Bio
Kathleen O’Neal Gear received her Master’s Degree “With Distinction,” from California State University in Chico. She has authored or co-authored over two hundred non-fiction publications in the fields of archaeology, history, publishing, and the conservation of North American bison, as well as forty-seven novels. There are seventeen million copies of her books in print in 29 languages. Her novels are New York Times, USA TODAY, as well as international bestsellers.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
1983 “Special Achievement Award” from the United States Department of the Interior for “outstanding management of America’s cultural heritage.”
1984 “Special Achievement Award” from the United States Department of the Interior for “outstanding management of America’s cultural heritage.”
1995 Publisher’s Weekly named THIN MOON AND COLD MIST one of the TOP TEN ROMANCES OF THE YEAR.
1998 PEOPLE OF THE MIST, co-authored with W. Michael Gear, was BOOKLIST’S EDITOR’S CHOICE for “Best Adult Novel for Young Adults."
2000 THE SUMMONING GOD, co-authored with W. Michael Gear, was selected as one of the TOP TEN SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, in the Pima County Public Library’s review of the best regional books.
2001 BONE WALKER, co-authored with W. Michael Gear, was selected as one of the TOP TEN SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, in the Pima County Public Library’s review of the best regional books.
2005 PEOPLE OF THE RAVEN, co-authored with W. Michael Gear, won the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for the “Best Novel of the West.”
2005 She was inducted into the Women Who Write the West Hall of Fame.
2008 Kathleen and Michael received the “Literary Contributor of the Year Award” from the Mountain Plains Library Association.
2010 CHILDREN OF THE DAWNLAND, co-authored with W. Michael Gear, was selected by the Kansas National Education Association for the Kansas State Reading Circle for Middle/Junior High School students.
2011 PEOPLE OF THE MASKS was the Massachusetts Public Library’s Readers Connection – They Came Before Us Selection.
2013 THE BROKEN LAND was selected as the Norfolk Public Library’s American Indian Heritage Month Booklist Selection.
2015 Kathleen was honored by the United States Congress with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her "outstanding and invaluable contributions" to the fields of archaeology, history and American literature.
2015 The legislature of the State of California passed Joint Member Resolution #117, saying, “The contributions of Kathleen O’Neal Gear to the fields of history, archaeology, and writing, have been invaluable.”
In addition to writing books and conducting historical and archaeological research, she and Michael operate Red Canyon Buffalo Ranch in the foothills of the Owl Creek Mountains near Thermopolis, Wyoming. Their bison have won 167 national and regional awards.