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.
Bone of Contention

Bone of Contention

What’s Bred in the Bone and A Bone to Pick cover two-thirds of the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy. What’s next? Bone of Contention! This book went into wide release on September 24, 2024!

See Credits below.

Search for ISBN 9781950748099 (Ebook) or ISBN 9781950748105 (Trade Paperback). Scroll down for direct links to many booksellers.

Dogs are people too! . . . Right?

XK9 Rex and his Packmates are bio-engineered and cyber-enhanced dogs. Their creators made them the most perfect law enforcement tools ever made. They’re so smart, Rana Station officially recognizes them as uplifted sapient beings.

The rest of the universe isn’t so sure. Inspectors from the Galactic Alliance that rules this part of space must decide the matter once and for all. But the Transmondians who created the XK9s want a do-over. The uplift was an accident – one they won’t repeat. They plan to destroy all evidence of their mistake before the Alliance’s investigators arrive.

Can Rex and his pack stay one jump ahead of their foes and also round up the last members of a murderous gang that blows up spaceships? Or will the Transmondians’ dreams of dominance and empire crush everything that gets in their way?

Now Available in Wide Release!

A square image with a variegated background shows the covers of the three books of the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy by Jan S. Gephardt, grouped around the words, “The Trilogy is COMPLETE!” Words next to each cover, L-R top row say, “Book 1: ‘What’s Bred in the Bone,’ cover ©2019 by Jody A. Lee” and “Book 2: ‘A Bone to Pick,’ cover ©2020 by Jody A. Lee.” Below and slightly off-center is “Book 3: ‘Bone of Contention,’ cover art © by Tom Kidd.” By each of the three books is a QR Code that takes readers to the relevant book page on Weird Sisters Publishing. Also next to “Bone of Contention” is a yellow, 7-pointed star on which the words say, “Pre-Order BONE OF CONTENTION in the USA NOW! Available Sept. 24, 2024.”
See Credits below.

Read Chapter One for FREE in two ways!

Download Chapter One
Read Chapter One Online

Bone of Contention is now in Wide Release.

Bookshop
IngramSpark

Bone of Contention is Available from Amazon:

Links take you to the Kindle edition, but the Paperback should be linked (more links will be added as we locate them).

USA
Canada
Australia
UK

Get Bone of Contention from Barnes & Noble:

Nook
Paperback

Find Bone of Contention on Kobo:

USA
Canada
Australia
UK
New Zealand
Ireland
India
South Africa

Praise for Bone of Contention

“A tense, inventive SF novel of loyalty, politics, and heroism, set in a vividly realized universe.” (“Our Verdict: GET IT”)

—Kirkus Reviews (a Featured Review in the Dec. 1, 2025 issue)

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If you aren’t a subscriber, this author has a great mailing list. Worth looking into for a peek at the process of bringing this world and its characters to life.

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Image Credits

Many thanks to the artists whose work has enlivened the illustrations on this page! The cover for Bone of Contention Is ©2024 by Tom Kidd. The covers for What’s Bred in the Bone and A Bone to Pick are ©2019 and 2020, respectively, by Jody A. Lee. In the third illustration, the Shady “play bow” painting and and the cover for The Other Side of Fear are © 2020 by Lucy A. Synk.