Kilpack Receives The BookFest Award

West Jordan, Uta. — The BookFest announced the winners of the most recent BookFest Awards competition at their semiannual virtual event on April 2, 2022. Receiving a BookFest Award in the Epic Fantasy category was Utah author W.D. Kilpack III for his novel, Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood.

Kilpack said, "It's amazing to have someone recognize the value of my work. Whether it's a reader or an organization like The BookFest, it's so incredibly gratifying. I hope I never lose this feeling of appreciation."

Crown Prince is the first of the eight-book New Blood Saga, which centers around Natharr, the Guardian of Maarihk. He is one of a long line of protectors dating back to the Firstborn Age, before the Aa Conquest. Natharr's is an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see what is yet to be. He adheres to his sacred duties even in the centuries since the Firstborn were forced to the brink of extinction by the Aa. Natharr still stands guard over all men, Aa or Firstborn, Seeing what will come to pass, deciding what is unavoidable and what is not. He spends decades planning, even for saving the life of the newborn Crown Prince Vikari so he may one day reclaim the throne of the land where Mankind was created in the time when the Olde Gods walked.

The BookFest Awards honors outstanding books published within the last five years (extending it from three years). Due to lockdowns and social distancing, Desireé Duffy, founder of The BookFest, said that it was important to highlight books that may not have received the recognition deserved.

Duffy said, "The BookFest Awards honors outstanding literary achievement. Saluting writers and connecting them with readers is the mission of The BookFest. We welcome submissions and look forward to honoring many deserving books and authors."

This is the fourth award Kilpack has received for Crown Prince. The other three include the 2021 Firebird Book Award; a runner-up finish in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Online Book Club's 2020 Book of the Year Competition; and the Washington-based podcast, Sinister Soup, named Kilpack Author of the Month in April 2021 for the novel. Order of Light: Book Two of New Blood received the 2022 Firebird Book Award. Kilpack's recently published science-fiction novella, Pale Face, received special recognition from the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest.

According to OnlineBookClub.org, "Crown Prince stands out with amazing descriptions, complex characters, and intriguing supernatural elements ... book one in the New Blood series, the storyline is incredibly promising ... the author has a flair for setting the scene and creating memorable characters ... I absolutely loved the descriptive prowess of this author ... Kilpack genuinely takes the time to help us immerse in the fantasy world, no matter if he describes a battle scene, a peaceful moment, or a mythological creature like a Hamadryad or a Manticore, he always manages to conjure the best images in our minds ... the author does a great job of incorporating the supernatural elements in a general atmosphere of myth and legend ... there was nothing I disliked about this novel ... the series has the potential to acquire epic dimensions."

According to Sinister Soup co-founder, Clay Vermulm, said, "Kilpack delivers a stunning blow to the belief that Indie-Fantasy is worth any less that its salt. Crown Prince is a well-crafted epic with unique plot mechanisms, well-developed and believable characters, and a world grounded in the visceral and the real. I could not recommend this series any higher!"

The executive BookFest Awards judging committee includes Elaine Ash, Celeste S. Duckworth, Flo Selfman, and Elliott Wolf. Ash is an expert book doctor, ghostwriter, and editor with a forte for romance, thrillers and young adult, as well as non-fiction and self-help books. Ash is also the author of Bestseller Metrics: How to Win the Novel Writing Game. Duckworth is the president of Vertikal Life Magazine, a writer, and host of A Taste of Ink LIVE radio program. Selfman is an in-demand copyeditor-proofreader for award-winning books in many genres. She is the Immediate past president of the Independent Writers of SoCal (IWOSC), and currently writes the Grammar for Grownups column in the IWOSC newsletter, The Independent. Wolf is the founder of Peanut Butter Publishing, one of the oldest small publishing houses in the United States and has published more than 1,500 titles.

Books submitted to The BookFest Awards were evaluated with a three-round judging system: first by an expert vetting team to ensure submitted work meets necessary criteria; then by The BookFest associate judging committee; then final determinations were made by the executive BookFest Awards judging committee.

Kilpack is an award-winning and critically acclaimed internationally published writer, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television, starting with his first publication credit at the age of nine, when he wrote an award-winning poem. As an adult, he received special recognition from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. He has been editor and/or publisher of nineteen news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He is an accomplished cook and has two claims he thinks few can match: cooking nearly every type of food on a grill; and nearly being knocked flat when his grill exploded. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster College of Salt Lake City. 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. He is a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. 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, coach and teach. For more information.

The BookFest is produced by Black Château Enterprises and presented by Bookstagrammers, a platform dedicated to book influencers, and by Books That Make You, a bookish brand for bibliophiles. The BookFest is the leader in virtual literary events and produces vital conversations on the world's stage for those who love to read, and those who love to write. The BookFest has recognitions from the Webby Awards with a nomination in 2021, a gold award from the Muse Creative Awards in 2020, and a silver award from the w3 Awards in 2020. The BookFest is a registered trademark of Desireé Duffy, who is the founder of all three. For more information.