A WOMAN who suffers with myalgic encephalopathy (ME) has written her first book.

Lauren Auty from Hitchin has written Blades of Shadow, which went on sale in print and via Kindle earlier this month.

The fantasy novel is intended to be the first part of The Raven’s Tear trilogy, which follows the life of protagonist Silver.

Beginning with the murder of the young woman’s father, the story sees Silver running for her life with her only companions being a stable hand and common street thief.

And when running is no longer an option for survival, Silver has to fight back and finds that not only her fate but the very fabric of reality and the world they know hangs in the balance.

On top of the struggles of writing a debut novel, the 27-year-old has also had to battle with ME, a syndrome which causes severe and debilitating fatigue.

Lauren was diagnosed with the condition a year ago and had to leave her job providing support for pupils with social and emotional problems at Barclay School in Stevenage. Now she hopes to make a career of writing.

“I always enjoyed writing at school,” said Lauren, who lives in Sharps Court, and took two years to write the novel.

“In history I’d always have my textbook on the table and scribbling on my notepad in my lap. To write my first book is a bit of a dream come true.

“I’m aiming to have the next one out in 18 months depending on my health. I can barely stand for five minutes at a time and I can only concentrate for about 30 to 40 minutes because I get really tired. Sometimes I forget how to write words and I can’t do anything. It’s really weird.

“For me it’s staying positive, I can still fulfil my own dreams and even with the restrictions I’ve got I can get to where I want to be.”

Blades of Shadow is available to buy online via Amazon and can be downloaded on Kindle.