CHARLIE, PRESUMED DEAD
by Anne Heltzel
Release date: June 2nd, 2015
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Mystery
Format: Hardcover, eBook
by Anne Heltzel
Release date: June 2nd, 2015
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Mystery
Format: Hardcover, eBook
SUMMARY
In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price — young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler — who is presumed dead after an explosion. Authorities find only a bloodied jacket, ID’d as Charlie’s.
At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn’t know about their boyfriend.
Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London — then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own.
No one knows whom to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.
No one knows whom to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.
PURCHASE LINKS
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR - Anne Heltzel
Thank you,
Anne, for taking the time today to answer a few questions about your latest
book – CHARLIE, PRESUMED DEAD!
*CHARLIE,
PRESUMED DEAD is a very unique story, what inspired you to work on it?
In all (mortifying) honesty, I once dated a guy who was busy
declaring his love for me while simultaneously dating another girl. It was
intense and disturbing and dramatic. I won’t get into exactly how complex his
lies were, but it was the stuff of Lifetime Original movies. His girlfriend
figured it all out by snooping in his phone, and it was she who contacted me to
out him. Our ensuing email exchanges (which were supportive and relatively
compassionate) made me wonder about the phenomenon of girl friendship born from
boyfriend betrayal.
*Which
character spoke to you first - Charlie, Aubrey or Lena? And did you know right
away who they were and what their story was going to be, or did they grow into
something more than you thought that they were capable of?
Of the two girls, Lena was fully formed before Aubrey was.
She seemed like the kind of girl who’d be up for anything, so it made sense
that she’d push for the international manhunt. She has an impulsive streak I
can relate to, and the fact that she doesn’t put limits on her experiences — no
matter how unconventional — inspired me. Lena needed to be contained and Aubrey
needed to be coaxed out, so it makes sense to me now that Lena — always full to
overflowing — felt a little more real at first.
*What kind
of research did you have to do in order to incorporate all of the traveling
that was involved in the story?
I lived in Paris for a year and Mumbai for about a year and a
half, and I studied abroad in London many years ago. While I was living in
Mumbai, I was very lucky to be able to travel briefly across China and
Thailand, as well as other parts of India. Mumbai was by far the easiest city
to write about, because I remembered it most vividly — it left a deep emotional
impression. I did have to research Bangkok prisons (fascinating and
heartbreaking) as well as London nightclubs (it’d been a while); and I had to
do a refresher on the layout of Paris. But almost all the rest was from memory.
It was a lot of fun to mentally revisit my old stomping grounds — it made me very
eager to return to Asia in particular.
*I am
obsessed with book titles – was CHARLIE, PRESUMED DEAD the original title? Or were
there other titles that were being considered?
It was! It
just popped into my head. I’m not saying it’s the greatest title in the world,
but I do think it fits — and titling has never come to me so easily since!
*On a fun note! What do you think Aubrey’s
favorite fairy-tale(s) and/or fairy-tale character(s) would be? Lena’s?
I could see
Aubrey liking Thumbelina and Lena being
into Rumpelstiltskin.
Thank you again for taking the time
to chat with me, Anne!!!
GIVEAWAY
- 3 winners will receive a finished copy of CHARLIE, PRESUMED
DEAD
- and a Gold Rose Necklace & Antique Gold Pewter Rose Charm on a Delicate 18
Inch Gold Plated Cable Chain. (Pictured above.)
- US Only.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Anne Heltzel
 |
| Author Photo by Kristi Hedberg Photography |
ANNE HELTZEL is a Brooklyn-based author and editor of
children's books.
Anne was born in Ohio, has been a voracious reader since the
age of three, and credits her careers in publishing and writing (both lifelong
dreams - just ask to see her childhood journal) to a serendipitous coffee shop
conversation during her senior year of college. Anne was on a law school track
until the aforementioned fateful conversation prompted her to switch gears and
move to New York City, where she entered an M.F.A. program.
In 2007 she began
her first job in publishing.
In 2008 she graduated from The New School with a
master's degree in Writing for Children.
Anne has since lived in India and
Paris, and has taught writing and reading workshops in each of her former
homes. More recently, she participated as a mentor in NYC's Girls Write Now
program.
When she is not writing, Anne is furiously (and passionately) editing
novels for a Manhattan publishing house. She is represented by Stephen Barbara
at InkWell Management.
Anne also writes under the pseudonym Anna Collomore.
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| http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/ |
CHARLIE, PRESUMED DEAD Blog Tour Schedule
Week One:
5/25/2015- Falling For YA- Interview
5/26/2015- The
Bibliophile Chronicles- Review
5/27/2015- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Guest Post
5/28/2015- Book Briefs- Review
5/29/2015- Fiktshun- Interview
Week Two:
6/1/2015- One
Guy's Guide to Good Reads- Review
6/2/2015- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post
6/3/2015- Seeing
Double In Neverland- Review
6/4/2015- Bumbles
and Fairy-Tales- Interview
This sounds like a very interesting, read. I'm off to go add it my goodreads! :)
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