Today Sister Agatha is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Abide with Me, the latest novel in the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn mystery series.

Welcome, Sister Agatha. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

I live inside a terrific story—where I am both main character and heroine.  I am modest also which anyone who knows me will tell you.

The story is set in North Wales—the most beautiful spot on earth and filled with the best people. Lots of the action takes place either at the Abbey where I live with my Anglican sisters or in the village of Pryderi.

The series so far is three books long and the most recent book, Abide with Me, is my favorite, I have to say.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

The writer starts off with great intentions, but I usually pull ahead of her. The best writing that she does is when she lets me run with it. I have noticed that sometimes she can hardly keep up!

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was always the main character, but I have grown more complicated with time. For example, I began as a rather dull person but soon the writer discovered my many talents including that I am a crackerjack novelist—as yet unpublished. She also found out that I am a librarian and up to speed with all the latest in library technology.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

My best friend in the world is Sister Callwen. She is smart, organized and very close to God. She is my better half. I like to think that she sees me as her better half, but I doubt she does.  I am also close to the Reverend Mother. She is a fabulous leader and excellent basketball player. I depend on her to keep me steady.

But my best friend outside of the Abbey is Father Selwyn. He is funny, reverent, kind, and enjoys tea and cakes as much as I do. We’ve been friends since the fourth form.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

Mostly I am at the Abbey. The Abbey is hundreds of years old and built of stone and old wood and crawling with ivy. It has lovely walkways and gardens and all sorts of nooks and crannies. My favorite spot, my holy of holies, is the attic library.

The abbey is at the top of Church Lane with the village just below. The village is also a favorite place especially The Buttered Crust Tea Shop.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

I may be a nun and a writer and a novelist, but what I really am is a detective. And if you want a story of detection complete with action and suspense, then you must enter into my world through the pages of this series. You’ll love it!

Thank you for answering my questions, Sister Agatha, and good luck to you and your author, Jane Willan, with Abide with Me, the latest book in the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Sister Agatha and her author, Jane Willan by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram pages. Readers can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at AMAZON 

About Jane Willan: Jane wants to live in a world where everyone has time to read their favorite books, drink good coffee, and walk their dog on the beach, but until that can happen she enjoys life as a pastor and writer. When she’s not working on a sermon, or hiking with her husband, Don, you can find her rereading Jane Eyre, binge-watching Downton Abbey, and trying out new ways to avoid exercise.