As a fan of the "Wheel of Time" series (albeit one who got frustrated and bored with it long ago,) I was greatly surprised and saddened to learn that Robert Jordan died yesterday afternoon, succumbing to a form of cancer he had battled for just over a year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jordan
His wikipedia page has more details, though no specific information about the unfinished series have been released, other than a very close relative assuring fans that Jordan had shared major plot points and detailed notes with several people before his death.
R.I.P. James Oliver Rigney, Jr.