This highly praised book is her first commercial success, but we’re sure it won’t be her last. How did she turn real-life experience as a special education teacher into a compelling story of conflict and compassion? Find out more about her path in this week’s interview-via-email.

LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE: Congratulations on such a strong start with your first novel, Robin. For our readers not familiar with A List of Cages, can you tell them about it?

ROBIN ROE: A List of Cages is about a boy named Adam who’s serving as an aide to the school psychologist during his senior year of high school. When she asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging their sessions, Adam discovers that the younger boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years. Adam is ecstatic to be reunited but soon realizes Julian is keeping secrets that could cost both boys their lives.

What led you to write this book?

I’ve spent much of my life—both personally and professionally—caring for kids who’ve experienced trauma. A List of Cages rose from this.

How long did it take you to write it?

One year and three months—I log all of my writing!

How long did it take you from your idea for the book to a book deal?

The idea for A List of Cages came to me, in a vague sense, about fifteen years ago. I remember writing down a single sentence, and that was all. Then several years later the entire story suddenly appeared in my head. In the first month, I wrote the majority of the book, but it was all out-of-order fragments that wouldn’t have made sense to anyone but me. I spent a little over a year editing and polishing this, and then another year working up the courage to send it out to agents. Once I did, things moved very quickly. Within a couple of weeks, I had offers from several agents. I signed with Peter Steinberg, and a couple of weeks later A List of Cages went to auction and sold in a two-book deal.

What was the turning point — when you realized that your dream of a book deal was going to happen?

I was really scared to send out my work to agents, but once I started getting feedback from them, it was encouraging. I signed with an incredible agent, and he began sending the manuscript out to publishers, which was also very nerve-racking. I was driving home one evening when my agent called to tell me we’d gotten our first offer, and I remember thinking that I must have misunderstood him—it was for so much more than I ever expected. As soon as I hung up with him, I burst into tears and called my son.

Where did you grow up, Robin? How would you describe your upbringing, and how do you think that later influenced your writing?

I grew up in a small town in Texas, but I’ve spent a lot of my life in Ithaca, New York, and that’s the place that feels most like home to me. It’s a beautiful town filled with waterfalls and lakes and orchards. I studied at Cornell University in Ithaca, and although I was majoring in psychology in preparation to work with at-risk kids, I also found my niche of artists. The combination of these experiences had a huge influence on my work.

What brought you to Texas?

I grew up in Texas, and always planned to return here once I’d finished school.

Your book moves people to tears with its pathos and the sometime cruelty inflicted upon adolescents. What kind of advice would you have for young people?

When you’re a kid, you often feel helpless, but I’d like young people to realize just how much power they have to create change. They have the right to be safe and happy. They have the right to stand up for themselves—and for others. I want all teens to feel empowered to exercise these rights.

Are you working on a new book? Can you tell us about it?

Yes, I’m working on another contemporary, YA novel. Like A List of Cages, it explores the psychology of the victim, but it will also delve further into the psychology of the offender.

What's been the biggest surprise of living the dream of being a full-time writer?

The biggest shock for me was how huge your world suddenly gets. As soon as I signed my book deal, my life was flooded with new people — a film rights agent, a foreign rights agent, editors, publicists, and eventually other authors and readers. As a shy person, this was overwhelming, but really amazing too.

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