Paulette Bilyieu VelhoI am the author of Keeping One Branch Green, a novella. My cover designer described my book as an Old Man in the Sea type of tale. It's an easy read with a profound message. The book cover with a Russian church along with the title alludes to the fac that many perished in Eastern Europe, but not all. One branch of the family tree survived. It remains green and alive to this day. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Principia College in French and Fine Arts. Subsequently, I studied at several universities, in the field of education. I received my Professional Educator's Certificate twenty years ago and have enjoyed many years of teaching in public and charter schools in Florida. I am only child. I was born and raised in Scarsdale. New York, an affluent suburb of New York City. I am first generation American on my mother's side. My mother, Wanda Bilyieu, a signed and prolific artist, was born in Latvia. Bilyieu is my maiden name. I use it as part of my author's name. My father's upstate New York Irish and Huguenot family has lived in America for generations. They appear in the first Federal census of 1790 in Schoharie County, New York. I proudly have two grown sons, one resides in Florida and one lives in Pennsylvania, and I have two adorable grandsons. I enjoy taking the stories that I've heard all my life and weaving them into books. Keeping One Branch Green developed out of a magazine interview with my grandfather in December 1941. I had the article translated into English from Lithuanian and used it as a basis to weave a story, rich with emotion and detail. I am hopeful that my next book will be published in 2020. I hope you will enjoy reading it. Read More Read Less