About the Author & Illustrator

Married in 2002, Luke and Jennifer Messer live in Shelbyville, Indiana, with their beloved young daughters and two West Highland White Terriers.

Luke Messer, a sixth-generation Hoosier, was born in Evansville and raised in Greensburg, Indiana. Luke graduated with high honors from Wabash College and Vanderbilt University School of Law. Luke is a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Ice Miller, serving as a memberof its Public Affairs Group.

At the end of 2006, Luke will complete his second term as State Representative for District 57, where he represented Shelby and Bartholomew counties. Luke’s legislative work on high school drop out prevention (HEA 1347) has received national recognition and was featured in the Time magazine cover story “Drop Out Nation” and on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Luke serves on the community resource committee of Gleaners Food Bank and is a founding board member of ChildShare Indiana, a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to finding homes for foster children through local congregations.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, and raised in Northeast Tennessee, Jennifer Messer became a Hoosier in 2001 when she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, and joined the law firm Barnes & Thornburg.

Jennifer obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and speech communication from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. In 2006, Jennifer started Eva Publishing LLC, which publishes entertaining, educational books for little learners and the adults who read to them. Jennifer is a member of the board of directors of Girls Inc. of Shelby County and is a founding board member of ChildShare Indiana.