Teresa and Bill Peschel are a writing team today but they weren’t always. As local Hershey authors with a passion for Agatha Christie, mystery, sci-fi romance, and journalism, they gradually grew into self-publishers with thirty-four books and counting.

Teresa, a retired U.S. Navy officer, and Bill, a lifelong newspaper journalist, found their winding career paths leading them to Hershey. Bill took a position with The Patriot-News, and began writing more seriously. As his supportive spouse, Teresa edited his books. However, it wasn't until she received a second-hand laptop that she realized she also had stories to tell.

When Bill's tenure with the newspaper ended, the couple — married for 32 years — had the time to develop their own content ideas. Their journey began with annotating classic Agatha Christie novels and vintage Sherlock Holmes fanfiction. This led to watching and reviewing over 300 film and TV adaptations of Christie's work, resulting in the books "Agatha Christie, She Watched" and its sequel, "International Agatha Christie, She Watched." Their new project, beginning in 2026, will be “Jane Austen, She Watched.”

Independent authors and publishers like the Peschels face a challenging path. From writing original content to editing, designing, and publishing, most independent books start as passion projects that require dedication and determination. Local support for authors exists at independent booksellers and social media, book signings, meet-and-greets, book fests, and other events are crucial for raising awareness and ensuring the success of small book publishers.

With no shortage of ideas, the Peschels have also written titles such as "The Casebook of Twain & Holmes," "The Bride from Dairapaska" under Teresa’s pseudonym Odessa Moon.