Kara O’Neal Has Unearthed a Research Gem!

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Hello! I’m so excited to be here today! I adore talking about books, and Petticoats and Pistols always offers such wonderful content. Hopefully, I only add to it!

I’ve been a published author for 10 years now – my anniversary was in September – and I’ve completed two series. The Texas Brides of Pike’s Run has 22 books in the series, and my Gamblers and Gunslingers series has 6. Writing all of those books has required a lot of research. I’ve learned so much about people, places, patterns, fashions, trains, horses…my goodness! The list is never-ending!

Probably the most interesting topic I ever had to delve into was how society saw, and treated, people with Dyslexia in the 1800s. I needed this information for The Inventor’s Heart, which is the 14th book in the Texas Brides series.

I didn’t come across anything that detailed any cruelty, but I did discover that, at one time, a German physician, did extensive research in the 1870s on people who struggled to read.

In my readings, I learned that it was thought that people with Dyslexia actually had trouble with their vision. Dr. Kussmaul found otherwise. He said that those who struggled with reading had a print deficit, but he still termed the difficulty as “word blindness”.

This information helped Alex, the hero of The Inventor’s Heart, figure out how to help Julia, the woman he loves, who suffers from reading difficulties.

The Inventor’s Heart truly was a beautiful book to write. Alex is considered a genius and attended Yale, essentially working in the field of electrical engineering. And, let me tell you, learning what they knew about electricity during the 1870s and 80s was also interesting, but I digress.

Because Alex is so smart, Julia doesn’t think she’s good enough for him. He sets out to prove her wrong. Alex and Julia’s story is one of the most moving romances I’ve written. It was a joy to bring them to their happy beginning!

In all of the books you’ve read, what have you learned that has stuck with you? Was there a book that enlightened you or taught you something?

Leave a comment and you could win an ebook copy of The Inventor’s Heart and also the first in the series, Welcome Home.

The Inventor’s Heart

Thank you so much for having me! I look forward to your answers!

Kara O’Neal

Kara’s series:

Texas Brides series – https://books2read.com/ap/xdPlZ4/Kara-ONeal 

Gamblers and Gunslingers series – https://books2read.com/ap/xdPlZ4/Kara-ONeal 

The Inventor’s Heart – https://books2read.com/u/3n7oqo

Welcome Home – https://books2read.com/u/47XZ8j

 

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37 thoughts on “Kara O’Neal Has Unearthed a Research Gem!”

  1. Every book I read, I try to take something away from it that makes me a better person. One that I just finished is The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson. I learned a bit about baseball, about how blacks were treated back then, and how loving and including others can enrich your life!

    • Sounds interesting! I’ve read several books that have baseball in them. It always surprises me how old baseball really is. There’s a gentleman I follow on Twitter who is always posting facts about black baseball players in the late 1800s. He is keeping their contributions alive and I’m so glad.

  2. I’m a history buff, major, and teacher, but I was surprised to learn that, at one time, gold mining was important in Georgia from one of Linda Shenton Matchett’s books.

      • Dahlonega, Georgia, is most famous for featuring its Consolidated Gold Mine. I’m from Georgia and thought you might like that little piece of information. I live 172 miles from Dahlonega.

  3. I have astigmatism and severe nearsightedness. Before it was diagnosed and corrected, I had difficulty learning to read. What may look like dyslexia may indeed be a vision problem that needs to be rulled out.

  4. I enjoy our nation’s history in the HCF books I read! I was not a fan of history in school, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned many fascinating, & some very sad, things about the history of our great nation. I love it when an author incorporates real-life history into their stories. It kinda brings the story & the characters to life in a greater way.

    • I agree. History becomes interesting when we get older. I read Maggie Osborne’s book — I Do, I Do, I Do — and it took place during the Alaska Gold Rush. I was flabbergasted by what it took to get there.

  5. I have 2 daughters with dyslexia. I homeschooled them and taught them reading and spelling using a dyslexia program. It worked well. Unfortunately my youngest daughter also had dyscalculia which I never realized until she was older. On a side note from what I have read dyslexia usually is found primarily in males. If a female has it it is usually because it runs in both sides of the family.

    • Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are sometimes so hard to detect. Depending on how severe it is, you may not notice until the kid is much older, and sometimes that makes it too late to really help. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with learning disabilities, including ADHD and Autism, than girls. For my day job I am the Special Education Campus Specialist for a middle school. I’ve been doing the job for 16 years and have learned so much. We definitely have to be watchful and mindful so we can help our kids.

  6. I am a person who is always reading a book, so I go from one to another quite quickly. Each book I read must have a message, a good message, or I will put it down forever. I truly love the inclusion of Biblical sayings, verses and other such related Christian features. It makes reading the material very enjoyable and profitable to my soul as well.

    • I completely agree. It’s hard to read a book that doesn’t speak to you. I also prefer to read books that have scripture from the Bible.

  7. I usually have something that sticks out to me from each book I read. One I just finished recently was A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander. What I took away from that book was how important it is to live with eternity in view, rather than living like our decisions won’t echo into eternity for future generations.

  10. Kara, it’s great to have you. Thank you for coming. Gosh, I’m learning something all the time through books. I think one thing that stuck with me was learning about courting candles – the important of them and how they served a big purpose. I had no idea the control father’s used to have over their daughters. Good luck with your stories.

  11. I’ve always been impressed by the amount I learn from reading Nora Roberts. From ship-building to glass-blowing…it seems like she’s an expert at everything! And she works the details in skillfully; it’s not just an info dump. I can’t wait to read THE INVENTOR’S HEART! You write such compelling characters!

  12. I usually learn a little something from each book I read. Sometime I don’t even notice that I have learned something and then it hits me later on. That’s when I realize that it came from a book I have read.

    • Books are such gems. I’m so glad there are so many writers and readers. Where would we be if we didn’t have books?

  13. I like reading historical fiction and learn something almost every book. Societal restrictions and the position women hold in society was the most interesting interesting. Different cultures value women differently. It seems European cultures (and American) put women in a subservient status and didn’t feel they were capable of much. At the same time they relied heavily on women doing the hard work to make a home, have and raise a family, and do the chores necessary on a farm. I really think they were afraid of how capable women are. I grew up in the ’50s and 60’s when there were few options unless you fought for them. Being a wife, nurse, secretary, or teacher were the usual career paths open to us. I worked on an Environmental field day for 6th graders where multiple government departments and private companies were involved. Out of the 50 or so people working it, I was the only female. My how the times have changed. Women have always enjoyed positions of leadership, respect, and worth in so many cultures considered “primitive” by Western culture. We need to keep working to claim our rightful place along side the men. I got a bit off track, but how women were treated is what my biggest take-away has been from books I’ve read.

    • Yes, there have been so many times when women didn’t have choices. In my research, I’ve been so surprised when I do find a woman or women who have actually done more than what I think they were allowed to do. The West, especially states that were still territories, actually gave women more freedom and they owned business, land, etc. It’s been a nice surprise.

    • It’s amazing what people discover. There’s that saying that when you read, you travel a lot more than if you don’t.

  15. I learned a number of science facts from Asimov’s science-fiction mysteries. He was always careful to make sure they were accurate.

    • I’ve read a few science-fiction novels throughout the years. Not only am I astounded by human intelligence, science-fiction is usually so creative and imaginative. I’m blown away by what those authors dream up!

  16. Tons of historical trivia, some useful. I’ve also learned that many indignious tribes around the world were matriarchal. So many books have opend me to new ideas of all sorts. I have a very had time with people whoh don’t enjoy reading. I feel like they were not properly introduced to the experience and I know they are at a disadvantage. My mom worked with a group to promote literacy and I’ve always admired her patience… but then whe had me and I KNOW that I ‘tried it’….

    • Ha! Yes, I gave my mother a few gray hairs myself. I don’t understand why people don’t like to read, either. Books are so wonderful. You get to go so many places without even leaving your house!

  17. I have read many books that have enlighten me and or have stayed with me. Majority of those books were based on faith, love, integrity, life’s lessons, and such.

  18. Really funny story: When I was in 6th grade, my social studies teacher had a competition for my class where we had to split into two teams and each person had to take turns answering questions. If the first person on the team missed it, it would go to the first person on the other team, back and forth until someone answered it correctly. It was close to the end of class and there was a tie, so he asked a question about something we hadn’t covered: What is the modern day name of Constantinople? He went back and forth, back and forth, and no one knew. He finally got to me and I answered: Istanbul! I was correct and won for my team! He caught me when the bell rang and asked how in the world I knew that. I told him from a fiction book that I had been reading about a girl who found out she was switched at birth with a princess from another country! Who ever said that you can’t learn anything from reading fiction? LOL

  19. I’ve read so many books in my lifetime it’s hard to pinpoint just one; I’ve absorbed life lessons from many of them. What leaps out, after reading Kim Hampton’s 6th grade story, is the memory of my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, borrowing books from her library (she lived in Wash., D.C. and our town was in Suitland, MD, right outside it) for our class. She shared the love of reading with us. That was also the class in which we watched the PBS program “Cover to Cover” (Levar Burton read excerpts from kids’ novels) as part of our English studies.

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