Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness I am totally fangirling right now!

Presenting: Susan And Clay Griffith

I found and fell in love with this writing duo all because of Spike.    OK that sounds a little strange let me explain.   I listen to a LOT of audio books because I can work and enjoy a story at the same time.   James Marsters  just happens to be one of my favorite audio book readers.   One day I was looking at other things he read and found "The Grayfriar" by Susan & Clay Griffith and thought I would give it a try, because I love Steampunk and vampires and when they are together all the better.   In two long day's I had made a lot of new product and finished the first 2 books because I could not stop listening.   Then I had to wait 3 whole months before the next one came out (I know, know I'm whining, but it was that good). 

From the moment the story's started I was completely captivated.  The sounds, smells and textures of their world is so real I could almost reach out and touch them, I defiantly got lost for a while.  Their characters are so real that they became part of my life and I missed them when the story ended.

So far there are 3 books in  the Vampire Empire Series.  The Grayfriar, The Rift Walker, and The Kingmakers.

       

There is a forth book coming out later this year called The Geomancer and they have a different series The Crown & Key trilogy. 

A very quick bio.  They live in North Carolina, have been writing as a married couple for almost 2 decades and have scripted comics like The Tick and The Simpsons.   See told you they where cool.

I could go on and on about them and their works because I just love their work, but I have something even better.  An Interview!  I ran into Susan and Clay at ConCarolinas back in May and they where nice enough to do an interview with me, not at the con though that would have been cool.  However not so nice to the other people wanting their attention.   Below are my hard hitting questions and their thoughtful responses.

Q&A with Susan and Clay Griffith,

1)  What is your favorite color?

Susan: Green. The color of the earth and of life. It’s a very soothing color.

Clay: I used to say green, but I can’t wear green. So maybe dark blue or dark red. I don’t know. Is beige a color?

2)  I know you have a cat.  Would you tell me about him?

Marlowe is a beast. He’s a big grey monster of a cat. He’s really your typical boy. He sprawls about when he sleeps. For some reason, he has a terrible drinking problem; water sloshes everywhere. He likes to rummage in junk drawers for who knows what. And he loves to chase things like a dog and occasionally he will fetch.

3)  What household chore do you absolutely hate doing and do you try and fob it off onto Clay/Susan?

Susan: Vacuuming. It’s killer on my back. I’m always trying to get Clay to do it for me. And he usually does.

Clay: Paying the bills. Not so much because I hate paying for stuff, but I just dislike the whole process. On the other hand, I like washing dishes.

4)  What is your favorite body part?

Susan: Probably my hair. It’s thick and curly and has a mind of its own. There’s little I can do to tame it. So I’ve learned to embrace it.

Clay: Once my eyes; I was a prodigious glarer. But probably now hands.

5)  If you could paint a picture of any scenery you’ve seen before, what would you paint?

Susan: A tree lined dirt road leading away to a new adventure.

Clay: I like ruins. All kinds of ruins.

6)  What do you want to be when you grow up?

Susan: A writer. It’s true. Though if not that, then an archaeologist.

Clay: I want to be a zookeeper. Big animals are awesome and I want to be their friend. I guess I want to be a writer too.

7)  What got you into the most trouble when you where a kid?

Susan: Exploring. I was always going places I shouldn’t or climbing things that were dangerous. My mom got me a dog as a bodyguard (okay, babysitter) because she couldn't keep up with me or keep me in sight.

Clay: Nothing. I was good. Way too good. I don’t ever remember getting in trouble. Maybe once or twice for being mouthy.

8)  Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

No. Ultimately words are better. Now this is coming from people who wrote comic books, so we like words and pictures together. But when push comes to shove, words over pictures. The best words are better than the best pictures. That’s why you’ll learn more from Shakespeare than from Van Gogh. Although Van Gogh is pretty.

9)  If you where given the option to have a super power, but you could only choose between Plant Growth & Control or Telekinesis, witch would you choose if either and why?

Susan: Telekinesis. It’s handy and it’s easy to conceal in case I have a secret identity. Plus I’d get a lot of extra work done with it, and I can get the remote from across the room without having to go get it.

Clay: Fine, I’ll take plant control. And the fact is, when you look at the Swamp Thing comic book, that guy had godlike powers. Plus he did well with the ladies.

10) Now you are both very talented people, but do you have any hidden talents?  For instance can you play chopsticks on the piano with your toes, Or are you crazy good at Parcheesi?

Susan: I can look at anything and draw a pretty accurate copy so long as it is in front of me. Sadly though, I can’t draw anything without a reference.

Clay: Not really. I used to fence (you know, sword fighting, not building fences). I wasn’t good but I was tall and left-handed, so that gave me an advantage.

Susan, Clay Thank you so much for your time.   It was an absolute hoot working with you and good luck on your future endeavors.

You can Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, visit them on Their Blog, YouTube, or Their Website

They where also nice enough to give me permission to make a Grayfriar Bracelet and Earrings so check them out.