Xavier alumni work in a variety of fields: teaching, business, science, and more. One Xavier alumnus is even working as an author.

Xavier 2012 graduate, Mr. Joshua Rouse, has recently published a book called The Prince Games. The Prince Games is about a princess locked in a tower. All the princes in the land compete to save her. It was inspired by fairy tales Rouse read when he was young. He started writing his book when he was a sophomore at Xavier. A former Xavier English teacher, Mr. Dennis Ferguson, served as his editor and mentor. Rouse chose to publish the book himself, through Eagle Book Bindery in Cedar Rapids.

“Eagle Book Bindery is a local printing company who specializes in self-published authors,” Rouse said.

“They were great to work with and it’s been a blessing to have their help. I’m glad I decided to go with self publishing, especially with staying here in Cedar Rapids, where I grew up. Knowing a lot of people in the area has definitely helped get a base going, not only for The Prince Games, but for myself as an author.”

Rouse is working on writing more stories, in between teaching classes as Mrs. Alissa Sabers’ maternity substitute at Xavier.

“I am currently working on two other books and a medieval fantasy trilogy,” Rouse said. “One book is science fiction and about sky pirates, entitled Flagship. The other is a spiritual sequel to The Prince Games. The upcoming trilogy is based on a game my brother and I made up when we were kids.”

Some of the Xavier faculty have risen up in support of Rouse and his aspirations of becoming a well-known published author.

“Xavier alum are so talented,” Mrs. Tracie Marshall said. “It’s great to see anyone’s work after college! I would love to know how many students are working in a writing or publishing field after college.”

The Prince Games is available as an e-Book through Kindle, iBooks, and Nook. It can be bought in print through Eagle Book Bindery. The book can also be found in the Xavier LMC.

Kathleen Kenney

A&E Writer