"Hover is not only a perfect summer read; it’s an absolutely perfect anytime read."
--Amanda Goossen, Arcadia News
Amanda Goossen from the Arcadia News wrote this wonderful review of HOVER and posted it along with an interview she conducted with me. You can see the article in its entirety here.
Also, I'll be speaking at the Arcadia News Book Club on Thursday, Sep 24th, at 6:30pm, at the Saguaro Library. You'll find more information on the book club meeting below.
Here's the text of the review. I haven't printed the interview portion of the article, but you can find it by clicking on the link above.
Review of HOVER by Amanda Goossen, Arcadia News
When Hover landed on my desk, I took a quick look but, honestly, as my list of summer reads grew longer, I wasn’t sure I could fit another into the pile. With so many fascinating summer-themed novels positioned to fill my time on the beach and the pool, a novel set on a naval carrier didn’t seem destined for my suitcase.
Author Anne A. Wilson, however, is from Arcadia. And as many of us who live here know, Arcadians support one another. And so, the emails began to arrive.
As Hover hit its publishing date, I received an email from Anne’s publisher, letting me know that the author was from the area. A week later I received an email from someone who knew Anne. Not long after, two people sent me a message saying they had read the book and I had to include it in my book club coverage. After I took a look at Anne’s bio, my thoughts on reading her book began to change.
Anne Hotis was born and bred in Arcadia. She attended Kaibab Elementary (now known as Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center), went to Ingleside Middle School and Arcadia High, where she graduated in 1984. Anne’s parents still live in the Arcadia home where she grew up, 49 years later.
This Arcadia local went to college at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in ocean engineering in 1989.
“When you graduate, you are commissioned as an officer in the Navy, or the marine corps, if that’s what you select,” said Anne. “I then went to U.S. Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida and received my wings in February 1991.”
Anne was stationed in San Diego at Naval Air Station North Island, which is located on Coronado Island, from 1991-1995. She then spent her shore tour at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada and was a search and rescue pilot there from 1995-1998. While in Nevada, Anne flew search and rescue with the H-1 Huey helicopter and is credited with 31 lives saved. The Naval Helicopter Association named Anne and her crew Helicopter Aircrew of the Year (non-embarked) for 1997 for rescuing 13 people in the 100-year flood that affected the area surrounding Reno and Yosemite.
Today, Anne lives in Fountain Hills with her husband, Bill, and two 13-year-old sons, Adam and Isaac. Bill and Anne own a triathlon coaching company called Camelback Coaching, where they have trained residents for over 12 years.
Once I learned the facts on this woman – who sounded more like superwoman than a local author – I was intrigued. So on one particularly scorching afternoon, I placed myself upon my pool raft, opened the pages of Hover, and was absolutely mesmerized.
I assumed I was about to enter a world of military jargon and intensity. While those elements are present, the pages are filled with enthralling action and endearing relationships. Anne brings her knowledge and experience to the story with exquisite ease, painting a picture of military life, while developing fully formed characters that possess vulnerability along with toughness.
Hover is not only a perfect summer read; it’s an absolutely perfect anytime read.
Protagonist Sara Denning has spent her military career achieving success as a naval helicopter pilot. But in the meantime, she has lost all sense of herself. When she suddenly becomes part of a secret mission, led by the biggest and brightest personalities of her career, Sara must face the intensity of the mission as well as the fears that plague her life.
And within it all there is also a pretty spectacular love story.
I’m not ashamed to say that at first glance I was wrong. Anne is without a doubt an author to keep your eye on…and she’s from Arcadia!
On September 24, the Arcadia News Book Club is honored to have Anne join our group for a night of in-depth discussion. This is a night not to be missed. Join us at 6:30 p.m. at the Saguaro Library for refreshments, great friends and a raffle (tickets are $5) benefiting the charity Don’t be a Chump, Check for a Lump! To attend, please email Amanda@arcadianews.com.
