"The fact is, Luke didn't just have the idea during the trip, he actually wrote the book in the car," Jennifer Messer said.

Jennifer Messer was raised in Tennessee, and she and Luke, plus daughters Emma, 3, and Ava, 2, were headed to her home state for Thanksgiving with her family. During the long trip, the Messers talked about the lack of books on Indiana that are suitable for preschoolers. The couple knew from searching for Indiana-themed literature for their own children that very little was available.

"There is a book for older children called 'H is for Hoosier,' Jennifer said, "but it is more of a coffee table book and much too hard for preschool children."

Luke's interest in Indiana history ties in well with his job as state representative for District 57, where he represents most of Shelby County and part of Bartholomew County. Even though he has decided not to run for another term in the Legislature - choosing to return full time to practice law as a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Ice Miller - Luke Messer said he is still very proud of being a sixth-generation Hoosier.

Jennifer Messer also is a lawyer, but she recently left her job with the Indianapolis firm of Barnes and Thornburg to promote the couple's new book, "Hoosier Heart," full time.

"I was working for the firm two days per week from home so that I could be with the girls," Jennifer Messer said, "but establishing our own publishing company and working out all the details on the book has taken so much time, and promoting it will even take more."

Although Luke Messer wrote the book, his wife completed all of the 29 colorful illustrations featured on each page. To the delight of her daughters, she has included them and a fictional friend named Ben in many of the pictures. In fact, a good facsimile of their Shelbyville home is included on one page, and the pictures of the parents in the book actually resemble the author and illustrator.

"We would work on the book in the evenings after the girls went to bed," Jennifer Messer said. "I would work on my drawings, and Luke was making final decisions on the text. We would give each other feedback on what we were doing. It was actually lots of fun."

The Messers found the book collaboration so enjoyable that they are planning another book for preschoolers on Tennessee.

"We have been really excited by the reception to 'Hoosier Heart,' Jennifer Messer said. "We ordered 2,500 copies, and in less than a week, we have already sold 500 copies. We are ready to reorder."

Jennifer Messer does not consider herself an artist, although she has always enjoyed drawing. The couple first considered hiring a professional illustrator for "Hoosier Heart," but the $10,000 to $20,000 price tag quickly sent Jennifer Messer back to the drawing board.

"There is very little profit in publishing your own book," Jennifer Messer said. "We will be lucky to break even, so paying so much for a professional artist was out of the question."

One reason for so much interest in "Hoosier Heart" is its endorsement by the big names in Indiana politics. The back cover of the book boasts bipartisan praise from U.S. Sens. Richard G. Lugar and Evan Bayh, former first lady Judy O'Bannon, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and even Gov. Mitch Daniels.

The books currently are available locally at Three Sisters Books and Gifts, 7 Public Square, and the Messers will be at the store from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday to sign copies of "Hoosier Heart."

As an added bonus, Luke Messer will read from the book to any children who attend. Those wanting a copy of the $16.95 book also can find them at the Indiana State Museum and Borders Book Stores in Indianapolis as well as several children's clothing and toy shops.

Jennifer Messer discovered that the best way to market the book simply was to put a box of them in her truck and start making the bookstore rounds.

"I sent flyers about the book to everyone and everywhere," Jennifer Messer said, "but the best way is to go out and meet people and let them see the book. The book turned out so well that everyone who sees it wants to sell copies."

The Messers plan to read the book to elementary school classes in Shelby County this week, and they started with Loper Elementary School this morning. They will be at Hendricks Elementary School from 9:30 to noon on Wednesday and at Waldron Elementary School beginning at noon on Friday.