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. Jan’s books include a novella, The Other Side of Fear, and two novels so far in the XK9 “Bones” Trilogy, What’s Bred in the Bone and The Other Side of Fear. All are set in her far-future science fiction world. Her uplifted “XK9s” solve crimes and sniff out bad guys while seeking recognition of their own sapience. They live in a habitat 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).