Rose Robbins was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. A precocious child fascinated by words, she ruined many library books by leaving them out overnight in the fields of her family’s farm.
Now her life-long love of books has inspired her to write her own.
Her “Carlin Series” is a quintet of interrelated suspense novels. (In sequence, the books are: In From the Cold; A Hundred Lesser Faces; Continue As Jenyfer?; Bring Back My Bonnie; and Sheltered.) Each is a compelling, credible story of a strong woman who must escape and heal from the physical and psychological abuse she’s endured in domestic and religious settings. Each story also explores a different aspect of relational abuse, and its effects on the many people it touches.
Author Rose Robbins (click to enlarge)
These five novels — written at white heat, within the span of a single year — were inspired by Rose’s own experiences while hiding in a domestic violence shelter with her small children. There she found that all types of women, from all walks of life, can find themselves victims of abuse. From those grim days, she made it her mission to change the way society views relational abuse and its roots. Besides writing about it, Rose also heads a mentoring program for former victims and hosts a website that offers resources for victims and mentors alike.
Prior to writing “The Carlin Series,” Rose independently published three nonfiction books presenting her personal philosophy about how to live a happy, meaningful life. Most recently she co-authored, with her daughter Katherine, The Accidental Dragon, an enchanting children’s fantasy adventure. (See my previous interview with Rose and Katherine.)
I first met Rose Robbins in an online discussion forum more than a decade ago, and over the years we’ve become good friends. I knew her then as a brilliantly talented and critically acclaimed musician: She writes, sings, and publicly performs her own award-winning work, accompanying herself on guitar and keyboards. You can listen to her songs and learn more about her musical career at her website.
I’ve invited Rose here to share the literary side of her multifaceted life. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed her books, I’m delighted to let you share some moments with an extraordinary lady.
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The Vigilante Author: Rose, even though I’ve given your books glowing endorsements on Amazon, let me congratulate you once again. Based on the rave reviews they’re receiving from other readers, it’s clear that they’re touching lives.
Since we’ve already chatted about your new children’s fantasy novel, let’s focus today on your “Carlin” novels. What gave you the idea for this series?
Rose Robbins: The first book in my series, In From the Cold, was not intended to begin a series at all! I just wanted to tell the story of Tess, a young mom who was led deeply into an abusive relationship one small step at a time. But then, when I finished the book, there was another character in the story I had grown to love. I felt that I should tell her story, too.
The Vigilante Author: That first novel began with the deceptive sense of surface serenity, but with hints of menace lurking below the façade of normalcy. I think that’s the key to the suspense in the whole series. So how would you classify them? As thrillers? Or as “romantic suspense”?
Rose Robbins: I call them “domestic thrillers.” Each story’s villain is an abuser of some kind, and any suspense in the story — some of the books have more suspense, others have less — comes from an abusive situation.
The Vigilante Author: If you don’t mind my asking, what prompted you to address such unusually serious subject matter in fiction?
Rose Robbins: In 2006, I ended up in a shelter with my five young children. During the month we were there, I not only had many eye-opening experiences, but met several other women from a variety of circumstances. All strong, brave, beautiful women — all experiencing some form of abuse. Then each of us went back into the world, carrying our stories silently inside. I decided those were stories that needed to be told.
Rose during a recent promotional photo shoot (click to enlarge)
The Vigilante Author: And you’ve told them exceptionally well. They are gripping reads. I have my own views on this, but what do you think is unique about your heroines?
Rose Robbins: The heroines in my books are the strong women that reach down deep and find strength and courage to start over. And their allies, which can be found in unusual places. I greatly admire courage. I wish I had more of it.
The Vigilante Author: I know you, and you underrate your own courage. Anyway, anyone who meets you now would be amazed by your unlikely background. Why don’t you share a bit about it.
Rose Robbins: I grew up on a farm in southwestern Washington state. I milked cows and helped bale hay, and when I had free time, I was usually up in a tree. I was a total tomboy. I spent a lot of time watching cows, which was like being a shepherd, only with cows. I’d read and write stories and music while alone in a beautiful field at the edge of the woods. It was a pretty great childhood.
For years, I tried to compensate for my upbringing by trying hard to be sophisticated and surround myself with sophisticated people. Now I’m finally relaxing into myself — a person who likes a lot of time alone.
The Vigilante Author: I know the feeling. So where do you think your desire to tell stories came from?
Rose Robbins: I have always loved words. I grew up reading older books — The Bastables by E. Nesbitt, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I love beautifully or cleverly put together words. When I dream, I see words like subtitles. I have always known I would create using words in some way. I believe I wrote my first stories and poems at age six. They were very bad.
The Vigilante Author: I’m glad adults didn’t discourage you back them. What writers influence you today?
Rose Robbins: A favorite author now is Nora Roberts (or J.D. Robb). She creates characters that are funny, that speak like real people speak, and her reasons for people doing what they do are honest and compelling. I also love Jacquelyn Mitchard, whose style is much more lyrical. She writes in a way that almost feels like poetry.
I strongly dislike when I feel an author is trying too hard, whether it’s to be lyrical or to be “gritty” or to be real. You can sense that overwork, and it feels false, pulls you away from the story. I love authors who have settled into their own style and aren’t trying to make Oprah’s book list or anything.
The Vigilante Author: No one will ever accuse either of us of pandering to Oprah. So how would you compare your work with that of some familiar authors?
Rose Robbins: I like to think I might be a bit similar to Nora Roberts, although she’s been honing her craft since I was a kid, and she’s at the very top of the field! I am also probably a bit similar to Jan Karon, in the sense that I try to create very warm domestic scenes that make readers feel comforted.
The Vigilante Author: Writing, as I always say, can be a tough and lonely profession. I know about many of your past challenges in becoming a writer. What kind of obstacles do you face now?
Rose with four of her five teenaged children (click to enlarge)
Rose Robbins: The main obstacle for me is time. I have five children and a full-time day job, so making time to work is difficult. I don’t mind the loneliness so much.
The Vigilante Author: You’ve already mentioned what motivated “The Carlin Series.” Care to elaborate a bit more?
Rose Robbins: My goal in writing my series was to demonstrate the various faces of domestic abuse. People — even professionals in the fields of counseling, education, and law enforcement — have an outrageously naïve view of abuse and abusers, very often. They imagine some large bully who wears a tank top and punches his woman while holding a beer in his other hand. That is only a small percent of abusers. And the rest of the victims of abuse often suffer an additional wound, even from those who are supposed to be their allies: disbelief. Victims of abuse very often face doubt and disbelief when they try to describe what happens to them, to friends, family, pastors, and even counselors or therapists.
In my stories, each abuser has a different method, and each victim is a different sort of woman. That’s another extremely damaging stereotype: that victims of abuse are weak, limp women who aren’t smart/strong enough to stand up to their abusers. I constantly hear people saying, “Well, she must have wanted it, on some level…” And of course, that is a very ignorant and unkind thing to say. I want people to read my books and see themselves, their sisters, or their friends in the pages — to realize that what is happening is abuse, even though it may look different than Hollywood’s portrayal.
The Vigilante Author: Do your stories have any overt political of philosophical point of view?
Rose Robbins: No. Since people from every possible political or philosophical style can find themselves victims, I try to show different angles. The last thing people need is more reasons to think of abusers and their victims in an “us and them” sort of way. We need to understand it can happen to anyone.
The Vigilante Author: Great point. Well, as you know, I’m happy that you’re personally beyond such circumstances. So what is your life like today?
Rose Robbins: I have five teenagers and a dog. My children are all wordsmiths in various ways. I have poets, debaters, and songwriters among them. My dog, not so much.
The Vigilante Author: I’ve met your kids, and every one of them is remarkable. I don’t know about the dog, except for the cute photos of her you post online.
What about your writing techniques and methods? Any special way of approaching a tale?
Rose at a book signing earlier this year (click to enlarge)
Rose Robbins: I just tell the story. As the plot becomes more complex, I go back and adjust details, add foreshadowing, et cetera. If I plan it all out, my characters can’t breathe and grow into themselves. And if that sounds crazy to you, you probably aren’t a writer.
The Vigilante Author: I know what you mean and I agree. Even though I’m a meticulous planner and outline a lot about my characters in advance, they grow into flesh-and-blood reality only during the writing itself.
Besides your writing methods, what about your work habits? Where, when, and how?
Rose Robbins: I mostly write in coffee shops. I can’t focus on my work if I’m at home. I have a small laptop, although I also have a note-taking application on my phone that I speak into while driving or sitting in the doctor’s office or something, if I have a magical idea that won’t wait.
The Vigilante Author: I don’t know how you manage that. I require solitude and hate distractions. But let me ask you what I ask all writers here: What’s the hardest thing for you about writing?
Rose Robbins: The hardest part is trying to get my work into people’s hands.
The Vigilante Author: Well, I hope this interview makes that less of a challenge. What’s the easiest part for you? And what are you particularly proud of?
Rose Robbins: The easiest is opening myself and letting it flow. I am particularly proud of pushing past my own fears and pain, in regards to my subject matter, and choosing to be open, knowing that it can inspire and encourage other people who have traveled the same path as I.
The Vigilante Author: And you have every right to take pride in what you’ve overcome and accomplished in that regard. Finally, given your difficult journey to becoming an author, what advice would you offer other writers, especially aspiring ones?
Rose Robbins: Don’t give up. Ignore your fears — they won’t serve you, ever.
The Vigilante Author: And that’s a great note to end on. Thanks so much, Rose. And may good fortune follow you on your literary and musical career paths.
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Find out more about Rose Robbins and her books at her Amazon Author Page.
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Photo (c) by Debbie Scott
