The vast amount of everything Robin
Caroll writes is personal.
For her novel To Write A Wrong, she pulled
much of the emotional impact from events
in her own life and family, but the suspense
author also did extensive research. “I had
the opportunity to sit in on several court
cases,” she says. “I was astounded how often
people lie. Things aren’t always as they seem
in trials.”
Interviewing everyone from bailiffs to FBI
agents, Caroll realized that shortcuts can
and are taken in the rush for a conviction.
“With the right people on their side, guilty
parties can literally get away with just about
any crime, even murder. If you read the
papers, watch the news, or listen to the
radio, you hear story after story about injustices.
Social. Legal. Human. It literally breaks
my heart. With these realizations, the theme
of the Justice Seekers series was born.”
To Write A Wrong is book two and finds
reporter Riley Baxter vowing to prove the
innocence of a man jailed for a crime he
didn’t commit. She soon finds herself in
mortal danger. “One of the most disheartening
facts I learned,” Caroll adds, “was how
many people are convicted and sent to
prison, only years later to be proven innocent
when forensic science advances. To me, this
is horrible and inconceivable.”
Through her novels Caroll hopes to challenge
readers and bring tough subjects to
light, always allowing the spiritual takeaway
to develop organically. “It’s my job to put
that on the page with realism, but not beat
anyone over the head,” she says. “Sometimes
we have to get a little dirt on us to be realistic.
I want readers to be entertained, yes,
but I hope after reading each book in the
Justice Seekers series, they’ll be changed in
some way.”
This article originally appeared in the October/November 2012 issue of FamilyFiction Edge digital magazine. Subscribe for free today!