Angela MacRae Shanks was born in Garmouth, a village near the mouth of the River Spey in north-east Scotland and still lives near her with her family. Her mother and grandmother were born in Strathavon, a real place, and this remote glen is very dear to her heart. Here she first heard tales of the dramatic history of the area, its people and their struggles, and became fascinated by it. Growing up in Moray, a beautiful part of Scotland known as "malt whisky country", an interest in the area's illicit past took hold, particularly the smuggling of whisky and the reasons behind it, prompting an idea for a series of novels. Her fascination with the natural world and the folklore of the Highlands, combined with her training in natural therapies spawned a need to weave herbal lore into her tales. Those who healed using plants and the wisdom of nature, usually women, were often branded witches, and she felt the need to explore this injustice. The Strathavon Saga grew naturally from this.
