Q&A with Elba Luz

  

 

 

Elba Luz is the author of the new novel How to Ruin a Wedding. Her other books include the YA novel Legally Yours, Violet Lopez. She is based in New York.

 

Q: What inspired you to write How to Ruin a Wedding, and how did you create your character Lucy?

 

A: I really love classic rom-coms like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Wedding Planner, 27 Dresses, and literally every JLo movie. They have these big, out-of-the-box premises and ridiculous situations, but are still loaded with depth.

 

I wanted to write a book that captured that same feeling, which eventually led me to the idea of someone who ruins weddings for a living. From there, I knew I wanted to take a familiar romance trope like fake dating and make the stakes as messy and chaotic as possible.

 

I’ve always considered myself a late bloomer, and I know what it feels like to look around and think everyone else has reached these milestones in their career, relationships, or friendships while you’re still trying to figure yourself and Lucy came from that.

 

I wanted her to be messy and flawed but hopeful. She’s had a lot go wrong in her life, but she still finds ways to laugh, care deeply about the people around her, and move forward.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Lucy and Anders?

 

A: Lucy and Anders have a lot of chemistry from the very beginning, but what I love most about them is how much they bring out the best in each other.

 

Lucy is funny, caring, bright, and completely herself, even when her life is falling apart. Anders is very upfront about who he is and what he wants, and despite the very questionable circumstances that bring them together, he’s actually a huge green flag. They give each other a place to be entirely themselves, two safe spaces.

 

They’re also both a little burned by love in different ways, which makes it especially fun that they end up fake dating to sabotage a wedding. And, of course, there’s a lot of sizzling interactions along the way.

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about love?

 

A: I think it says love is a kaleidoscope. Romantic love is obviously a huge part of How to Ruin a Wedding, especially Lucy’s relationship with Anders, but I never wanted it to be the only love that mattered in her life. There’s the love she has for her sister, the love she finds through friendship and found family, even her love for animals and Save a Paw.

 

I hope it shows that we all deserve a life that is completely saturated with love in all its different forms.

 

Q: The writer Riss M. Neilson said of the book, “With messy characters that feel as real as you and me, sizzling chemistry, and the perfect amount of forced proximity, Elba Luz gripped me from the very first line...” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it, especially the word messy. I really wanted these characters to feel like people. Lucy makes mistakes, she doesn’t always know what she’s doing, but she always moves forward. I wanted her to be allowed to be imperfect and still completely deserving of love and a happy ending.

 

And obviously I will happily accept sizzling chemistry as a description of Lucy and Anders! Their build-up was my favorite part of writing.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next novel is a YA romance, Legally Yours, Violet Lopez, which follows an ambitious teen with a near-perfect record defending students before her school’s disciplinary board who gets blackmailed into taking a case she never wanted. And I’m also working on another adult romance (to be announced) that will sit nicely beside How to Ruin a Wedding!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elba Luz.