Abide with Me by Jane Willan | Author Interview

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Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Abide With Me: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery by Jane Willan. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

Abide With Me: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery

by Jane Willan

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Abide With Me: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Amazon White Glove (November 17, 2020)
Number of Pages – 300

Change is afoot at Gwenafwy Abbey. Ten new nuns from a convent in Los Angeles join the community of Anglican sisters bringing energy, youthful enthusiasm, and more electronic equipment than Sister Agatha could have imagined. The arrival of the new nuns brings something else to the Abbey—a bit of unexpected notoriety.

Claire MacDonagh, an ambitious young reporter for The Church Times, interviews the new sisters for a feature story. Murder is the last thing on anyone’s mind when Claire is found dead on the beach, her mobile phone in the sand. A tragic death, says Constable Barnes. A selfie gone bad.

Meanwhile, Sister Agatha is unconvinced and puts on her detective’s hat, only to find herself in the midst of a tangled murder mystery. Her suspect list includes everyone from the new sisters to Reverend Mother to the beloved archbishop of Wales. Time is running out as Sister Agatha uncovers a shocking reality. Will she reveal the truth hidden in an ancient document before it is too late?

Author interview

Hi, Jane! Thanks for taking the time to share a little about yourself with my readers and me.

My pleasure!

First, I love your bio and completely agree with everything! Dog walking, coffee, and books. I’d only add cat cuddling to that list!

So, what beach would you be walking your dog on regularly if you could?

I would walk along Old Orchard Beach in ME. It’s a beautiful stretch of beach almost seven miles long.

And what is your perfect cup of coffee like?

Well, in my favorite red mug. Hot. Very dark. A little cream. No sugar.

As for the books, well, I see you love Jane Eyre, but what are your other favorites that you’d be reading in that perfect world?

Anything by Anthony Horowitz, Barbara Pym, Elizabeth Strout. The Narnia Chronicles and At Home in Mitford for comfort reading.

Which film version of Jane Eyre is your favorite (mine is definitely the one with Orson Wells)?

Actually, I don’t like any of them that much—the book is so much better. But the movie I do love (that is sort of a Jane Eyre movie) is To Walk Invisible which is about the Bronte sisters. Sort of Jane Eyre in the making. Oh, I need to look for that!

What is one of your favorite books that you read as a child?

The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island. Loved it. I think it was one of my first chapter books.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No. I only started writing when I was in my thirties. But I was such a big reader, that writing was inevitable.

What made you decide to start writing this cozy mystery series?

I didn’t really decide ahead of time in any deliberate way. I just started writing about a character who was an Anglican nun and it developed.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing?

Yes! Two of the closest are Barbara Melosh, a Lutheran pastor and published author. And my long-time friend, Jane Gardner, soon to be published. Without them there would be no Sister Agatha or anything written.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

Ebooks. I like that I can tap the screen and things happen.

What are two of your favorite book covers of all time? (Not including your own.)

Not sure….too many to choose from!

If you have pictures on your writing desk, who or what are they of?

My husband, Don, holding our dog, Moses. A photo of Agatha Christie. A map of Wales.

Are there any special snacks or drinks you NEED to have when you’re writing?

Coffee, sliced apples, popcorn, Greek yogurt., cornflakes with almond milk.

If you could go anyplace in the world, and write a novel based upon that place, where would you go?

The coast of Maine

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I am the pastor of the First Congregational Church of Paxton and every Saturday I have to put my fiction writing down and write a sermon.

What are you working on now?

A book set in Maine about a struggling church. I am calling it The Wandering Pilgrims of Sparrow, Maine.

Finally, please tell us 3 fun things that helped you get through the quarantine!

Hiking with my husband and dogs
Netflix (!)
Reading, reading, reading

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About Jane Willan

Jane Willan 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.

Author Links

Website – https://www.janewillan.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jane.willan.9

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Jane_Willan

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorjaneawillan/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8507263.Jane_Willan

Purchase Link –Amazon