Jody Wallace has a new book out called Prodigal. It’s the third title in her Maelstrom Chronicles. Because it features an apocalypse and aliens, I wanted to read it. They’re…kinda my thing. Spoiler alert: It’s a very entertaining book! It’s a great blend of apocalypse and aliens, plus action, a sexy romance and a hint of the paranormal with the way the shades and daemons operate.You can read my review here. Then I decided to ask Jody a few questions and that turned into us talking apocalypses. Apparently they’re her thing too.
If you had to choose an apocalypse (to live through), what would it be and why?
Jody: I think I’d have the best chance of surviving the Storypocalypse, where aliens landed and started reading all our books and demanding that we write more of them. Especially if they paid well. It’s a tough job saving the world with story and song, but somebody’s gotta do it.
What about you? You can’t pick Storypocalypse, though. It’s taken.
Kelly: I’ve been searching the internet all morning for the title of a book I read where that actually happened! Where the aliens wanted all our art, all the time.
Honestly, I think I’d have the best chance of living through the plague. I’m stubborn that way. On a practical note, it’d probably be the easiest to clean up after too. Not as much infrastructure damage as war and earthquakes.
What’s in the survival pack?
Jody: I guess it depends on what I’m surviving. I used to have to survive my treks in the suburban jungle with a diaper bag the size of a smallish T-Rex. Anything I didn’t include, such as a clean shirt for myself, I was bound to need. But for some kind of apocalypse like the one in Prodigal, where modern society really breaks down, I’d need to pack coffee, my meds, more coffee, a compass that I’d have to learn to use, ditto with a laser gun, a handheld water purifying machine, the Weasley’s miraculous unfolding magical tent from Harry Potter fully stocked, some sort of rapid transportation system, and maybe a portal back to the world before the apocalypse hit so I could get stuff I forgot
Did I forget anything? Have you done a lot of post-apoc type research for your books that might enlighten us here?
Kelly: If I start in on my research we’ll be here for two weeks. Maybe longer. I kinda think it’d be like packing for a conference in New York City, though. You’d take all your stupidly professional outfits and then be like why did I pack shoes with three inch heels? Obviously, heels have no place post-apocalypse, but will we necessarily need hiking boots? Maybe we’d be better off in flip flops, so we’re good in wet and dry conditions.
The Weasley’s miraculous unfolding magical tent is a must. With access to other dimensions, we’re pretty much set.
Assuming it’s not full of books, and that you can fit one or two in there, what would you choose?
Jody: I’d take my Kindle with some futuristic battery device and keep all my books. Barring that, I’d take survival books and the complete works of Herman Melville. I suspect life after the apocalypse will be nerve wracking, giving me lots of panic attacks, and Moby Dick never fails to put me to sleep. I’ll need a good natural sleep aid if I’m having a lot of panic attacks.
Kelly: We can take turns reading it aloud while the other one slips into a restorative coma.
Jody: I picked the books, so you tell us what couple of movies we’re taking on our post-apocalyptic journey (under the assumption we have the ability to watch them, because SCIENCE MAGIC.)
Kelly: We’d have Christian Bale’s Batman trilogy, Love Actually (because it’s the best movie ever) and maybe all available seasons of Game of Thrones because I’ve never seen it and it would keep us occupied for a while. Or should we take The Sopranos? Definitely not Lost. I heard the last episode was bad and I don’t want to spend my post-apocalypse ranting about it.
Do you know how to make a fire without matches (or a squirt of lighter fluid)?
Jody: I know how one is SUPPOSED to be able to make a fire without matches or a squirt of lighter fluid. Doesn’t mean I could do it. I’d probably need the wizard to do it (see below).
Unless you think you can? Or are you better and hunting and gathering in nature?
Kelly: If we’re relying on me to hunt and light fires, we’re going to starve and freeze. I do have a can opener on my keyring, though. And a basement full of cans ‘n things.
Who is in the apocalypse party? (Let’s pretend we haven’t had time to turn cannibal yet.)
Jody: Well, several survivalist people, not the creepy prepper ones but ones who are just good at that stuff. A really talented, inventive medical doctor with an unlimited pharmacopeia. A woodland hunter gatherer chef. A wizard. Morgan Freeman, to narrate. You. Our families, at least, if the aliens didn’t already whisk them away to live in luxury as exotic pets.
Do you think we should take the cats?
Kelly: We’ve got Morgan Freeman along to narrate? OMG, push the damn button already.
The cats are in the Weasley’s tent. Should we invite Aragorn? He’s good with…stuff.
What is your goal? Save the world and/or reestablish society or live out your days in peace and relative safety? Something else?
Jody: I’d probably be negotiating with the aliens to take me on as a pet since they already took my kids and husband. I’m clever and can be housebroken and the kids totally mind me. We’ll all benefit, see?
Kelly: I’m gonna hang with Morgan Freeman and the cats. We’ll establish a new world order.
Apocalyptic reading recommendations!
Jody’s list:
The Postman, David Brin
Night Whispers, Alisha Rai
Radio Silence, Alyssa Cole
Under the Never Sky, Veronica Rossi
Driven, Eve Kenin
Kate Daniels series, Ilona Andrews
Tsunami Blue by Gayle Ann Williams
Aftertime, Sophie Littlefield
Dies The Fire, S. M. Stirling
Kelly’s list:
Earth Abides, George R. Stewart
East Of West, Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta
The MaddAddam Trilogy, Margaret Atwood
Alas Babylon, Pat Frank
Defenders, Will McIntosh
The Darwin Elevator, Jason M. Hough
The Time Machine, H.G. Wells
Amtrak Wars series, Patrick Tilley
The Nine Billion Names Of God, Arthur C. Clark
Let’s do TV and MOVIES too:
TV
Jody:
Defiance
Falling Skies
Revolution
The 100
Kelly: The first two seasons of Falling Skies were awesome! But then they started… Oh, right, my list.
The Last Ship
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Gargantia On The Verdurous Planet
In shows that should not have been cancelled:
Survivors
Jericho
MOVIES
Jody:
Mad Max: Furiosa!!!
Um, are there others?
Kelly:
ALL the Mad Max movies. Tina Turner in Beyond Thunderdome is classic viewing.
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later (I could write an entire blog post about these two movies.)
Children Of Men
A Boy And His Dog (I typed dong, lol)
Zombieland
Logan’s Run
Wall-E
Planet of the Apes
The Day After Tomorrow
(We should cut me off before I start pulling up the SyFy made for TV movies.)
Prodigal (Maelstrom Chronicles, #3)
He nearly destroyed the world, but with her help, he can save it.
Adam Alsing—at least that’s what they tell him his name is—has no idea who he is or why he’s huddled naked in the snow next to a mysterious silver pod. When a gorgeous, no-nonsense sheriff by the name of Claire Lawson rescues him, she explains the planet’s under attack—and he’s been missing for over two years. The problem is, what he doesn’t remember can kill them.
Keeping the peace in her post-apocalyptic town is all the trouble Sheriff Claire Lawson can handle. Until the MIA Chosen One—the guy who could have prevented the apocalypse—interrupts her supply run. The Shipborn aliens want to study him, and what’s left of the Terran government wants to lock him up. But his charming demeanor and his desire to help, along with his sexy smile, has Claire fighting her better judgment to keep Adam around. For now.
Where to buy:
About Jody:
Jody Wallace grew up in the South in a very rural area. She went to school a long time and ended up with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. Her resume includes college English instructor, technical documents editor, market analyst, web designer, and general all around pain in the butt. One of her many alter egos is “The Grammar Wench”, which should give you an indication of her character. She is a terrible packrat and likes to amass vintage clothing, books, Asian-inspired kitchenware, gnomes, and other items that threaten to force her family out of the house. She also likes cats. A lot.
Ms. Wallace’s approach to writing is to tell as many outlandish lies as she can get her readers to swallow. Her dream is to be moderately well-paid for this service. You can also find several of her books under the pen name Ellie Marvel.
Kelly Jensen 
2 thoughts on “The Apocalypse Interview with Jody Wallace”