Jan S. Gephardt (pronouns: she/her) is a science fiction novelist, fantasy artist, publisher, and longtime science fiction fan from Kansas City. Her “XK9” books feature a pack of uplifted police dogs. She just finished and published the third novel in her XK9 “Bones” Trilogy. Her novel "Bone of Contention" was released September 24, 2024. It completes the trilogy, which also includes "What’s Bred in the Bone" (Book 1) and "A Bone to Pick" (Book 2). She also has published a prequel novella, "The Other Side of Fear," and she’s already at work on a fourth XK9 novel, "Bones for the Children." Her stories are set in a far-future science fiction world, where the XK9s solve crimes and sniff out bad guys while seeking recognition of their own sapience. They live in a space station (inhabited by humans and several other sapient species) in a different star’s planetary system. She and sister G. S. Norwood co-founded Weird Sisters Publishing LLC in 2019. Jan is the Chief Cat-Herder & Art Director for Weird Sisters, which means she is in charge of book production, illustration commissions, and marketing. Look for her nationally-recognized paper sculpture in the Art Show. She has exhibited her fantasy artwork at sf conventions since 1981. Since 2007 she’s developed a unique paper sculpture technique. Her artwork also has been featured in regionally-exhibited one-person shows, and juried into mainstream national exhibitions all over the United States. She’s a member and former officer of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA).