Kilpack Participating in Fourth Annual Utah Authors Day at The Printed Garden in Sandy
West Jordan, Uta. — The League of Utah Writers (LUW) recently announced the Utah authors taking part in the fourth annual Utah Authors Day (UAD) event on Dec. 7, 2024. Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author W.D. Kilpack III of West Jordan is among a hundred-plus Utah authors taking part at bookstores and libraries throughout the state.
Kilpack will be appearing at The Printed Garden at Union Square (9445 S. Union Square, Ste. A) in Sandy from 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. to meet and talk with readers, discuss future plans, and sign copies of his books that the readers purchase on site or bring with them. He will be among six Utah authors appearing at The Printed Garden throughout the day.
Kilpack said, "I am very honored and grateful to be included in Utah Authors Day again this year! Being selected feels like payoff for the hard work and late nights writing, or going down rabbit holes for research. I really look forward to being part of the same kind of great experience that it was last year!"
UAD was revived in 2021 in collaboration between Utah Humanities, Gov. Spencer Cox, and LUW after its initial creation in the 1970s by LUW with Gov. Cal Rampton and Gov. Scott Matheson. The revival has been very successful, growing from just two locations that first year to dozens of bookstores and libraries across the State of Utah and more than a hundred Utah authors in 2024.
Kilpack has published seven novels to date, five in the epic fantasy New Blood Saga (Crown Prince, Order of Light, Demon Seed, Rilari and new release Vengeance Borne), the science-fiction novella, Pale Face, and the epic science fiction novel Battle Calm. Between them, they have won 24 book awards and honors, including the International Impact Book Award, the International Firebird Book Award, The BookFest Award, Honorable Mention in L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future, Editor's Choice and Top Pick from BooksShelf.com, and runner-up finishes in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Online Book Club's Book of the Year Competition. By that time, the epic fantasy Vengeance Borne should also be available, barring any issues in the publication process. Pale Face is also currently in movie development with a crowd-funding campaign running now.
Kilpack said, "I love hearing from my readers! They send me pictures of themselves holding my books, send messages with their comments, and I am so thankful for all of their support. So I would love to meet more of them in person! That said, I would also love to meet some young aspiring writers. I taught college for 25 years and coached wrestling for even longer. If I could help a few people pursue their own literary passions in some way, even just a little by sharing some bit of what I've learned thus far, then that would really make the event that much better."
Mel Calvert, host of The Mel Calvert Show on CBS and co-founder of the Author Symposium, said, "Early on as a kid, I was hooked on sci-fi. Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein were my heroes and I lost hope of finding another author to assume their reins. Kilpack has assumed [their] crown with a majesty and a flair I had despaired of seeing again."
About Kilpack
Kilpack is an award-winning and critically acclaimed science-fiction and fantasy author, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television. He has been editor and/or publisher of 19 news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster University. As an undergrad, he double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling. For 25 years, he was a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. He is an accomplished cook and has cooked nearly every type of food on a grill. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, consult and educate. For more information go to www.Kilpack.net.
About The Printed Garden
The Printed Garden is built on a foundation of more than 25 years of work in the book industry and a great deal of related higher education. It is a traditional, independently owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore in Sandy's Historic Union Square shopping plaza. For more information www.ThePrintedGarden.com.
About the League of Utah Writers
LUW is a vibrant writing community built on the backbone of local chapters throughout the state — from Cache Valley to St. George — with many to choose from along the Wasatch Front. Founded in 1935, LUW has grown into a strong network of writers and authors throughout the state. As a nonprofit organization, its members strive to promote literacy and creativity through education, mentoring, and inclusivity accessible through its local chapters. For more information go to www.LeagueofUtahWriters.org.
About Utah Humanities
UH is an independent nonprofit established in 1975. With a small, dedicated staff and volunteer board of directors, it offers public humanities programs across the state that involve thousands of people and organizations. To do its work, UH partners with organizations that want to improve their communities through the humanities. UH's partnerships span Utah and focus on literature, heritage, education, conversations, and local humanities ideas. Its mission is to empower Utahns to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities. UAD received funding from UH. For more information go to www.UtahHumanities.org.
