Vision and Beyond

Maggie Shaw began writing stories as a child in the 1960s, inspired by the science fiction, fantasy and folklore novels she loved to read. After she had read every fiction book in her local children's library, the library gave the 11-year-old early access to the adult bookshelves. A teenage runaway who made good despite her struggles with substance abuse and mental health, Maggie worked for many years as a secretary and administrator but left her job in the City of London in 1989 to go back to school in Scotland. She achieved a BSc (Hons) in Dietetics and became a consultant mental health dietitian, working mainly in locked ward hospitals. In the 2000s, Maggie also qualified with a BD degree, a PGCSE in Religious Studies and a FD in Church music. Maggie retired as a dietitian in 2018 and set up the micro-publishing business Eregendal. That same year she was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), revealing the cause behind the struggles she had experienced in early life. Her novels often reflect her own search as a young adult for understanding and identity, within the context of fast paced stories written in the genres she has always loved.Maggie lives in South Cheshire with her husband Alan and their cat Tarby. When not writing and publishing books, Maggie is Director of Music at her local parish church and runs the singing for lung health group Breathe Better Sing Together.

• Introduction and Acknowledgements, Part 1 Into the vision, Part 2 And Beyond