Dear Friends,
Today, I'm thrilled to introduce my latest project, "Sister Agatha Mystery #4! Sadly, no title as of yet. I could use some help, if any of you have an idea. All the familiar characters are here again – Father Selwyn, Reverend Mother, Sister Callwen, Sister Gwenydd, and of course, Sister Agatha. They've been gathering in my head and my heart for months and now finally, they are on the page. I feel as if I’m welcoming old friends back into my life.
This time, our beloved Sister Agatha finds herself entangled in a tale that weaves through the shadowy corridors of history, reaching back to the early 1600s. But before I jump into the heart of this mystery, let me share with you the genesis of this story and the journey ahead.
First things first, the clock is ticking louder than ever. My deadline is set for February 1st – a really, really tight one indeed. Why the rush? Well, I'm starting a new job on February 5th, (pastor at a UCC church in CT— really excited) and I am determined to complete the first draft of this book before stepping into my new role. So, let's just say, my coffee machine is working overtime.
To bring this story to life, I've mapped out the entire mystery in Scrivener (love Scrivenr) As a happy plotter, I've started off by writing the first and the last chapter. My guiding star through this process? Jessica Brody's Save the Cat Writes a Novel. The 15 beats she proposes are the compass I’ve always needed.
Now, let's talk about Sister Agatha's latest adventure. First of all, I am a student of Church History and my favorite time period is the Reformation. My big dream is to write a mystery novel set in Wittenburg starring Katherine von Bora (Martin Luther’s wife) as the amateur detective. But that’s a book for another time.
In this next book, an ancient, mysterious manuscript from 1612 is discovered in Gwenafwy Abbey. But this is no ordinary manuscript. It tells the tale of an ancient society of women right there in Gwenafwy Abbey. In the early 1600s, men dominated medicine, with women mostly restricted to midwifery and herbal remedies. Women who practiced medicine or healing faced suspicion and were often accused of witchcraft. To avoid persecution during King James I's witch hunts, women formed secret societies in former monasteries, abandoned after Henry VIII's Dissolution in the 1530s, seeking safety and a place to practice their skills.
Hmm... This could be where my imagination has taken over. Women hiding out in abandoned monasteries? Absolutely historically accurate? Maybe not. Perfectly plausible? Definitely. And an awesome plot for a page-turner. The ancient manuscript is found in the first scene (so it's not a spoiler alert) and then very quickly a dead body turns up. And from there, the story takes off, intertwining past and present in a dance of intrigue and revelation.
So, join me on this journey as I write, plot, and unravel the mystery of the next Sister Agatha mystery. Stay tuned for updates on my writing schedule, the challenges I face, and the joys of bringing Sister Agatha's world to life once again.
My next blog will be "Creating the Perfect Setting: The Welsh Countryside". Watch for it wherever you find your blogs!
Until next time, keep the mystery alive!
Jane