Today we're excited to talk with W.G. Griffiths , author of Methuselah's Pillar.

FQ: Your book mentions the legend of "Methuselah's Pillar." Is there really a legend (I couldn't find mention of it in my research) or did you make up the "legend"? Tell us where the idea of the pillar comes from.

Methuselah's Pillar is part of a well hidden legend but not one that I made up. I first came across the legend in the Illustrated Map of History, circa 1878, copyrighted 1993 by KBM. Auburn, Washington. This map is an illustrated time-line almost 2 feet high and accordions open to 18 feet long. The legend claims that Methuselah talked with Adam for 243 years and they wrote the history and discoveries of the world on a pillar which became available to Moses 777 years later. When I first read this I immediately wondered if these writings from Adam were of any help to Methuselah’s longevity and then the more exciting question, if it was any help to Moses in single handedly defeating Egypt.

FQ: While Decker is a strong and likable character, I sense you felt more connected to/more interested in, Samantha Conway. Is this true? Is she based on any one (or a mix of several) person/people you know?

Yes, absolutely. I know her very well. She is also the main character in Stingers, a book I wrote before Methuselah’s Pillar and it will be coming out this fall in time for Christmas. Sam is only 13 in Stingers, so we go way back. I wanted a young female combination of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Indiana Jones. She’s Lara Croft without the money. Her motor never quits and the gears never stop turning. She is totally underestimated by adults and antagonists who quickly pay for their mistakes. She has a heart of gold but mischievous as the day is long.

FQ: Anubis has always been my favorite of the ancient Egyptian gods. I suspect he is also probably one of the most recognizable. What was the thinking that went into bringing him into the story?

Tarik, the antagonist, is Egyptian and bears the name of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh. He feels superior, destined and connected with the ancient gods. And Anubis easily commanded the most attention, being the god of death, something the Egyptian’s were supremely serious about.

FQ: Something that struck me was that the flies from the plague did not match present day species. This was a fascinating spin on the story and underscored the age of the pillar. Where did that idea come from?

I figured if we were dealing with an artifact from the Garden of Eden, anything goes and nothing should be as it is today since everything would evolve over time. And to discover this over the landscape of the story in pieces would be exciting and frightening at the same time. I loved writing it and I bore easily.

FQ: Tarik was a nasty character but one who I think most readers will enjoy. Was he hard to create? And/or were his parts fun to write? Will we be seeing him again?

Tarik was hard to develop into a real person because he first seemed to have an almost comic book feel. It took me a while to get to know him, but once I did he did all the steering. Yes, you will see him again in the sequel, where Sam get’s the rest of the pillar and has to decide what to do with Methuselah’s immortality and the discovery of someone who looks 25 but has been around since Noah.

FQ: I understand Samantha will be appearing in a prequel. Would you give Feathered Quill's readers a little teaser for that story?

Yes, that would be Stingers. The sound shooter that appeared in Methuselah’s Pillar was a toy Sam is given from her scientist father in Stingers. When it is in young Sam’s hands, the reader needs a seatbelt and a parachute.

Congratulations to author W.G. Griffiths - his book, Methuselah's Pillar just won a first place at The Hollywood Book Festival!

To learn more about Methuselah's Pillar please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.