Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W Michael Gear

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Tag Archives: history

New edition of IT WAKES IN ME!

Coming September 6th!



“The historical detail and vivid descriptions make this a fascinating and compelling read.” –Romantic Times BookReviews

I’m excited to see the FIRST HARDCOVER ever of my book, IT WAKES IN ME, which will be released on September 6th. The new cover is stunning and really captures the dangerous, seductive element of the leading character’s personality.

I wrote the book because, as an anthropologist, the global dimensions of serial murder fascinate me. We can trace the phenomenon across continents and through time from Australia to England, Pakistan to Mexico, across Africa, Asia, and America. It’s an aberration in human behavior, but a profoundly pervasive one that transcends cultural boundaries. I have long pondered how ancient peoples in North America would have handled a serial murderer silently hunting victims through their small villages.

The question interests me because many native peoples believed that mental illness was soul-loss. The soul had fled the body because of unfulfilled desires. The job of the healer was to discover, and then fulfill those desires so that the soul would wish to return and the sick person would be healed. Recollect missionary, Father Gabriel Sagard, wrote in 1632, “…for they prefer to suffer and be in want of anything rather than to fail a sick person at need.”

The soul-curing ritual used in IT WAKES IN ME was real. At the time of European contact in the 16th century, the andacwander had spread from Iroquoian to Algonquian tribes, indicting the remarkable healing power it possessed.

When High Chieftess Sora is kidnapped, drugged, and transported to the greatest healer in the land, his first words to her are: “They tell me you are a murderer. Is it true?”

Her answer begins a darkly erotic tale of love and betrayal.

I hope you enjoy this journey to America’s spectacular past!

Best Wishes,

Kathleen O’Neal Gear

AMAZON KINDLE:

https://buff.ly/3KNBLRJ

HARDCOVER:

Amazon: https://buff.ly/3CXMF5B


THE OWEN WISTER AWARD! Who would’ve thought?

Hi All,

It’s been a surprising and wonderful day here in Wyoming. We were just notified that we will be receiving the Owen Wister Award, which is the highest honor a Western writer can receive, and we will be inducted into the Western Writers of America Hall of Fame this summer.

It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be able to tell stories about the frontier and the people who, for over 20,000 years, have lived and died facing its challenges. Thanks to all of you for caring about their stories. We can’t do what we love without readers.

Cheers!

Michael and Kathleen


GREAT REVIEW FOR… PEOPLE OF THE CANYONS!

Here’s a wonderful NEW REVIEW for PEOPLE OF THE CANYONS that came out in the PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, and we sincerely appreciate it!  

https://www.providencejournal.com/entertainment/20200716/july-thrillers-riveting-tales-of-angst-and-redemption

Hope everyone is doing well out there.  We’re having a delightful cool summer in Wyoming.  It’s been raining almost every afternoon.

Stay happy and healthy.

Best,

Michael and Kathleen

New Review for CRIES FROM THE LOST ISLAND! COMING IN MARCH!!

We just received the latest BOOKLIST review for CRIES FROM THE LOST ISLAND, written by reviewer Cari Dubiel (February 1, 2020).

“Historian and prolific author Gear (Star Path, 2019) returns with a new standalone fantasy.  Sixteen-year-old Halloran Stevens has spent his young life immersed in ancient history, growing up in a small Colorado town with fellow outcast Roberto and the beautiful, tormented Cleo, the reincarnation of Queen Cleopatra herself.  Cleo’s greatest wish is to reunite with her love, Marcus Antonius.  But before she can do this–by finding her own grave and placing a ceremonial dagger there–Cleo is mysterious killed, and Hal becomes plagued by visions of her.  Cleo’s archaeologist uncle offers to take Hal and Roberto to Egypt, but will Hal be able to find Cleopatra’s grave and restore the dagger so Cleo can rest forever?  As Egyptian and Roman ghosts and demons haunt the narrative from the first page, readers will not be quite sure what is true and what the characters are imagining.  History-lovers will enjoy Hal’s incredible journey from outcast kid to artifact expert,” and “With a smart, funny teen protagonist, this story about being a hero while also not belonging to a popular crowd will appeal to YAs.”

In CRIES FROM THE LOST ISLAND, I got to present my own theory about the location of the lost graves of Antony and Cleopatra. And I had such fun with the teen protagonists!  I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Best Wishes,

Kathleen

I’m especially delighted that BOOKLIST reviewed the book as a Young Adult (YA) novel, since that’s the audience I wrote it for.

2019 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS!

Hi All, It’s a beautiful summer here, in the 70s, and we’ve had a lot of rain. The buffalo are so happy wading around in deep grass and wildflowers. Just wanted to let you know that the INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS were announced yesterday and Kathleen’s book, MAZE MASTER, won the award for best SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL. Interestingly, it was also a finalist in the best thriller category! We are especially grateful for all the hard work of the judges. They had over 2,000 entries in the competition. Hope you are all doing well. Michael and Kathleen

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