-our blessing song-
-a day in the life
of Jan Bower-
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Bower Family Books
is owned by us, Gary & Jan Bower, husband & wife of 34 years. We create books that foster love and respect, and emphasize biblical wisdom and Christian values. Gary writes, Jan illustrates, and together we publish from our rural home studios on the outskirts of Traverse City, Michigan. We enjoy our large family of 12 children, many of whom are active in the family business. In 1999, Gary, a former pastor and freelance writer, wrote his first children's book, Tessa's Treasures. Jan, who has painted commissioned portraits since the late 1970s, created vibrant illustrations for the story using oil paints on canvas.
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In October 2000, we self-published this 32-page hardcover book under the imprint of our newly formed publishing company Storybook Meadow Publishing. Its first print run of 3,000 books sold out in eight weeks, and we soon added two more titles to form the Thinking of Others Series. In 2001, a large publishing company purchased the rights to the three titles and published them with redesigned covers. Sales were modest, and in 2003 we were blessed to secure the rights to the books once again, adding a fourth title to the series in 2004. Since then, we keep at it, slowly but steadily adding new beautiful books to our product line. We have released our 14th book as of spring 2012, with many new products in the works.
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Just how does a mother of 12 illustrate books?
Watch "A Day In The Life Of Jan Bower"
About the Illustrator
Jan Bower began doing portraiture in high school, using oil pastels at first until she sold enough portraits to purchase her first set of oil paints. Her first commissioned oil portrait was of a professor at the college Gary attended. Self-taught and passionate about her art, she developed her skills and techniques through years of personal study, trial-and-error, and practice. Over the last 30+ years, Jan has painted hundreds of commissioned portraits. All along the way, her husband, Gary, kept trying to coax her to illustrate books for him. She finally gave it a whirl ten years ago. Now, illustrating consumes much of her time and artistic focus. She has created hundreds of adorable book illustrations, both for her husband's books and for others.
About the Author
Gary fell in love with picture books at an early age, sitting in the lap of a mother who understood the wisdom of investing reading time in her child's life. As a youngster he entertained himself for hours by writing his own comic strips, comic books, jokes, poems, and skits. As an adult, his years of professional and volunteer experience ministering to small children and teens, combined with thousands of story nights with his own children, have helped him develop his skills with the written word and polish his storytelling craft. While he has been published with several conventional publishers, self-publishing is something he loves. It allows him not only the opportunity to develop a story, but also the joy of designing the entire book and working very closely with every aspect of the publishing process. He has been tinkering with several adult story ideas for years; but for the time being, he has found his voice in the melodic and tender lines of picture books.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Jan, how do you find time to paint with 12 kids?
A. Of course, I paint a lot more now that 6 of them have moved out of the home. I used to require huge blocks of time, which were difficult to make. Now I've learned to paint 5 minutes here, ten minutes there. When I face a book deadline, I try to take care of domestic business in the morning and paint in the afternoon, often with kids at a nearby table, easel, or at my knees.
Q. Where do you get your models to paint?
A. They're all around me. Not only have I used my own kids and grandkids numerous times, but I'm always on the lookout for just the right age, hair color, features, etc. for the next painting. I find them at church, at art shows, and with the help of teachers. Sometimes I just walk up to total strangers with a business card if someone catches my eye.
Q. Do you homeschool your children?
A. Yes, we have homeschooled since 1984, and look forward to graduating our twelfth child in 2022.
Q. What are the ages of your children?
A. Our 9 daughters and 3 sons range from 33 years to 8 years. We changed diapers for 25 years straight. Seven of our kids are married, with a running total of 11 grandchild and two more on the way.
Q. Have you both always lived in Northern Michigan?
A. In 1990 we built our home seven miles west of Traverse City on 2.5 acres of the same family farmland Jan grew up on, where her grandparents once lived. Gary's family moved around a lot, mostly around Mansfield, Ohio, and four years in Horseheads, NY.
Q. Do each of you come from large families?
A. Jan is the 4th of six children. Gary is the 3rd of five children. All our parents and siblings are still living.
Q. How did you meet?
A. We met September 3, 1977 during a vocal audition at Fort Wayne Bible College in Ft. Wayne IN. That night we attended a Christian concert together. We have been "dating" ever since, with our most memorable date being on July 29, 1978 when we said our vows in a little Quaker church near Traverse City, MI.
Q. Jan, what hobbies do you enjoy?
A. I enjoy gardening, running on the treadmill, sewing, and singing. I'm trying to learn to play viola.
Q. Gary, what hobbies do you enjoy?
A. I read a lot, especially about history. Yard work clears my head (clearing brush, planting trees, mowing the lawn, etc.). I enjoy road trips with the family, walking, and outdoor activities. I enjoy listening to Jan and the kids make music. Actually, anything with the family. I especially love reading aloud to the kids in the evenings.
Q. Gary, what other line of work are you in?
A. Writing, painting, publishing, speaking, and selling our books - this has been our family's entire means of support for the past twelve years. Before that I built houses, operated printing presses, worked at a bank, and served as a pastor of children and youth.
Q. Have you worked with other publishers?
A. We have been published by several publishing companies in the past. Currently, we publish all our books ourselves, drawing from the lessons we've learn from some wonderful people in the industry. Publishers we've worked with include Tyndale Publishing, Pelican Publishing, and others.
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