Author Spotlight - Larry Yoakum III

Author Spotlight

Jun 1

From Larry’s Amazon Author Profile:

Larry was in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years as a survival equipment technician. He has been writing since his time in the military.
Larry Yoakum III writes in a mixed genre of horror, paranormal, fantasy, supernatural, and sci-fi, all taking place in a shared universe. His writing has been described by many of his readers as Twilight Zone meets L. Ron Hubbard, with just a pinch of Lovecraft thrown in for good measure. One of his goals is that his books can be made into movies on Netflix, Hulu, or any of the other digital platforms.
He has also written the occasional poem, though that is not really Larry's usual genre.
When not writing, he likes to spend time with his wife Allison, play World of Warcraft, listen to music (AC/DC and Motley Crue are the best), and hang out with his brothers-in-arms in the veterans group he helped to found, The Knights of Targoth Order of Veterans).
Believe it or not, Larry is also a legally ordained minister (He always likes to tell people he did it in 2006 after watching an episode of The Simpsons where Homer got ordained on the internet). Larry has been blessed to have officiated numerous weddings since then.

Now… on to the interview!

SA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

LY: When I was in the Air Force.

SA: How long does it take you to write a book?

LY: Approximately a year.

SA: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

LY: A little from column A & a little from column B.

SA: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

LY: When I’m not at home writing, I usually try to think like the protagonist of the book I’m currently working on so that I can stay in that mode of thinking.

SA: Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

LY: A lifetime of watching sci-fi and horror movies. Being a general believer in the paranormal and supernatural.

SA: When did you write your first book, and how old were you?

LY: In 2008, I wrote a short story collection. I was 33….but I actually wrote those stories from the age of 20 to 25.

SA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

LY: Read, horror movies, grilling with my family and friends, watching our cats play.

SA: Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

LY: Keep on reading and keep on writing, and don’t let anything disparage you.

SA: What is your writing Kryptonite?

LY: If not properly caffeinated, I tend to have my thoughts wander.

SA: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

LY: Reading their books helps inspire my own creativity, and it’s good to have that moral support from people who understand what you go through.

SA: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

LY: I decided to stay away from vanity publishers and just stick with self-publishing. I’ll never be a world-famous Stephen King-level author, but at least I write what I love on my own terms.

SA: What’s your favorite underappreciated novel?

LY: Archangel by Sharon Shinn.

SA: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

LY: I usually like to put in musical lyric references from the 80s, and if you’re a fan of that music, you might catch it.

SA: What does literary success look like to you?

LY: The ability to quit my day job.

SA: Do you have any events or special things coming up?

LY: We had a Halloween multi-author signing at the Rowlett library in Rowlett, Tx back in 2022, but nothing coming up.

SA: where can people find you?

LY:

Website: larryyoakum3.webs.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larryyoakum3_author/