On a variegated green background, we see two 3D versions of the book “Bone of Contention.” One is an ebook with a black frame. The other is a fat trade paperback. On each, the words of the cover, from top to bottom, say: “’The XK9s prove irresistible’ – Kirkus Reviews, of “What’s Bred in the Bone.” Bone of Contention. Jan S. Gephardt.” In the upper left corner among the leaves and fruits of an orange tree, a round symbol shows the series “Leaping Star-Dog” logo, with the markings “3” and “XK9s.” The cover painting shows the odd perspective inside a toroid space station’s habitat wheel, with green, terraced hills and a winding river running through the center. In the foreground, under an orange tree, is the entrance to the Orangeboro Police Department, with a golden, 7-pointed star-badge emblem on the portico. Atop and behind the emblem crouches an odd, gray being. Below, XK9s Shady, a black sable, and Rex, pure black, leap down the mosaic-textured steps in their harnesses and panniers, ready to run. Behind them their human partners, wearing police uniforms follow them at a run. Charlie is a tall Black man. Pam is a petite Latina with long dark hair. Below the two books, it says, “Cover art ©2024 by Tom Kidd.
The Day Came!

The Day Came!

The day came! You might remember that last week I wrote a blog post titled “Any Day Now,” about how long it was taking to get my latest book, Bone of Contention, into print. All the unexpected amounts of time things took. All the unintended mixups. Not to mention all the delays beyond my control!

The waiting isn’t quite over yet – not all of it. But the day came, at least for one thing! My Amazon pre-sale promotion is now live. A clever feature on BookFunnel has distributed the Advance Reader copies. The ebook is ready for release via IngramSpark on September 24. And the trade paperback version of Bone of Contention is being evaluated for distribution as I write this post. The XK9 “Bones” Trilogy Is finished! This is really happening!

On a square background of green and gold tones, this design centers on an orange star-shape with yellow borders. Across it are the words "Pre-Order now!" Above and behind the star are 3D images of the book "Bone of Contention,” by Jan S. Gephardt, as an ebook on a tablet or as a fat trade paperback. Below the star it says, “Dogs are people too, right? Rana Station thinks so. The rest of the universe isn’t so sure. The third book wraps up Rex’s story in the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy with a bang!” and “Cover art ©2024 by Tom Kidd.”
Cover art ©2024 by Tom Kidd.

Finishing This Trilogy Took a While

I sometimes feel as if I’ve been working on the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy since the dawn of time. Not exactly. But I started the earliest drafts of what eventually turned into the first book, What’s Bred in the Bone, in 2012. That one took me through more than ten drafts. Also down many false paths, before I finally wrestled it into ebook and print forms in 2019. The day finally came for that first book. Which gave me a basis for believing I could finish more.

After a backtrack into the storyline’s recent past to write the prequel novella The Other Side of Fear, which came out in 2020, I settled in to develop some of those “false paths” (mentioned above) into the second novel in the Trilogy, A Bone to Pick. Indeed, the finale I’d originally envisioned for the first book finally found its place at the end of the second. It took me another full year after the prequel before I could bring A Bone to Pick in for a landing, but the day came for it, too, in 2021.

With three books under my belt, not to mention the Weird Sisters publications of my sister G. S. Norwood’s Deep Ellum Stories, I figured I’d be well equipped to finish the trilogy. “Any day now, surely!”, as I expressed it in last week’s post. Back when I started in 2021, I would have been horrified to think Bone of Contention would take till 2024. But here we are.

This square design has a variegated background of green, yellow, turquoise, and peach, echoing colors in the three book covers (titles noted below) on which the design centers. Above the book covers it says, “The XK9 “Bones” Trilogy.” Below the book covers it says, What’s Bred in the Bone cover art ©2019 by Jody A. Lee. A Bone to Pick cover art ©2020 by Jody A. Lee. Bone of Contention cover art ©2024 by Tom Kidd.”
See Credits below.

Okay. So. The Day Came. Now What?

I’m blessed and lucky to have patient readers. My Newsletter subscribers include a number of folks who don’t mind giving me feedback and encouragement. They have (repeatedly) reassured me that they’d rather have the best book I can write, rather than necessarily the fastest book. Even though I warned them that “I don’t write fast.” Most definitely not, as you see! But I hope they’ll feel their patience has been rewarded, come September 24!

I’m already working on my “plot board” for another outing in the XK9 universe, titled Bones for the Children. I even have some scenes written. But I’m taking no bets on how long it’ll take – at least not yet.

I also have other projects in the works. I’m the better part of three years into an effort to revive my late brother-in-law Warren C. Norwood’s first series. Then-groundbreaking, the Windhover Tetralogy first saw publication in the early 1980s. I’ve been working with artists Lucy A. Synk, Chaz Kemp, and Jose-Luis Segura on illustrated editions of all four books since last December. This edition is a total re-think on the design and presentation. With an illustration to open each chapter, we hope to represent more fully the scope and range of Warren’s imagination!

I’m also hard at work on book trailers and more special feature exclusives for my newsletter subscribers.

Samples from the “Image of Voices” include, clockwise from upper left: Windy off Moseen, Quadra, Windy over Alvin’s Place in the Pleuhockle System, Thisseling and Rajor Zee, and Windy off Pleasaunce. Astronomical artwork © Lucy A. Synk – “Windhover” spaceship © Chaz Kemp.
See Credits below.

It’s Important to Celebrate.

All the received wisdom advises a writer to celebrate when we finish a book. And I have – several times.

When I finished the version I sent to beta-readers last February, you bet I celebrated. And again when I sent the final draft to the proofreader. Yet again, just this week, because the day came when the Amazon pre-sale promotion went live. That was a biggie, but wait! There’s more!

I expect to celebrate again, maybe this weekend, after I order print proofs. And for sure, on September 24, 2024, my release date!

But there’s so much fun stuff still to do on other projects! That’s why I expect the celebrations to be joyful, but brief. Because, especially when there are lots of projects in the pipeline, there are always more chances to say, “Hooray! The Day Came!”

About the Author

Author Jan S. Gephardt is excited to celebrate a new milestone in her journey as a writer and micro-press publisher. With the publication of Bone of Contention, she wraps up the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy, but certainly not her series of books about the uplifted police dogs called XK9s. She already has a start on the next “XK9” book – but she also has a long list of other projects in the works for Weird Sisters Publishing.

IMAGE CREDITS

Many thanks to Tom Kidd for the cover art ©2024 for Bone of Contention. We also thank Lucy A. Synk, for both the cover art ©2020 for The Other Side of Fear and the astronomical paintings ©2024 to illustrate The Windhover Tetralogy. Many thanks as well to Jody A. Lee for the cover art for What’s Bred in the Bone ©2019 and A Bone to Pick, ©2020. And hearty gratitude as well to Chaz Kemp, without whose wonderful ©2022 design for the spaceship Windhover we couldn’t bring Warren C. Norwood’s visions to new life.

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