Sunday, April 24, 2016

Aloha to Anne A. Wilson, HOVER, and CLEAR TO LIFT

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It is my distinct pleasure to introduce Anne A. Wilson. From her bio,

Anne A. Wilson was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, with a degree in ocean engineering, followed by nine years of active duty service as a Navy helicopter pilot. Following her military service, she worked for four years in the semi-conductor industry, and currently, owns a triathlon coaching business, Camelback Coaching, with her husband, now in its thirteenth year of operation. She lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona with her husband and two sons.


Anne joins me for a chat ...

Kim: Thank you for your service! What inspired you to fly Navy Helos? What was your favorite assignment and/or place you visited as a Navy officer? 

Anne: I’d never thought of flying until I went to the Naval Academy. I visited Navy Flight School during the summer before my second class year—part of our professional training—and it felt like the best fit for me. As far as a favorite place I visited, I think my all-time favorite was the island of Yakushima in the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan. This is an otherworldly place, blanketed with virgin forests of ancient cedar-like trees called yaku sugi. And by ancient, we’re talking over 2,000 years old. There’s easily fifty shades of green on this island and a lushness beyond words. J. R. R. Tolkien would have had a field day here. For sure, I’m using this place for a novel setting someday!

Kim: How did you become a coach for triathlon? Have you participated in Iron Man on the Big Island of Hawaii?

Anne: I started in the sport of triathlon in 1988, while still at the Naval Academy. They didn’t have a team then, so I was just doing it on my own with my boyfriend at the time, who’s now my husband. Fast forward to 2001, now with 13 years of triathlon experience under our belts, and our co-workers at Intel were asking for swim lessons and training advice. My husband and I decided we were enjoying coaching more than manufacturing semiconductors, so we made the leap to start our own coaching business. I have not participated in the Ironman World Championships on the Big Island—I travel at a pretty pedestrian pace at the Ironman distance—however, I’ve gone to watch the race in Hawaii on three different occasions in support of our athletes who were racing there.

We met an Ironman athlete on the Kona shuttle ...

Kim: Who or what helped you along the path to publishing? 

Anne: I was/am a solitary writer, and when I finally started thinking about trying to get published, I literally googled, “How to Get Published.” I had no clue what I was doing. Somehow, in a clicking frenzy, I landed on writersdigest.com. And thank the stars! This site was a godsend on my path to publishing. Great blog articles, webinars, tutorials, boot camps, and conferences. I even met my literary agent through a Writer’s Digest webinar that she facilitated. I can’t say enough about Writer’s Digest. They’re a great, great resource.

KimHOVER is your first novel - what did you learn about yourself as a writer after publication and promotion?

Anne: Surprisingly, I found that my introverted self really enjoys talking to groups like book clubs and writing organizations and doing library and bookstore events. Writing is something I’m so passionate about, I consider it a treat to be around like-minded people, who are just as crazy about books as I am.

Kim: Tell us about your second novel, CLEAR TO LIFT - what do you want readers to take away from it?

Anne: It’s set in the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada in California about a female search and rescue helicopter pilot who’s choked by the rules and boundaries she’s set for herself. But when she’s assigned to an anything-goes squadron and introduced to a wild, beautiful world of adventure, it challenges everything she’s ever believed in. I would love my readers to come away from reading my book with an itch to get out to the outdoors. To put away the electronics. To engage in personal conversation. To take chances. To simplify. And to really live.

Kim: Bonus question: What's your favorite song by the band Heart (with lead singer Anne Wilson)?

Anne: Ha! Great question! It’s a tough choice, but I’d have to say Magic Man.

Kim:  Mine is Allies.  Thank you for being my guest today!


HOVER is available in paperback on May 3 from Forge Books:

Helicopter pilot Sara Denning joins a US Navy battle group with little fanfare, and that's just the way she likes it. Her philosophy is simple—blend in, be competent, and above all, never do anything to stand out as a woman. But somewhere along the way, she lost herself—her feminine, easy-going soul now buried under so many defensive layers, she can't reach it anymore.

When she meets the strong, self-assured Lieutenant Eric Marxen, those defenses start to falter. He coordinates flight operations for SEAL Team One and they begin to request Sara exclusively as the pilot for their training exercises. The end mission is so secret, even she doesn't know the reason behind her mandated participation. For the thousandth time in her career, she wonders if she'll have what it takes to get the job done, but for the very first time, she questions if her heart will get in the way.


I am giving away Navy swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about helicopters - have you flown in any? I flew in an Army helicopter while I was a cadet in the AFROTC.  Twenty years, and two kids later, I have a fear of flying, so I did not enjoy any helo rides in Hawaii. But I sure do love hearing the Magnum PI theme when TC flies around the island in reruns of the beloved series.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore. 

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Anne and her books at anneawilson.com. CLEAR TO LIFT is coming in July 2016 ...

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26 comments:

  1. I have never been on a helicopter but I think it would be fun! Thanks to Anne for serving in the Navy, especially in a dangerous job!

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  2. I've never been in a helicopter but my dad did once when he was younger. He wanted to learn and he took a class to learn how. The instructor told him to turn it on and he was supposed to hover and the instructor was supposed to give him instructions in his ear from the radio. But the radio stopped working so he almost crashed the helicopter...or so he says. lol

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    1. Oh, my gosh. I cannot even imagine learning to hover a helicopter without instructions from an instructor. The fact that your dad did not crash is pretty impressive. Must have been a natural aviator! Thanks for sharing your story!

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  3. No, I've never been on a helicopter but I would love to ride in one.

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    1. They are actually fun, Danielle. You might have to try it sometime.

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  4. I rode in a tourist helicopter once when we were in Kauai.

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    1. I've heard the helicopter tours in Kauai are quite spectacular. I've never had the chance to do it, but it sounds amazing. We certainly flew around the Hawaii in our military helicopters, but that wasn't quite the same.

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  5. I rode in a three seater, bubble style helicopter many years ago in the Philippines. It was enjoyable. A bit unusual to be able to look down and be so high up.

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    1. Ooh, bubble-style helicopters are the best for viewing. Feels like you're out in the air flying. How great to do that in the Philippines, too! Beautiful country.

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  6. I rode in a three seater, bubble style helicopter many years ago in the Philippines. It was enjoyable. A bit unusual to be able to look down and be so high up.

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  7. I flew in a helicopter once. It was so incredibly noisy. I didn't have headphones on.

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    1. For sure, Mary, it would not be so enjoyable to ride in a helicopter without headphones. When we flew, we had earplugs stuffed in our ears, and on top of that, soundproof helmets. Even with all that, I could still hear the transmission.

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  8. I flew in a helicopter once. It was so incredibly noisy. I didn't have headphones on.

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  9. I flew in one over the volcanoes in Hawaii and the ice burgs in Alaska

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    1. What an incredible way to experience Hawaii and Alaska. So glad you were able to do this!

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  10. No I have never been in a helicopter, but imagine the view to be wonderful!

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    1. The view is pretty dang amazing. Gives you a whole new perspective on things. Not so high like an airliner, but high enough to view things on land just a little differently.

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  11. No, I do not enjoy flying either!!

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    1. If you do not enjoy flying, I think helicopters are worse than flying in an airliner or even a small plane. You feel things far more intimately in a helicopter that you would not in a plane. For some, that is a good thing, because they want that feel of the wind and the dips and rolls and such. For others, not so much. :)

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  12. just a helo tour on the Big island to see volcanoes.

    denise

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  13. I was on a very short flight when I was a kid - it was at a fair & we pretty much just went up & came back down

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