Wrestler and Coach Publishes First Fantasy Novel

May 8, 2020 — West Jordan, Uta. — W.D. Kilpack III, a native of West Jordan, Uta., and wrestler and coach, had his first fantasy novel, Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood, published on Amazon.com.

Kilpack has been coaching wrestling in Utah since 1999, in freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle, at Mountain Top Wrestling Club and is currently an assistant coach at West Jordan High School. Previously, he coached at Copper Hills High School and Jordan High School, as well as the junior-high programs, Victory Wrestling Club and Jordan Junior Wrestling. As a coach, his team has earned three national championships and three national runner-up finishes.

As an athlete, he was an AAU National Champion, a seven-time national runner-up and qualified for international competition in Greco-Roman. He said, "My experiences as a wrestler and coach taught me the importance of work ethic and never giving up. Life can throw you curves and you just have to keep working and fighting, no matter what comes at you."

According to RedHeadedBookLover.com, "Crown Prince is one of the most brilliant fantasy novels that I have ever had the pleasure of reading and a book I am now obsessed with! ... Crown Prince is an incredible, thrilling and memorable story that will take its readers on a journey like no other ... The story of Crown Prince captivated me from the first page thanks to the book's sharp literature and strong opening ... W.D. Kilpack III is not only a phenomenal writer for his flawless ability to capture his reader's attention, but he is also a great writer for his descriptive powers and characterization of characters which will hook his readers! ... Crown Prince is a sensational, thrilling and addictive story that will thrill you as well as entertain you and so I have no choice but to award this stellar read five stars."

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, the thing I enjoyed most about the book ... W. D. Kilpack III 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 ... I am rating Crown Prince by W.D. Kilpack III 4 out of 4 stars ... fans of sword and sorcery fantasy will definitely find this novel a delightful read ... the series has the potential to acquire epic dimensions ... I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Order of Light."

Crown Prince is the first of an eight-book series centered 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, adhering 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. Spending 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.

Kilpack said that everyone has his or her writing process but his is a bit different. "My wife, Alison, loves her bedtime stories," he said. "I write every day, that night, I read to her. She tells me when she thinks I've gone too far or if she thinks a character wouldn't say or do something. It also allows me to get a wave of editing in while reading it out loud."

The rest of the New Blood series, in order, consists of Order of Light, Demon Seed, Rilari, Vengeance Born, Usurper's Might, Dark Guard and Guardian. "They're all written, and have gone through the bedtime-story stage, but are still going through the editing stages," Kilpack said.

Kilpack was born in Salt Lake City and raised in West Jordan, where he graduated at the top of his class from West Jordan High School, and served as editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper and twice as editor of the school literary/art magazine. After, he attended Westminster College of Salt Lake City, where he earned an Honors Program bachelor of arts degree, double majoring in communication (with a journalism emphasis) and philosophy (Western traditions emphasis). He graduated cum laude and served as editor of the college newspaper. After, he earned a master of professional communication (writing emphasis), also at Westminster.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been a writing and telling stories," Kilpack said. "Before I learned how to write, I would draw pictures of space ships, then act out the battles, drawing in the laser blasts and explosions after erasing parts of the ships that were blown away by enemies. I've blown up the U.S.S. Enterprise 10,000 times." After learning to write, he had his first poem published at the age of 9 and he was first hired to write professionally at 15.

Since then, Kilpack has earned many awards as a freelance writer published in two countries, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television. He received special recognition from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. He has been editor and publisher of 19 news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He is a communication professor at Salt Lake Community College. For more information, go to www.Kilpack.net.