Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That's when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell tohelp alleviate those bills--and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends.
Unfettered is the result: an anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.
Twenty-three tales comprise this incredible collection, and as the title suggests, the writers were free to contribute whatever they wished.
With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life's hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right, but it's a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community--proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.
After all, isn't that the driving narrative in fantasy literature?
Author Biography
Shawn Speakman is the award-winning editor of Unfettered, Unbound, and Unfettered II, and the author of The Dark Thorn, an urban fantasy novel Terry Brooks called "a fine tale by a talented writer." An avid fan of SF&F, he owns Grim Oak Press and freelance writers for Penguin Random House. He currently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and son. Stacie Pitt is a freelance artist who graduated from Southern Utah University with a BFA in Studio Arts and who studied with award-winning artist Todd Lockwood. Learn more at www.staciepitt.com. Todd Lockwood's art has appeared on New York Times-bestselling novels, industry magazines, and fantasy/science fiction games, such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. He has won more than 15 Chesley Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and two World Fantasy Art Show Awards. He currently lives in Washington with his wife and three children. The Summer Dragon is his debut novel. He can be found at toddlockwood.com.
