Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Elba Luz!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Elba Luz
Elba Luz is a Puerto Rican author and a lover of stories, whether in the form of anime, manga, video games, or, of course, books. Speaking of books, she should be writing her own. Instead, you’ll probably find her replaying Final Fantasy, listening to classical music, or cuddling up with her adorable pit bull, Stormy.
About the Book: Build A Girlfriend
A teen deep-dives into her dating history to uncover her mistakes, become the perfect girlfriend, and get revenge on the wrong guy so she can ride into the sunset with the right one in this debut rom-com.
To the surprise of no one, Amelia Hernandez is once again single. It’s her family curse at work; whether it’s by heartbreak, scandal, or even accidental death, every romantic relationship that a Hernandez woman has will meet its demise eventually. And that may be fine with Amelia’s sisters, mom, and aunts, but definitely not with Amelia.
So, convinced that she is the problem, Amelia decides to embark on an “Ex Retrospective:” tracking down her exes, finding out where she went wrong, and using that information to finally become un-break-up-able for whenever her next relationship comes along. Because Amelia is determined to be free of the family curse…and her family.
However, when Amelia is unwillingly reunited with Leon, the ex to end all exes, she can’t resist having a little revenge on the side, too. After all, what better way to test out her new persona of perfect girlfriend traits than on the boy who broke her heart?
But old loves die hard, and as Amelia’s feelings grow more complicated, she suspects that she may be in for more than she bargained for.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write Build A Girlfriend?
It was a gloomy May afternoon. Rain slapped against the windshield of my sister’s car as she drove me to get my third order of French fries for the day. My fingers lazily scrolled through my feed. Then I saw it. The article “Bennifer is Back Baby”. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but seeing JLO getting back with her ex? After 17 years? It stuck in my brain. Taking back an ex is blasphemy. Even if we have this secret part of us that thinks about it, it’s just something that most won’t publicly admit to wanting, let alone actually doing. Then my brain started to think about how much could go wrong if people started taking back their exes. And, secretly, what could go right? Alas, Build a Girlfriend was born. Thanks, JLO.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in Build A Girlfriend?
Amelia, the main character, is everything to me and everything I wish I could be. She has this bravery I admire and wish I could replicate myself. It’s not that she’s fearless (Sorry LE SSERAFIM) she’s scared of so much, but despite any worries about the unknown, she can push through it. Even when there is something 99% likely to end up leaving her embarrassed, my girl will go through with it 100% of the time hoping for that 1% success. She’s so never back down never what?
YABC: What scene in Build A Girlfriend are you most proud of, and why?
There’s a scene in the third act I’m really happy with. I don’t want to spoil too much, but something BAG deals with is the obligation that comes from being in a family, particularly a BIPOC one, where you often have this weighted feeling of constantly having to give back to the people who have given you so much, and how suffocating that feels, and how guilt-ridden you become when you want to go against the grain. Bringing up these truths to your family is pretty difficult. It’s not just Amelia who feels this way, and it felt really beautiful to include other characters in this kind of revelation.
YABC: What research did you to do to write Build A Girlfriend?
Once you read BAG, you’ll feel really sorry for me, but I have to admit a lot of it is my own dating history. I won’t admit which ones (unless you give me $1,000 per confession). Also, my poor friends, whom I interrogated about their exes. Fun fact: each ‘ex story’ is based on a real event, either mine or my friends.
YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’m one of those people who can’t wait to go to bed so I can make up fun little scenarios to fall asleep to. I’ve done it my whole life, and that, along with being grounded for a year straight after failing 6th grade (sorry mom) and only being allowed to read books, made me start writing out the stories that usually just played out in my head. If I read something I didn’t like, I simply wrote out a different ending for myself. Eventually, I just started writing my own worlds.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
I think having separation from the character really helps me. A lot of times, it’s easy for authors to self-insert when writing. That includes giving their characters interests they personally have, or personality traits they carry. That’s totally fine, but for me, making sure the character I’m writing feels like their own person, with their own wants and needs and desires that have nothing to do with me, helps. When I write, I fully immerse myself into another mind. For BAG, every time I wrote, I told myself that Amelia was typing out the words. Sometimes, I would do a puzzle, something I personally hate, but Amelia loves, so it would help me get into her character, a young eighteen-year-old girl with a lot of bravery—nothing like myself.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
My next book will be another YA romance releasing Fall 2025. And another, Last Hellos and First Goodbyes, comes out Summer 2026. Please look forward to them!
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from Build A Girlfriend?
That it’s okay to be lost. There will be people around you who have dreams they are working towards, plans for the future, or already are experiencing them and you may have zero clue what your future looks like. You might not even know what you want for dinner. Some people realize their dreams as a kid, some during college, some in their forties, or older. Everyone has a different trajectory. You’re not in a race with anyone else, so nobody is ahead or behind, even when it feels that way. Be open as life goes on and experience all sorts of things without this urgency to have it all figured out. I mean, nobody does. Really, if they say they do, they’re just pretending.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
A good time! No matter how emotional things get, I will be writing a happy ending. I find a lot of comfort in books in all genres, but personally, I write books that will ~hopefully~ make readers laugh. Feel joy and love through the pages. The world can be so rough and I want to add a little light into it.
YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?
I am a huge video game nerd, so I will bring this up any chance, but I need in on anything Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts related. I will spend the rest of my days in a cottage, writing only for them if ever possible.
Title: Build A Girlfriend
Author: Elba Luz
ISBN-13: 9781665942515
ISBN-10: 1665942517
On-sale date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Ages: 14 and up; Grades 9 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Build A Girlfriend (Elba Luz) ~US Only (No P.O. Boxes)!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
