Wrongful Death: an Interview with Best-selling Author Robert Dugoni

Photo courtesy of Robert Dugoni

Dugoni’s love of writing took him to Stanford University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in journalism before obtaining his doctorate of jurisprudence from the UCLA School of Law.

 

 

 

In Wrongful Death, Dugoni brings back fan-favorite attorney David Sloane from Jury Master for the biggest challenge of his legal career: Seeking justice for the wrongful death of a soldier named James Ford, Sloane, a military veteran, uncovers a ruthless conspiracy in a case against the United States Government that is impossible to win.

 

Wrongful Death is available at www.robertdugoni.com, where you can learn more about Dugoni's work as a lawyer, writer, and teacher.

 

I met up with Robert Dugoni recently at The Mystery Bookstore in Westwood, where I had a few questions for him.

 

 

A. Truthfully, ideas do not come easily to me. It really takes me a while. When I do find an idea it is usually something specific, like body armor, and then it begins to morph as I think of the plot and the characters. I do a lot of research for my books. I have to. I'm often writing about subjects I am not familiar with and I rely on others and on written research. The research usually begins to help formulate the plot. In this sense, I become like my protagonist, David Sloane, looking for answers to questions. I do agree that the thriller is difficult to write, but when you get it right...wow, that's when you have a really great book.

 

 

A. Yes and no. I still work part-time for a firm in downtown Seattle. I do it because it helps me stay sharp, to continue to think like a lawyer and I like the competition that goes with civil litigation, trying to outthink your opponent. I don't miss the long hours, however, or the stress that came with a full case load and trials always looming on the horizon, or closer. 

 

 

A. No. My goal is not to preach, it's to make others think. I think my portrayal of military law, as well as the Iraq war, was fairly unbiased. I tried to cover both sides of the issues because really, David Sloane has no dog in the fight. He's just trying to get answers to his questions so he can find justice for a woman and her four children. What was important to me was that I honored the soldiers who did talk to me and help me with the facts and research. All of them indicated that the issue was not whether the war was right or wrong. For them it was about serving their country, something that they agreed to do. 

 

 

A. I'd love to write another non-fiction book, but finding the right story can be tricky. It has to be newsworthy so that you can get enough publicity to promote the book, but it can't be a story that has received too much publicity because then nobody wants to read anything more about it. I'm always on the look out for stories about justice that have a human interest.

 

 

A. Again, I think there is more than one adventure for Dana Hill but, at the moment, David Sloane takes precedent. He's the character most people were clamoring to read more about. But Dana has her own set of fans and she's tough. I can definitely see her coming back again, hopefully soon. 

 

 

A. I usually say, "Those who can, do, those who can't, criticize." Really, the people who tear you down are usually the people who, for whatever reason, have not found happiness in their own career or lives. There has been some fair criticism of my work, just as there has been for every author. But you can tell the critics who aren't really criticizing your work, their criticizing you. It comes with the territory. I don't give it a lot of thought. In fact, I rarely read reviews. There's really no point. The book is already out and it is what it is. I like instead to hear from readers who will email me directly and tell me their thoughts on my work. They can be very insightful and helpful and I enjoy the dialogue.     

 

 

A. My mother taught me to love books and stories. She was always promoting reading in our house and especially for me. She encouraged me all the time to pursue writing and she remains my number one source for books. She and my father were also incredibly hard-working people. They taught me that nothing in life is given to you. You have to earn it. What we want most will likely be the most difficult to obtain. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. So they taught me what I like to call the Four Ps –Perseverance, Persistent, Patience and Prayer. We need all four to succeed. Beyond that, my journalism professor and mentor, Sam Goldman; he taught me how to write.

 

 

A. I read a lot of new novelists, some seeking blurbs from me. It's a lot of fun because I get to read a lot of new authors. I also am a big fan of Stephen Hunter and I don't think he got the attention he deserved. I love Stephen King as well, and others in my genre like John Lescroart and Phil Margolin.

 

 

A. False Justice, the next in the David Sloane series will be published in April 2010 and I’m working on an idea for another Sloane novel for 2011. God willing I'll keep putting out a book a year. Beyond that, there are always baseball games to coach.

 

For more information about Robert Dugoni and Wrongful Death, visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com.

 

 

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