Unfettered

Cover Art by Todd Lockwood

One of the downsides to being an author is a lack of corporate aided health insurance. For those of us not making millions (you’d be surprised how many that is) medical problems can be devastating even if a full recovery is made.

Shawn Speakman is an author, webmaster, and recent cancer survivor, who after beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has more than $200,000 in medical bills. Shawn, however, also has friends. Famous friends. Terry Brooks for example who wrote a short story for him and suggested he ask a few of his other pals to pitch in some words and make an anthology.

So Shawn put out the word.

Did I mention Shawn has some interesting friends?

In 2013, Shawn will be publishing Unfettered, a fantasy anthology featuring stories by:

Terry Brooks
Patrick Rothfuss
Naomi Novik
Brandon Sanderson
RA Salvatore
Tad Williams
Jacqueline Carey
Daniel Abraham
Peter V. Brett
Robert VS Redick
Peter Orullian
Todd Lockwood
Carrie Vaughn
Blake Charlton
Kevin Hearne
Mark Lawrence
David Anthony Durham
Jennifer Bosworth
Lev Grossman
Michael J. Sullivan
Eldon Thompson
Shawn Speakman

The book is entitled Unfettered based on the idea that the authors were given no restrictions. We could do anything we liked. Sanderson is including a Wheel of Time piece and I’ve heard Rothfuss has submitted a poem. Lawrence is including a Jorg story, and I’m sending along an original Royce and Hadrian adventure entitled, The Jester.

The Jester takes place in the Riyria Chronicles era, around year four, and finds the two already in deep trouble after having taken another strange job. This time Riyria teams up with a pig farmer and the widowed wife of a candle baron who have an ancient treasure map, but not much sense.

While the book will not be out for a few months, it is up for pre-order. Unfettered will be published as a trade hardcover as well as a leather-bound, signed and numbered edition limited to 500 copies and autographed by all contributors.  Shawn also has his own book, The Dark Thorn available through Grim Oak Press, which he hopes will further help offset his medical expenses.

I hope you’ll help us help Shawn, and maybe in the process find a new favorite author or two.

For more information on Unfettered