a base located in the Mojave Dessert for soldiers to train before they are shipped to Iraq. Soldiers talked about it in their blogs and in their books. I also read about a military defense contractor that recreated environments in which their personnel would be working in huge warehouses on their compound. I don't know whether this is standard for military training, but I would suspect that the military would want to recreate the environment in which troops will be operating as close to the real thing as possible.
 
Q: Will readers see David Sloane again?

RD: My editor and I think Sloane has a lot more mileage, so yes. I'm hard at work on another idea that we're both excited about. If all goes according to plan, Sloane will return in 2010 and beyond.

© Copyright 2009, Robert Dugoni. All rights reserved.

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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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