I just finished reading your book "The Olive Branch". I enjoyed it very much. You are claiming that characters and dialogue are a product of your imagination, but you created a very credible and interesting portrayal of the French Resistance movement. I felt it. I visualize it. I smelled the delicious French food (I am partially French after my Grandmere). I had a tear in my eye remembering the Gestapo torture of my father. I am survivor of those horrible times in Poland and I experienced on my own body, mind and soul the assaults of the occupier.
I published in 2004 my book titled "Noble Hearts" dedicated to people who sacrificed their own life to save the life of others. I am active in writers workshop in Holocaust Museum in St.Petersburg, where I'm working with others on so call "Memory Project". I hope that we meet some days to share our writing and publishing experiences. Good luck on your new novel!

Sincerely yours,
George J. Turlo

I wanted to provide you feedback that my mother read your book this past week after I just gave it to her for Christmas.

She read the book in less than a week and absolutely loved the book.
She spoke highly of the research and depth of your main character. My mother found the French resistance to be very interesting and compelling. She looks forward to your next book and hopefully a continued series to the Olive Branch. That was her first question, "where is the next book?" She said that you have it set up that another book is ready to continue this character.

Patrick Moore
VP of Burlington Healthcare Providers

"Dear Linda,
I just finished the book, thank heavens, I need to get on with my life....as in...I couldn't put it down. Truly you did a wonderful job. The attention to historical detail and the development of the characters was superb! It moved at a great clip, all the characters meshing into a well woven story fabric. It was a GREAT read!!! Every French person alive should embrace this book and let the world know how brave they were in WWII."

Betty Barry

"I just finished reading your marvelous book. The story, with which of course I was most familiar, nevertheless came alive under your deft pen. The characters were very real, even the Germans were not caricatures as they are in so many portrayals. I have visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Israel and walked along the Path of the Righteous Gentiles, the people who hid and aided the Jews of Europe. I’m sure that in addition to those who were known and memorialized, there were many who died unknown. Your book serves as a reminder that we must be ever vigilant to the possibility of another rise in fascism and the loss of our liberties. I am always appalled at those who march in the name of Nazism and who have never learned the lessons of World War II. I was 10 years old in 1943, when my cousin went off to war and was killed in action. I remember the story of Ann Frank who was just two years older than I and I have always identified with this period in history. I’m attaching one of my poems that I read at the workshop conference that reflects on my memory of that time."

Book Review by Sue Nussbaum

Talented Author Speaks at Meeting

The Bonita Springs Women's Club met Tuesday November 1 at the clubhouse on Childer's Street. We welcomed guest speaker, Linda Bilodeau, a talented writer from Estero. Her latest book "The Olive Branch" is the story of Denise Dumont, a courageous young woman who joins the French Resistance and works with friends to help free her country. Bilodeau is a wonderful speaker with an equally wonderful book.

The Bonita Banner by Doris Bowyer

Author to host creative writing workshop

When author Linda Bilodeau found out her husband was coming to do vacation coverage for St. Clare Hospital's, Dr. Jim Pierce, she hustled to find opportunities to speak about her new book.

In addition to two book signings in West Lafayette, she will also lead a free creative writing workshop at the Crawfordsville Public Library.

She's used to teaching. As a member of the adjunct facility at Marian College and Indiana University,Linda insisted her business students do papers properly. Ms. Bilodeau is accustomed to writing and publishing nonfiction as well. Her fiction career started as a hobby in 1993.

Even though The Olive Branch was fictional, she conducted research and read about women in the French Resistance. She tried to find subtle nuances about French culture in order to make the work real. Her second book, Stepping Through Seagrass was inspired by her sister's difficult but successful quest to overcome alcoholism.

In her workshop, Ms. Bilodeau plans to share her thoughts on writing fiction as well as her experiences with agents and publishers.

Crawfordsville Journal Review by Brittney Dick
Crawfordsville, Indiana