The 10D10 Interview Challenge
#15 – R.L. Blalock, author, ammunition hater.
R. to the Izz-L Blalock is an author whom I admire. She has a three year old, and seems to still be getting things done, which is pretty much a miracle in my book. I am strongly considering bringing a glass of water to her and then asking her to work some miracle-ish magic on it, because we go through wine in this house like France. Water is optional.
Like all of the 10D10 challenge interviews, this one was generated by rolling ten, ten-sided dice, and consulting a pre-made table of 100 questions divided into ten sections. Each interview is unique, and all are quirky, and nonsensical, but fuck it, that’s fun.
The Blalock got some dice rolled. These are her numbers: 2, 4, 2, 1, 10, 4, 4, 1, 7, 10
Let’s BlaLOCK AND LOAD, and see how that went.
- What food makes you cringe, and want to throw up?
Anything stringy. Pineapple, mangos, asparagus, sweet potatoes. I love the taste of these. (Except, asparagus. That stuff is just gross.) But I can’t stand the texture. Just thinking about it makes me want to gag.
Texture is a huge thing for some people. Some hate crunchy, or mushy, or sauces, or stringy… I love it all. I’ll eat anything. No regrets.
- When you read your positive reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, do you touch yourself?
When checking my reviews, I’m usually so anxious that I’m about to throw up. Touching myself is the furthest thing from my mind. When I read a good review, I’m usually so full of nervous energy I have to go clean something to burn it off.
I clean when I’m pissed, or nervous too. Not sure why, but it isn’t the worst coping skill to have. And don’t sweat the bad reviews. You can be the best writer in the world and eventually–sooner or later–your best book will fall into the hands of a vengeful moron who missed the plot, or something. Then you can always resort to murder.
- What’s your favorite recent action movie that isn’t John Wick?
I was a big fan of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with dinosaurs. I freakin’ loved the ending. There is just so many possible directions to go. My fingers are crossed for some kind of post-apocalyptic Jurassic World movie in the timeline.
Haven’t seen that one yet. I’m jealous. Can I quickly say how surprised I am at how often dinosaurs keep coming up in these interviews?
- Do you have a spouse? Why do they tolerate you writing? What is it about you that makes you so damn awesome to them? (Ask them, don’t just make the answer up)
I am married. My husband, Craig. He has actually been really supportive of my writing. He helps out however he can to make sure I have more time for my writing. He’ll sit and listen while I ramble on for hours about the worlds and people that only exist in my mind. He makes it possible with his support. Here’s his answer: She’s awesome because she has this passion that I’ve never seen somebody possess for something. She doesn’t want to write a book, she wants to build worlds, universes. The crazy look she gets when she suddenly comes up with an idea to add to her story is both exciting….and terrifying. The look she gets is the same look I’ve seen mad scientists get when their creation comes to life. She’s the smartest, yet scariest person I’ve ever met in my life.
Ahh yes. The mad scientist look. Also known as the ‘restraining order is on the way,’ look. Good times. It’s so important to have someone supporting our creativity! Spouses are the deal-breaker when you’re putting your imagination and heart out there for the public. Need that love.
- Which would you rather do; have a nice cookout on a summer afternoon or dip your junk in the water?
Well, as I don’t have junk to dip, I guess I have to pick the cook out. Though to be far I do love a nice home grilled cheeseburger. Mmmmmm. That actually sounds really good right now. Maybe while still around a bon fire…
Everyone has junk. Or… maybe you don’t have junk. No judgment either way. And I’ll brb, making a cheeseburger.
- When you’re dead and buried, and the tabloids have stopped writing about the bizarre way you met your end, what would you like them to say about how you lived your life? Bonus points if you can envision how you kicked the bucket.
Well, if I’m being really honest with myself, if I’m going out some crazy/stupid way, it’s probably because I tried to pet an animal I shouldn’t have. I mean I love animals. Their so cute and doofy! I’ll see a wolf while I’m camping and try to pet the puppy and end up getting my face ripped off. But what I hope people will say about me when I die is that I was kind. That I made them happy whenever they saw me. That I brightened their day with little gestures that they are going to miss. I think that would be the best way to be remembered.
I think anyone who is willing to die to pet a wild animal immediately defaults to ‘was really kind’ in the obituary section. Have you ever wanted to pet a hippo? Don’t! Those fuckers are terrifying. They’ll eat your kind face right the hell off.
- You’re all alone for a quiet evening… After you watch some… television, what do you settle in to do?
As big of a nerd as this makes me, I’ll settle in to read. Or maybe play some video games. OR both (audiobooks are wonderful for multitasking). I have way too damn many books to read. There is never enough time so a relaxing night means reading and lying to myself that my TBR pile is getting smaller.
I remember when I used to think my TBR pile would get smaller. Oh such a summer child I was then. Currently I’m using my TBR pile to insulate the garage.
- If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what my favorite book was, I could retire. How many times have you been asked that same frigging question?
I don’t even remember. But honestly, I don’t mind either. I love talking about books. A lot of the time I’ll give different answers to different people. There are just too many good books to have one favorite. So depending on who I’m talking to will depend on which favorite I tell them. My current favorite zombie book is They Rot by Daniel Willcocks and Luke Kondor. My favorite has been different in the past and will probably change again in the not too distant future though.
Ooh, I haven’t heard that book yet, and the title is great. I’m pretty over talking about books. I do it all day working, and on social media, so when people meet me in person, I’d much rather talk about herpes, or something like movies.
- If you were to find a genie that granted wishes in a lamp, what would your three wishes be? And don’t be lame, and wish for more wishes. Let’s talk quality over quantity.
Oh, man. Genies are tricky. You really have to be careful what you wish for. 1. I have to go with the standard world peace. I wish every nation found a way to get along with one and other. No more war. No more hatred. Just everyone living their lives in peace. (At this point, the genie would probably cause nuclear annihilation of the world. Nobody would be fighting each other if they are too busy trying to survive.) 2. A never-ending supply of money. I’d love to be able to take care of my mom. Do really nice things for my friends and family. Leave a giant tip for a waitress I really liked. (At this point, my bank account will never be empty do to a bank error and I’ll get arrested for fraud.) 3. Hm, last wish. This one is going to be just for me. I want to talk to animals. I’ll love to be able to talk to my dogs. Or the mama duck that lives in one of our bushes. (From this moment on animals will always screech at me. Their thoughts constantly intruding on my mind. Never leaving me a moment of silence. Eventually, I’ll be driven mad by the endless yammering and lack of sleep.)
I see we have a paranoid genie skeptic… Probably a reasonable fear, given how capricious they’re given to be, based on legends. I dig your wishes though. They’re reasonable and solid, and help both you and others. A+.
- What’s something (a trope, let’s say) that comes up over and over again in your genre that drives you frigging mental that you wish you could change?
An endless supply of ammo. Are you seriously telling me that any place with a significant amount of ammo wouldn’t blow through it in the first few weeks. Or become so jammed up with zombies that you couldn’t even look that direction without bringing the horde down on your head. There just never seems to be any worry about ammo running out. That would be a huge priority in the zombie apocalypse. Right up there with food and shelter. But honestly, I wouldn’t say this drives me crazy. I’m a sucker for a good action scene. The bigger, the bloodier, the better. Usually, after a good fight scene, I’ll forget all about what was bothering me.
I love this ten times over. As a dude who pays his bills writing mostly zompoc, the ammo issues is crazy. Like… how do you clean your guns after firing them a thousand times too? And where did you get your ammo so ‘nick of timely?’ I guess there’s a huge subset of zompoc readers who are really into the prepper/gun porn stories, and want their heroes to be ready, and heavily armed, and they never want those people to pull a trigger and have it not go ‘bang!’
Thanks so much R.L.!
R.L. Blalock’s love of reading started young. As a child, her father would read stories to her before bed every night. In middle school, she and her best friend bonded over books and writing. Her love of zombies, though, started later in life. In 2008, when R. L. Blalock first watched the remake of Dawn of the Dead, she instantly fell in love with the genre.
Born and raised in Sacramento, California, R. L. Blalock now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her loving husband and precocious three-year-old daughter. Their family also includes three pets: Memphis, a Pitbull/German shepherd mix who prefers to spend his days cuddling; Dixie, a Pitbull/Akita mix who greets everyone with excited squeals and enough kisses to last a lifetime: and Pazuzu, the Green-Cheeked Conure who thinks she’s a dog.
During what precious little free time she has, R. L. Blalock like to read whatever dark and twisted book she can get her hands on or scare herself silly with the same nightmarish kinds of video games.
You can check out her books here on Amazon.