Q&A with F.T. Lukens

 

 

 

F.T. Lukens is the author of the new young adult novel Love at Second Sight. Their other books include Otherworldly. They live in North Carolina.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Love at Second Sight, and how did you create your character Cam?

 

A: The inspiration for Love at Second Sight comes from a few different places.

 

First, I have always loved supernatural and paranormal TV shows and movies, especially those that feature a mystery in some way and a group of characters who must band together to figure it out. Folks that have read my other works know that I love writing group dynamics. And a paranormal mystery just felt like a new fun genre to play around with.

 

Another source of inspiration was a conversation I had with my grandfather a few years ago. I’m not going to recount it here (it is in the acknowledgements of the book), but that conversation led me to research ghosts and mediums and psychics.

 

I went down a research rabbit hole – reading about the different types of psychics and watching videos of mediums etc. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of knowing or seeing the future and the philosophical debate of fate versus choice and exploring the moral implications of that.

 

Every novel is different when it comes to the sequence of creation—as in does worldbuilding come first (like for Spell Bound) or is it tropes and themes (like So This is Ever After).

 

For Love at Second Sight, the development of the main character happened after the initial spark of the idea of a psychic who witnesses a murder in a vision.

 

Cam is meant to be a reluctant hero (another trope that I’m well versed in) and a teenager who is dabbling in small acts of rebellion against the strict rules of his parents, though nothing that would result in an upheaval of the status quo of his life. He’s the average teenager who suddenly becomes extraordinary and the novel revolves around how he reacts to the attention and responsibilities of that.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “Lukens delivers a riveting mystery via propulsive and carefully balanced plotting, distinctly rendered characters, and immersive worldbuilding that believably examines themes of prejudice, social pressures, family strife, and navigating unrealistic expectations.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: First, the starred review is very complimentary in its wording, which was kind of the reviewer. Second, I think it’s spot on regarding the themes the novel explores.

 

Each decision that the characters make is informed by the world they live in and the experiences they’ve had either in school, with friends, or in their family. It may be a book filled with paranormal characters like witches, werewolves, and sprites, but it’s very real in the issues that teenagers and young adults face in their daily lives.

 

Q: With this novel, did you know how it would end before you started writing it?

 

A: Yes and no. I always knew how the book would end, but the scenes getting there were restructured and rewritten and rearranged a few times. A few small elements were changed but the overall conclusion was there from the beginning.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

 

A: With all my works, I hope readers have a fun time reading them and find something they enjoy within the pages. For this particular novel, I hope that readers take away that there is strength and joy in being yourself.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Currently I’m working on the edits for my next novel, Last Best Quest Ever, which is a fantasy romcom questing romp which explores the themes of imposter syndrome and breaking out of a status quo.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Yes. I am going to be on a book tour starting this week! Please check out my Instagram - @ftlukens – for the schedule. My Instagram is my only official social media account at this time.

 

Also, I just want to thank all the reviewers, bookstagrammers, booktokers, and librarians who recommend my books and help them find their audience.

 

And please – support your local indie bookstores and your local libraries – especially with book bans that are happening all over the country. The librarians and community members who are pushing back against censorship need the book community’s support in their stand for the freedom to read diversely.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with F.T. Lukens.