MEET THE AUTHOR

Frank Zafiro

Frank Zafiro is a veteran of U.S. Army Intelligence and has been a police officer in the Pacific Northwest since 1993.  He is blessed with a wife and three beautiful, unique children.

In addition to writing, he loves a good movie, a good book and a good hockey game (watching or playing, doesn't matter - it's hockey!).

His website is  http://frankzafiro.com

Under A Raging Moon
by Frank Zafiro

Interview with Frank Zafiro,
author of Under A Raging Moon. 

Tell me a bit about your family life.  You know how it is, ‘Inquiring minds want to know’.  And YOUR fans want to know YOU! 

My life:

I've been married for just over seven years and have three kids--boy, girl, boy.  We have a dog named Lady (hey, the wife named her, not me), a cat named Jade (oldest son is responsible for that one) and another cat named Misty (I finally got to name one).

We live in Spokane, Washington, the inspiration for River City.  As a family, we play a lot of hockey.  Both boys play youth hockey and my wife and I play recreational league (I became a goalie a couple of years ago).  Even my daughter, who doesn't play, probably knows more about hockey than she'd care to.

I spent five years in the Army and have been a police officer since 1993.  During that time, I served as a police officer (including a training officer), a corporal, a detective and now a sergeant.  I went back to college in 1996 and got my degree in History from Eastern Washington University.

I blog pretty regularly regarding my writing, stories and novels in progress, publications, appearances and things of that nature.  I also keep my web page up to date: 

Though I never would have admitted it to hardly anyone, I've always considered myself a writer.  I just didn't have any proof!)

Proof took three steps.  In February of 2005, Ascent Aspirations

(http://www.bcsupernet.com/users/ascent/tableofcontents.htm) published my story, "If Only."  That felt nice.  I'd had a story published earlier at A Cruel World (http://acruelworld.com), but I knew the editor.  Even though he asked for the story and I grilled him on it to make sure he wasn't buddying me up, it still wasn't quite the same as when "If Only" was accepted.

 More short story acceptances followed, but the next pivotal moment was when ePress-Online accepted my novel.  That told me I had written something that someone else felt strongly enough about to make a large commitment.  That felt great.

Then I was selected for inclusion in the Wolfmont Press anthology, "Seven By Seven," based on a story I submitted.  Seeing my seven stories in book form closed the loop and made me say, "Yeah, I am a writer...and here's the evidence." 

Absolutely.  I've tried to stretch and take on the voice of the character telling the story.  Whether it is a man or woman, cop, crook or civilian, or of whatever ethnicity, I try to get inside the character's skin and use that voice.

Of course, I'm sure there is an over-arching voice, too.  Something that makes a reader (hopefully) say, "This is a Zafiro story." 

I never got rejected.  Not once.  Did you?

Just kidding.  I could wallpaper my house in rejections, but I believed in myself.  And I knew I wasn't just writing...I was a writer.  I'd still do it if all that happened was the printed stories and books went into a trunk.

There was more at work, though.  I had a couple of teachers early on who were very supportive.  That's part of why I was able to believe in myself.  Also, associating with other writers has helped a lot, both in the area of morale and in improving my writing.

I'm sure it exists; otherwise so many authors wouldn't mention it.  But I haven't really experienced it much.  The few times I've struggled a little bit, I have resolved the issue by just plowing ahead.  Sometimes the end result isn't very pretty, but that is why God created revision. 

I wish my life were structured enough to have a goal of a certain number of words, or that I could set aside a specific time each day to write.  I tend to be more project specific, though.  If I am writing or editing a certain story or novel, my goal is to work on it as often and as much as possible. 

Do you use any specific tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal?  If so, what type of motivational tricks do you play on yourself?

I love to write and I'm a bit obsessive (I like to say 'tenacious,' but objectively, it might border on obsession) once I have a goal, so that tends to keep me on task.

Several.  I recently joined "Sisters-in-Crime" (yes, they let men join!) and am going to look into Mystery Writers of America.  I am a member of the Crime And Suspense Discussion Group (great group of people!) and the Short Mystery Fiction Society, both of which have lively discussion lists.  It is a great place for fellowship and also to learn more about the craft.

I don't belong to any local groups, but I do have a couple of critique partners that are kind of like my own personal writers group.  One lives here in Spokane and the other is New Jersey.  In both instances, we exchange work for in-depth critiques.  I put a lot of effort into the ones they send to me and both of them do the same with mine.  It has made my work much better, without question.

Do I need to have my lawyer present?  [grin].  I try to focus on one story at a time, but I'll sometimes make notes if I think another story won't stay intact in my mental queue.  I make more extensive notes for novels.

Every writer has a ton of ideas (don't they?), so it is a matter of choosing which ones are the most compelling to me right now.  Occasionally, the idea will pop into my head mostly whole, but more often the idea comes with a 'what if this happened' or 'how would you do that' question and I have to write it to find out the answer.

I don't know that it was a conscious decision.  It was what interested me, so that is what I wrote.  I write outside of crime fiction, too, but probably 80% is within that field.

My law enforcement background is wonderful in that it provides the color and texture and sound of the stories I create.  But I should be clear that except in very, very few circumstances, everything I write is 100% fiction from a facts and circumstances standpoint.  I hope that my descriptions create a feeling of authenticity for the reader, but that they always remember it is fiction.

Exceptions?  There are a couple of calls I have gone on over the years that I have very loosely based a story or situation on.  I can only think of two off-hand.  One is my story, "Baker-124" which was loosely based on a Check-The-Welfare call I went on, though I fictionalized just about every element of it.  This story was nominated for a Derringer Award.

The other involved a scenario a co-worker described in which he and his partner encountered a huge, muscular guy that they were going to have to arrest who, while he wasn't yet fighting, was very motivated not to go to jail.  I used this basic idea in a scene in "Under A Raging Moon," but everything outside of what I just described is all fictional.

Lastly, the character of Thomas Chisolm in "Under A Raging Moon" is loosely based on an officer I know. . .or at least a fictional version of him from 1994.  He was flattered when I asked for and received his permission.

Again, I love to write.  I love to get inside a story and find my way out.  It isn't a matter of inspiration so much as it is a matter of existence.  I'm a writer, so I write.

My family seems to understand my strange obsession and is very supportive.  The men and women I work with have also been great.  Probably the most support for the writing itself comes from my two critique partners.  In the case of "Under A Raging Moon," the three editors at ePress-Online (Herb Holeman, Nadene Carter and Sharon Connors) and the editor at Wolfmont (Tony Burton) have been hugely supportive. 

Definitely, though obviously on a limited budget.  Blog announcements, discussion group announcements and press releases for sure.  I'll be doing some appearances locally after June 15th and I'll feature a mock up of the eBook cover right there in the bookstore so that people know they have that option.  Since the eBook cover and the Wolfmont print cover are different, it is sure to spark the question.  Hopefully, that will spread the word about eBooks and reach a larger audience.

I'm hoping to create some media coverage for this book and get a number of reviews in various publications and sites. 

Also, the first chapter of the book is available on the ePress website and on my website at http://frankzafiro.com .  I commissioned an audio version of the first chapter, too, narrated by Dan Nachtrab.  If you live Portland, you'll recognize his voice.

How much time do you devote to marketing your book and what kind of marketing do you recommend?
 
I don't know that I'm the expert on that.  I know I have worked hard to establish a presence on the Internet in the mystery fiction field.  I make a lot of personal contacts with people, send thank yous and participate in the discussion groups.  I'm interested in other writers, so it is easy for me to ask them about their work and show interest. In a lot of cases, I support them by buying their book and reading it.

Bookmarks are a great marketing tool.  A website is a must.  I've heard great things about an animal known as 'the writer’s conference', but I haven't been to one yet.

Well, I've already written the sequel to "Under A Raging Moon."  The third book in the series is on deck, ready to be written.  But I wrote a hockey book (completed first draft) that needs revision and submission, so there's a competing interest there.  Also, I'm contributing to another anthology called "The EX-Factor," coming in October 2006. 

I want to continue the River City series indefinitely.  Right now, "Under A Raging Moon" and the next four books will bring the characters to 1997.  Most of the short stories take place between 1997 and 2004, when another novel will be set.  I've already written two others that take place in 2005.  So this series has potential for a long life.

I'd like to spread out a little bit, too, though.  The hockey book, if it isn't up next, will be soon.  And I have a project in the works that involves children's books.  On top of that, I have a fantasy novel with a character in it that has lingered in the back of my mind since about 1990 or so.  She wants out pretty badly.

And, of course, I'll always write short stories.

Having my work see print, both online, in magazines and book form, is a large part of the dream already.  Being able to touch people through something I wrote is part of it, too.

Seeing the print book jacket and the eBook cover both within a week was a pretty special moment. 

Earlier this year, one of my stories was nominated and became a finalist for the Derringer Award.  That was quite an honor (I didn't win, but a great story did).

Also earlier this year, a reader contacted me about a story I wrote in "Seven By Seven."  She said she had two things to tell me.   One was "great story" and the other was "how did you get a hold of my diary?"   I guess that goes back to touching people through words.

I read.  Anyone who wants to write needs to read, read, read.  In addition to reading stuff I love, I try to stretch into things I might not think I'll like at first.  If I turn out to be right, I'll put it aside, but sometimes I'm surprised.

Hobbies?  Hockey is number one with a bullet on that list.  I play, watch my family play, watch the local team play (Go Chiefs Go!) and, of course, watch the NHL.  I bawl like a baby every year like clockwork when someone raises the Stanley Cup.

I've tried to learn guitar, and I love playing and singing...but no one else loves me playing and singing.  Best case, I can strum and struggle while croaking.  If that's your cup of tea, drop a dollar in the hat.

I've also enjoyed editing video of the family.  Instead of showing people two hours of unedited "look how cute" videos, I cut together ten minutes with music and subtitles.  Keeps the relatives from throwing things.  Like me.

Life?  Everything.  And nothing.

I know that sounds flippant, but I've made so many mistakes in my past that I'd love to go back and fix every one.  At the same time, those mistakes have made me who I am and given me things in my life that I wouldn't trade for anything.  I guess if I had it to do over again, I'd try to make the same mistakes without hurting people.

Oh, you meant writing?  I would have focused my energies consistently, instead of in one and two year spurts.  And I would have sought out other writers for fellowship to keep me going.

Never stop learning.  Never stop getting better.  Learn what revision truly means.  Don't accept rejection as the end of the road and don't take it personally.  Remember that if someone is taking the time to critique your work, nine times out of ten, they have the same goal you do--a better story.  Listen to them.  Except for that tenth person.  They're just being stupid.

I should be thanking you, as much as I prattled on.

Frank Zafiro
  http://frankzafiro.com  
http://frankzafiro.com/