A. E. Pritchard

A.E. Pritchard began publishing her own writing well before today’s comprehensive self-publishing groups appeared on the scene. “When I began, I was an academic, and self-publishing—even a text book on teaching critical thinking—was frowned upon. If your work was good enough, the reasoning went, a traditional publisher would pick it up. But I was convinced my work was good enough and wanted to get it out there for teachers to use. It turns out I was in good company,” she adds with a smile. “Tom Peters self-published ‘In Search of Excellence’ and Irma Rombauer ‘The Joy of Cooking.’ More, my special favorites, Emily Dickinson, George Bernard Shaw and Stephen Crane, published their own work. I’m in good company today as well. J.K. Rowling, for instance, is selling e-book versions of her ‘Harry Potter’ series directly from her website.”

In addition to textbook both self- and traditionally published, Pritchard with iUniverse has brought out her own series of novels, her St. Martins mysteries, that take place in and around a small college on Maryland’s Eastern Shore—a college much like the one where she taught for nearly twenty years. The series includes ‘Death’s Dark Angel,’ ‘Death at Dames Hundred’ and ‘Zahira’s Jihad’ and follows a continuing cast of characters who work out their own destinies as they confront the evils that attend murder as well as their own and others’ attitudes toward issues people struggle to address today.

“Writing mystery and suspense, and in the case of ‘Zahira’s Jihad,’ a thriller with an Islamist political context, has its challenges,” Pritchard notes. “When I began ‘Death’s Dark Angel,’ I visited our local police station to learn about police procedure first hand. The sergeant was very helpful, even warmed to the subject, but for the first ten minutes or so, kept eying me covertly as if wondering what I really had in mind. Then with ‘Death at Dames Hundred,’ I called at a nearby Maryland State Police barracks. The troopers openly answered my questions, but again, there was that sense of quizzical caution. For ‘Zahira’s Jihad,’ I had to do research on the nature of Islam and the making of suicide bombs. The Patriot Act had recently been put in place, and as I checked out all the books on Islam at my local library then studied an on-line edition of the Islamist terrorist’s handbook and Internet guidelines for the use of plastic explosives, I wondered if Homeland Protection might be checking on me because of my ‘interesting activity.’ But so far so good! No one has come around flashing badges and inviting me to answer ‘a few questions’ and my books are available in both print and e-book editions.”

Pritchard has high hopes for her series’ success and for the success of the many authors bringing their writing to life in print-on-demand versions, and especially as electronic books for tablets such as the Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Sony readers. “According to Wikipedia,” she explains. “76% of all the books that came out in 2009 were self-published. Writers determined to get into print and reach out to audiences made this revolution possible together with the technological and consulting expertise of self-publishing companies and on-line booksellers. It’s thrilling to be a part of it. I hope many other not-yet-published- authors will see how rich the possibilities are for them and will join the movement.”

While she began her writing with non-fiction and is the author of a definitive text on service learning, Pritchard now devotes herself to writing fiction. She is especially enthusiastic about the plays she writes for community groups. Two of these are comedies, and she is currently at work on a stage thriller in which a woman silenced by stroke must save herself from becoming a murder victim. In this play as well as in her books, A. E. Pritchard reaches out to those looking for exciting stories in which women use critical thinking and personal courage to surmount lethal challenges. “I want my readers to enjoy my tales and at the same time, hopefully, to reflect on contemporary issues and explore the deep values that shape thought and action in this most amazing of times.