Retired police captain and prolific, acclaimed crime author Frank Zafiro steps into the Interrogation Room to try to get his story straight.

Frank writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. His works include the River City series, which features an ensemble of police officers, and the SpoCompton series that features a rotating cast of criminals. His storytelling creed is that the good guys usually win… but not always, and never without a cost.

Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1986-91 in Military Intelligence as a Czechoslovak linguist. In 1993, he became a police officer in Spokane, Washington, and worked patrol and investigations before promoting into leadership roles. He was fortunate enough to command patrol officers, investigators, K-9s, and the SWAT team before retiring in 2013. From 2013-17, he taught law enforcement at the community college and university levels, as well as leadership courses as a national instructor for a prominent police institution. He also occasionally teaches a series of writing workshops. Frank earned a BA in History from Eastern Washington University in 1998, and an MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville in 2012.

In this episode, Frank and host Gavin Reese discuss writing from their own experiences, criminals as people and characters, and balancing authenticity with reader experience.

Frank's site and works: frankzafiro.com

Gavin's site and works: gavinreese.com

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