WATERLOO - Johnny and June. George and Tammy. Tim and Faith.

Now, Blake and Miranda.

Country music's latest "it" couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, will hit Waterloo this month, bringing with them a tough ("Gunpowder and Lead," Lambert) and raucous ("Some Beach," Shelton) show sure to "leave people wondering what the hell is going to happen next," Shelton says.

Though the tour is keeping both artists busy, Lambert did take the time to answer a few questions for Come Alive.

Q: The last time you came to Waterloo was 2005 and you were opening for Dierks Bentley. What has changed for you in the last three years?

A: Touring with Dierks was great, and then I went on the road with George Strait, Keith Urban, Toby Keith - and I learned so much. Also, when I wrote "Kerosene," I was a younger girl and I'd had my whole life to come up with material for that record. For "Crazy Ex," the window was a little smaller, but I grew up a lot in those few years which I think you can hear if you listen to the record.

Q: You wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on "Kerosene" and eight more on "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." Where do you get your inspiration?

A: Sounds simple, but I really just write about life, whether it's my life experiences or someone else's. Life isn't always pretty, and that's still part of life. That's what I learned from Merle and Waylon.

Q: The lyrics for some of these songs make you sound pretty tough. Is that really your personality or just a creative release?

A: Ha! Nah, I'm not as tough as I come across. I wrote "Gunpowder and Lead" when I was taking a concealed handgun class, but it's not meant to be taken (literally) - I'm not standing outside waiting with a shotgun! If you listen to my new single "More Like Her," you'll see I'm not always so tough!

Q: Why is it important to you to have a part in the writing process?

A: I grew up playing guitar with my dad and writing songs at a very early age. My heroes wrote their own material and it's just so natural for me to write. It's the whole reason I started playing music, so I had a creative outlet for what I was feeling.

Q: How is the tour with Blake going? Any memorable moments so far?

A: The tour is so much fun - we are having a blast! We get to see each other all day, but we still have our own buses, so when we get tired of each other we can go to our own worlds. The crowds have been amazing and the whole show is just very memorable for both of us.

Q: The last time we talked you mentioned meeting Merle Haggard, one of your musical heroes. What new memorable experiences have you had in the last three years?

A: I am blessed to have had so many great things happen to me. This past May I won the Academy of Country Music Album of the Year - and I couldn't believe it when they called my name. I also celebrated my first Top Ten single ("Gunpowder") this year so I just hope to keep this momentum. On a personal note I've been getting my hands dirty on the farm I bought and every day I'm there something funny happens. I just keep collecting animals and things can get pretty crazy.

Q: You started and head up a pet charity. Where did this idea come from and how do you find time to manage this with your touring and production schedule?

A: I've always loved animals and I actually adopted my dog, Delilah, from Humane Society of East Texas. I felt like my fans are so supportive of me and we could all work together and try and help abused and homeless animals in East Texas. And then from there we've expanded to working with Ran Fans to find placement for animals all across the country. I am so thrilled to be able to help and even though I am busy I can always find time to help a doggie in need!