Look Who’s Going to RT: Clay and Susan Griffith

Can you introduce yourself to my readers a little?
We are Clay and Susan Griffith, a married couple who write together, and have been for over 15 years. We started co-writing comic books such as The Tick and The Simpsons and various Disney characters. Then we switched to prose, publishing short stories and a small press sci-fi novel. We are best known for our VAMPIRE EMPIRE trilogy published by Pyr Books. The trilogy began with THE GREYFRIAR (2010) and continued in THE RIFT WALKER (2011). Book 3 will be published in 2012.

I can be found at: website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Can you introduce us to the world that you have created?
In 1870, vampires rise up and destroy the industrial world of the northern hemisphere. The vampires then settle their brutal society onto the cemetery that was the northern world. The humans who can escape, flee to the equatorial regions because vampires cannot thrive in the heat. There is then a century and a half of disruption and blending cultures which creates new kingdoms in the tropics.

The trilogy actually starts in the year 2020 when some of the greatest human states have consolidated their power and are ready to launch a war to the death against the vampire clans of the north. Although the series technically takes place in the future, because of the disruption to technological advancement caused by the vampires, the world has a steampunkish, neo-Victorian flavor.

The story is about Princess Adele, the heir to the great empire of Equatoria (roughly the old British Empire of Africa and India) and her relationship with a nearly mythical hero called The Greyfriar, who fights vampire brutality deep inside the northern territories. It’s about trust, and trying to preserve love despite political and spiritual differences. Even though the trilogy tells the story of vast empires in bloody conflict, it’s really about two people desperately trying to stay together.

Will this be your first RT or are you a veteran? Any advice for those who are going for the first time?
This is our first RT, so we have no advice for first timers. In fact, we’re looking for advice!

Are you speaking on any panels during RT? Are there any you are looking forward to?
We’re scheduled on 2 Wednesday panels: Writing, Selling, & Marketing Steampunk (Wed. 1-2) and Graveyard Smash-up (mixing vampires & undead with other elements, Wed. 4:45-5:45).

There are several panels in the paranormal track and the graphic novel track that we’re interested in attending. We hope to meet a lot of writers at RT, but primarily we want to talk to readers and fans.

If someone were wanting to meet up with you at RT, who should they look for?
We hope to talk to as many people as we can! Please find us at our panels or just walking down the hall. We’ve included a picture and we look pretty much like that even now.