Ghostwriter Pens Book for Young Author with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

NASHVILLE, TN—When Jason Walker first contacted Taryn Simpson he didn't have the money to pay for ghostwriting services. Taryn politely thought, “Thanks, but no thanks.” As she sat on the couch staring at his email she felt she should reconsider the project. She decided to email him and ask why he wanted to do this book. He told her that his mom suggested he do it to get his mind off the "day to day" stuff. That comment got her to thinking, “What is it really like to be a quadriplegic and live that way, day in and day out?”

Taryn is a member of the Nashville-based team of writers and editors known as Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (www.writersinthesky.com) affectionately known as WITS to the subscribers of the company’s newsletter, blog and podcast. Taryn wouldn’t commit to doing the pro bono project until she cleared it with Yvonne Perry, the company owner who sent her the lead for the project. “I was willing to let go of a few commission dollars to help someone who is unable to help himself,” says Perry. “If Taryn was willing to do the project without pay, she certainly had my blessing.”

Ms. Perry has a soft heart for those who suffer with illness and debilitating conditions. She is the author of RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America (www.right2recover.com). She wrote the book to help educate people about stem cell biology and avert the unnecessary controversy regarding blastocystic stem cell research. She hopes for federal funding for the research that she believes will help millions of people recover.

Even with her team leader’s permission, Taryn continued to struggle with her decision. She needed to make money, but the nagging feeling inside would not let her rest. “One of the wondrous advantages of being self-employed is that we can make our own choices of what to do and what not to do,” says Ms. Simpson. “I was a bit nervous about it, but I decided to write Jason’s book pro bono.”

Taryn drafted a contract for Jason trusting that her financial needs would somehow be met. She felt that she needed to get the book done quickly. “I wanted him to feel the thrill of being an author, being in the limelight and doing interviews,” says Taryn, who is the author of several books of her own. Her latest novel The Mango Tree Café, Loi Kroh Road was co-authored with Alan Solomon of Beijing. Their book was nominated for numerous awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize.

It took about 3-4 months for Taryn to write the book because she had to fit it in between other projects. Another paying client contracted her to write a book at the same time which gave her the financial freedom to feel confident about writing Jason’s book without pay. Jason’s disability wasn't an issue in working on this book because he was has a computer program that automatically types for him when he speaks. An interview with Jason is posted at
http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2007/11/book-on-living-with-duchenne-muscular.html.

Taryn took this author all the way to the finish line. She obtained a copyright for the book, took care of self-publishing with Lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com/content/1019489) and did some pro bono marketing once the book was finished. “Jason has tons of contacts in the media,” says Simpson, “so, I know they will help him out.”