I, C.S.I.

Why Is the local author of Body Trace writing under an assumed name?

by Sarah Weinman

"The publisher approached my agent with the project," said McGoran in a recent telephone interview. "Originally, Berkley wanted to launch a new mystery series focusing on forensic investigation in New Orleans, and they were looking around for someone to write the books. [Kim] thought I would be a good fit, and I did some preliminary research. But then Hurricane Katrina happened — you can't exactly dance around it — and New Orleans has been done before in crime novels, anyway. So I pitched Philadelphia as a setting and they bit."

But because McGoran's unpublished work differed stylistically from the proposed series, everyone involved agreed on a pseudonym — and so, D.H. Dublin (the last name a hat tip to his father's birthplace) was born. "I wanted something mnemonic, that people would remember," McGoran said, adding that using first name initials would appeal more strongly to the genre's predominantly female readership.

With setting and subject in place, creating the series' eyes and ears — the newly minted forensic investigator Madison Cross — proved the most crucial task. Developing her voice was a struggle at first ("I had to restrain some of my more smart-ass instincts") but ultimately a rewarding one. "There were two aspects of Madison I really enjoyed exploring: first, she's very smart, very competent. This helps her because even though she's a junior lab technician, she has specific skills that give her an advantage. But she also has an impulsive side, the side that made her leave behind a medical career and return to Philly to join the Crime Scene Unit (CSU). She doesn't completely understand this streak, but allows her to ask questions that others don't. She wonders if she's being a pain in the ass to prove herself, or if her concerns are more legitimate."

Madison's rookie status allowed McGoran to incorporate research into the latest forensic technologies and police procedures. "I set it up so that Madison is familiar with police culture — her dad was a cop and her uncle leads the CSU team. As a result, she's still learning about crime scene investigation, and so I could describe what happens in a more organic, plausible way." Technical help came in the form of several professionals, including a forensic lab technician in Harrisburg. "It's so important to be accurate," he said. "What's current now, like with DNA analysis and fingerprint technology, can change completely. The most modern equipment can be considered obsolete just six to 12 months later."

McGoran's three-book deal continues with Blood Poison in 2007 and a third, still-untitled volume. That's three novels written in less than 18 months — how did he manage his time? "Having a really solid outline helped," he says. "Though it didn't seem that way at the beginning when I calculated how many words I'd have to write every day to meet my deadline."

The outline proved especially important for technical details and to reassure him that his proposed plot structure would hold up throughout the manuscript. "It's kind of like an acting exercise, where you fall back and have faith someone's going to catch you," he said.

A supportive workplace also helped, enabling McGoran to cut back his hours as communications editor for Weaver's Way Shuttle , a bimonthly newsletter devoted to organic food and produce. "This was too great an opportunity to pass up, despite staying up till 4 a.m. working night after night. I think I aged more in the previous year than I had in the first 40."

Tight deadlines didn't take away from spending time with his son, now 6 and a half. "While I was writing Body Trace , my son was having a lot of nightmares, so I'd sit by his bedside to keep him calm. But here I was, typing away at these graphic sequences, and I'd look over at him and see how adorable he was. Talk about a strange juxtaposition. I'm glad he couldn't read at that point ... but now I'm hoping that won't become a big issue in the future."

Despite the difficulties in balancing deadlines, family life and work, McGoran wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm being paid to write fiction," he said, laughing. "How bad is that?"

(s_weinman@citypaper.net)