Q & A with Author Treg Stark
43302: What books or authors did you enjoy growing up?
Treg Stark: I've always enjoyed reading 'who done it' books...Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christy, Sandra Brown. It's in my nature to try and figure things out, and there’s nothing more satisfying to me than to figure out the end of a book halfway through it. When I was in business doing computer networking, I always enjoyed the diagnostic part, trying to figure out what went wrong. I guess it's an innate curiosity. I also loved nonfiction; still do. History (mostly Civil War) continues to intrigue me. I enjoy reading Jeff Shaara, James McPherson, Shelby Foote. Even though it's a different venue, history battles are still mysteries and I try to figure out 'What If?' ...what if Lee had not attacked head on at Gettysburg...what if Sherman had been stopped on his way to the sea...
43302: Did a family member, friend, or teacher influence you to keep writing?
Treg Stark: My Mom told me I wrote simple stories when I was a kid growing up on a Vermilion farm. She said I would write about the wild animals (mostly snakes and birds) that surrounded our farm. More structured writing occurred in high school when Angela Parks 'made' me write some articles for the school paper. She was always very encouraging to me even though all I ever wanted to do was listen to Beatle songs! Joyce Creager, another teacher in high school, also had a major impact on me. She taught me proper grammar and sentence structure...I never knew how important grammar was. Of course, there's my wife and daughter whose constant encouragement (badgering?) kept me writing by asking how my next book was coming. Ya just gotta love them.
43302: When did you decide to devote full time to your writing?
Treg Stark: I'm on my seventh book now, but I still don't consider myself a writer. I do it for enjoyment and never concern myself with making money. I never took James Patterson's advice that one must write every single day...I have too many other enjoyments in my life. I do write when I am inspired and, to this day, have several notebooks filled with ideas for new books. I tend to write mysteries (surprise, surprise) and I'm constantly thinking about ways to improve my stories and characters. Even though I am creating an author's website devoted to my books, I still am too lazy to have some of my books turned into e-books. I'll get there eventually.
43302: Do you do extensive research before you write? Do you draw from your own experiences?
Treg Stark: Yes and Yes. I do tend to research a project extensively before I ever begin to type. I try to have scenes, characters, plots, conclusions thought out and written down before I start. My wife and daughter tell me my main characters are based on me (subliminal narcissism?). I honestly don’t try for that, but when I reread the day’s work, I see it sometimes. It’s probably that old adage…WWTD…what would Treg do). I often try to put the characters in a difficult situation and then let them figure out how to get out of it.
It reminds me of the old days when I did computer networking…I’d walk into a business with no clue what happened and then try to figure it out in a short period of time. I like the pressure.
43302: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
Treg Stark: Again, I do both. I always have an outline to keep me on track and progressing forward but it’s an outline of a scene or situation. Once I have established the scenario, I let the characters take over through action or dialogue. It’s true the characters have a mind of their own. When I first started writing I would try to force the characters to do something and at the day’s end, it looked forced. I began to let them take over and, I know it sounds weird, but they do take on their own personalities. When I would read the day’s work I could actually see character differences. The story somehow just develops depending on the situations that occur.
43302: I know that some mystery writers start at the end and work their way backwards. Would that method work for you?
Treg Stark: If you mean, ‘do I know the end before I start’…then usually yes. I try early on to lay down some different plots and situations that will keep the reader guessing, but I want to know how the book ends. I usually think ‘holistically’, meaning I have to understand the big picture before I write…In other words, I want to know who dun it, who comes out alive and why did he or she do what they did to change the situation. Then, once I have that figured out, I write linear, meaning I start at the beginning and go all the way to the end.
43302: Much of Baker’s Long Road Home is set in Vietnam and Laos. Why did you choose that as the setting for your book?
Treg Stark: Like you, Tom, I was a child of the 60’s. I lost several good friends in the Vietnam war. Some came back and we remained friends, but I must say, all of them changed over there. Baker was a composite of several guys who came back and shared their experiences with me. One guy in particular told me how he made a fortune in the black market. I did add some of my own imagination to make the story a little bit more exciting, but for the most part the plot happened.
43302: Your novel, Justice for Jaylan, carries over some of the plot lines and characters from Baker’s Long Road Home. Did you have a sequel planned from the start?
Treg Stark: No, I really didn’t. My wife told me, after reading Baker, that I needed to write a follow-up. I had a couple of ideas and I wanted a happy ending to the story, so I developed Jaylan. He’s a nice kid who got in over his head but was lucky enough to find a tough lady as his wife. I wanted to write a third book but I still can’t decide on a story line…maybe someday.
43302: Tell us about your main character, Detective Carmen Rocco, in the novels Distant Shots and Double Dead. Is he inspired by someone you know in real life?
Treg Stark: Okay, you got me there. As my daughter once told me…”Well, Dad, of course Rocky is you. You always wanted to drive around the country solving crimes.” She’s probably right. How cool would it be to have a motor home and pull into a city, solve a crime and move on? I’m all for it, but my wife has different plans for my retirement.
43302: I know you’re a big Beatles fan. Do you listen to music when you write?
Treg Stark: Surprisingly, no. I pretty much need quiet when I write. I’m easily distracted and when I write I have to be focused. I can only write for a maximum of three hours a day. I usually walk away from the computer and come back later to read and edit what I have written.
43302: Are you working on something new? And can you tell us a little bit about it?
Treg Stark: I have two projects going right now. One is another story about Carmen Rocco that I just started outlining. I’m not sure where’s it’s going yet.
The other book is something new I am trying. It’s a semi-true biographical story of a family who lived in Harlan County, Kentucky. It’s lightly based on my grandfather, who was a medical doctor, born in Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1890. Harlan County was a huge coal mining area and at the time my grandfather arrived, unions were trying to bust into the region and force miners to bend to their rules. Not many workers were willing to live under union rules and much tension was felt. This region was aptly named ‘Bloody Harlan’. I’m basing it on the many stories I heard from my father and his family. It's interesting to write but challenging to research. The working title is: ‘The Last Doctor in Harlan County’. I hopefully will have it completed by next spring.
43302: How can interested readers find out more about your books? Purchase your books?
Treg Stark: Most of my books are on KDP, Amazon’s site. I have just taken some of them down from the site due to Amazon’s new rules, but will have them reformatted to meet the rules and regulations so they will be available by December, 2020.
Thirty years removed from writing technical manuals and documents in the dental industry, Treg branched off into fictional abyss. Storytelling was always something he enjoyed, so he decided to write a novel. After one novel, then two, then three, now moving toward seven, the stories and characters continue. None of the stories were easy to compile, but with practice came completion and huge personal satisfaction.
Along the way, somewhere in the ‘90’s, he wrote and directed a feature film and learned the art of blogging. Today, he’s retired and spends his time between his Marion home and a lake house in Marblehead, Ohio.
Treg and his wife, Deb (Caserta) have been married 48 years. Their daughter, Brielle, is a professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Brie, a Gates Scholar, graduated from Cambridge University in the UK with her PhD in neuroscience, which may explain why she insists on figuring out what’s going on in her dad’s head.
A new website, tregstark.com, will be available in early 2021.
