Frank Zafiro, the River City author

Now Available!: My third River City crime novel Beneath a Weeping Sky is now available from Gray Dog Press!

Read the first chapter FREE! Click HERE

KPND Interview! I was interviewed by Jonny Knight from KPND Radio about the River City series. Listen to the first part here and the second part here

Now Available! A new, revised edition of my first River City crime novel Under a Raging Moon is now available from Gray Dog Press! Read the first chapter FREE! Click HERE

Now Available! My second River City crime novel Heroes Often Fail is now available from Gray Dog Press!

Read the first chapter FREE! Click HERE

What's to tell? Born in 1968 in Spokane. Attended Deer Park High School, graduating in 1986. I joined the U.S. Army in 1986 and served in Military Intelligence until 1991. In 1993, I became a police officer. Since then, I have worked as a patrol officer, a corporal, a detective, a sergeant and a lieutenant. As of 2010, I'm a captain.

I've been writing seriously since I was thirteen. I started out with short stories (some very short) and poetry (free verse--I was never good enough to rhyme much). By the late 80s, I made my first attempt at a novel, Not Without Saying Goodbye, which at 40,000 words was really more of a novella. Either way, it was about 90% terrible. I wrote some other shorter work until about 1995, when I started another novel. This was the first draft of Under A Raging Moon.

In 1996, I went back to college and got my BA in History. Although I wrote a few poems during this time, the majority of my writing consisted of college papers...of which, at least in the History field, there were plenty.

After I graduated in 1998, life events took precedence, and I didn't really do any more serious creative writing again until 2004. The catalyst was making friends with Colin Conway, another writer. That writer's connection ends up being a very motivating factor for me. It also reminded me of how much I missed writing (not the technical writing I do at work, but fiction) and that I could still fulfill my dream of being more than a writer...that is, being an author.

The advent of the Internet has given me a few other connections and a source of support and information. If you're reading this, and you're one of the people I've contacted on the 'net, I can't thank you enough for your friendship.

On the personal life front, I'm married to the coolest woman in the world, my Kristi. Together with my three children (boy, girl, boy), I am reminded daily what is truly important in this world. Outside of them and writing, I love reading, good movies and hockey.

As of 2010, I've completed a number of novels set in River City, a fictional Spokane. The first of which (Under A Raging Moon) was released in June 2006. A revised edition was published by Gray Dog Press in January 2010.

The second, (Heroes Often Fail) was released in September 2007. It was re-issued by Gray Dog Press in January 2010.

The third River City novel, (Beneath a Weeping Sky) was published by Gray Dog Press in March 2010.

In addition to that, I've got more River City novels in the wings. I've had dozens of stories accepted to magazines (print or online) and numerous anthologies .

I also write mainstream fiction under my real name, Frank Scalise. My first novel under that name, All That Counts, was released by Gray Dog Press in February 2010.

So I guess maybe I really am a writer, after all.

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