Interview with Griff, the hero of Romily Bernard's FIND ME

This is a very special day here at Honestly YA. First of all, the highly anticipated debut FIND ME, by the fabulous Romily Bernard, released yesterday. If that weren't exciting enough, I managed to convince Romily to bring Griff, the hero of FIND ME, to the Peachtree City Library for his first ever interview! How cool is that?

Pintip: Hi, Romily and Griff, thanks so much for meeting me here! 

Romily: Hi, Pintip! Thanks for having us!

Griff: *looks around* Yeah, definitely, but that librarian is seriously staring us down. I’m not sure how long she’s going to let us stay.

Romily: Maybe you shouldn’t have infected one of her computers with a virus.

Griff: No idea what you’re talking about.

Romily: Yeah, right.

Pintip: *smiles* As much as I'd like to hear that story, maybe we'd better save it for the next interview. Let's talk about FIND ME. The whole world is about to read your story! What's the one word that comes to mind when you think about this?

Romily: Uh, how about queas-illed? It’s queasy and thrilled put together. Queas-illed.

Pintip: Love it. That should totally be a new word. What about you, Griff? 

Griff: One word? *slow grins* Wicked.

Pintip: Oh, swoon. For those of you who don't know, "Wicked" is what Griff likes to call Wick. How cute are you? 

Griff: *raises one eyebrow* 

Pintip: I bet you were a handful to write, too. Romily, can you comment? 

Romily: In comparison to Wick, Griff was actually pretty easy to write. It’s difficult to match a hardened heroine with a guy who can keep up with her. He can’t be too aggressive because they’ll only fight. He can’t be too passive because she’ll walk all over him. I had to work on Wick to make her likable, but Griff? He pretty much hit the page exactly the way you see him now: sexy, confident, and, once he realizes Wick’s interested in him, determined to have her.

Pintip: Speaking of which, Griff, when did you realize Wick was interested? 

Griff: I thought Wick barely knew I existed. Until I touched her. We were in Mrs. Lowe’s class and I’d told her about Tessa’s suicide and she was…starting to freak. Panic attack. I felt like such an ass. Wick’s mom was a jumper too, but I didn’t think. Anyway, I wrapped my hand around her wrist to calm her down and, Christ, the girl was so soft. Like nothing had ever touched her. My fingers were on her pulse and the way it sped up…I thought, maybe, I had a shot.

Pintip: Was that also the moment you first noticed her? 

Griff: Way before then. Like, three years ago on my first day at school when this girl fight broke out. Everyone was crowding around, staring. It’s a scene, you know? And even though everyone’s staring at Jenna Maxwell because she’s hot and popular and about to bring some serious pain, I can’t stop staring at the other girl. She’s short and thin and has purple hair. And she does not back down. That was Wick. That’s still Wick. Guess that’s still me too: the guy who’s staring at her in awe.

Pintip: Aw, that's so sweet.

Griff: I’m not sweet. Neither’s Wick. She’s not predictable and that makes her…interesting. Other girls play some part. They try to be who they think you want. Wick’s not like that.She makes me work. Sometimes I can barely keep up.

Pintip: Romily, do you have a favorite scene in the book?

Romily: Probably that first kiss scene—the one where they were at the pool.

Griff: Same. It was our first kiss. I’d wanted Wick for years and it was so worth it.

Pintip: Oh my gosh, that's my favorite scene, too! It's not surprising, when I've said that Griff’s relationship with Wick is one of the strongest, most believable romances I've read in years. Griff, can you tell us about that first kiss? Wick didn't exactly...reciprocate...immediately, did she?

Griff: *scowls* You could say that. I had to be…persuasive. Not usually something I have to do with girls and I actually thought I had the upper hand, but…Wick turned that around pretty quickly.

Pintip: Griff, for a high school senior, you have some pretty unusual extra-curricular activities, and this is one of the things you and Wick have in common. Can you tell us about them and explain how you got started with them?

Griff: I like the way you put that, “extra-curricular activities.” You sound like Wick. Yeah, I do some computer hacking on the side. My cousin works in vice. I used to get extra work through him. Small stuff. But it helped with the bills. My mom’s…not doing that great since my dad left. We needed the money. Still do. 

Pintip: I'm sorry to hear that, Griff. Maybe this book coming out will turn things around for you. Okay, guys, how about a game? Say the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear these prompts. What's your most embarrassing moment? 

​Romily: Being told by a contest judge to scrap FIND ME.

Griff: Not telling.

Pintip: What's your proudest moment? 

Romily: Selling FIND ME.

Griff: When Wick trusted me to save her sister.

Pintip: Favorite food? 

​Romily: Italian sausage and pepperoni pizza from Pies On Pizza.

Griff: Same.

Pintip: Yum. Maybe we can go grab a slice after this? Okay, back to the game. What's the last time you cried? 

Romily: Pintip, you know I can’t cry. My insides are far too rotten. 

Pintip: Ha. All I know is that you *like* to say you're rotten, when all I've ever seen from you is sweetness. 

Romily: Actually, I do get teary when readers tell me they loved FIND ME. I can’t even describe how astonished and lucky I feel whenever that happens.

Griff: I cried in REMEMBER ME and that’s all I’m going to say.

Pintip: Ooohhh, now I really can't wait to read Book 2! What's the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

​Romily: Write a massive check to the Humane Society

Griff: Get my mom the hell out of the trailer we’re living in.

Pintip: Do you have any regrets?

​​Romily: Ugh. Loads. At the moment, I regret not having enough caffeine this morning.

Griff: Not being enough for Wick. She’s imploding and all I can do is watch.

Pintip: *sighs* And all I can do is read. Hang in there, Griff. I'm pulling for both of you. What do you hope you never regret?​

Romily: Putting my writing out there.

Griff: Losing someone else I love.

Pintip: Wow, those were some great answers, guys! Okay, one last question, just because I'm dying to read more about Griff. Will he be appearing in future books? Any chance he'll ever get his own story?​

Romily: FIND ME’s first in a trilogy and Griff will be in all three books. I’d also love, love, love to write a novella from his perspective.

Pintip: Yes, yes, yes! A novella from Griff's perspective would be amazing! I'd camp in line for days to get ahold of that story! Thanks so much for being here today, guys! This was so much fun! 

Romily: Thank you very much for having us, Pintip! Thanks to everyone for reading and I hope you enjoy FIND ME!

Blurb:

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

Romily Bernard graduated from Georgia State University with a Literature degree. Since then, she’s worked as a riding instructor, cell phone salesgirl, personal assistant, groom, exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service rep.

So don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.