Guest Post & Giveaway: Dragonfly by Leila Meacham

DRAGONFLY

by

LEILA MEACHAM

  Genre: Historical / WWII / Espionage

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 

Date of Publication: July 9, 2019

Number of Pages: 576

Scroll down for giveaway!

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Roses comes a gripping new novel about five young spies embedded among the highest Nazi ranks in occupied Paris

 

At the height of World War II, a handful of idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds-a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer-all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of her or his own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly. 

 

Thus begins a dramatic cat-and-mouse game, as the group seeks to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But…is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

 

 

PRAISE FOR DRAGONFLY:

“Meacham’s impeccable pacing and razor-wire tension evoke the daily drama of life under a Reich whose French reign might have lasted little more than four years but felt like the thousand years that it threatened to endure.” ―Bookpage

 

“Meacham’s nail-biting tale will please fans looking for an intricate story of spycraft and deception.” ―Publishers Weekly

 

“Meacham ratchets the suspense ever tighter, while providing fascinating backstory on the intrepid five [American spies] as well as delivering a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation.” ―Booklist

 

“Complex, epic, and rich in historical detail-an uplifting story of finding friendship behind enemy lines.” ― Kirkus

 

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon ◆ Barnes & Noble   
 ◆ Indiebound   ◆  Walmart  ◆   

 

The Man Who Ultimately Inspired Dragonfly
Guest Post
By Leila Meacham

As a writer of historical family sagas, I have been asked what prompted me to deviate from that genre to write a novel posed against the background of World War II, especially the backdrop of Paris during the German occupation. My answer would have to be the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS. The germ was implanted way back in the fall of 1945 when I was seven years old. The son of a neighbor, a gentle man, kind to children and animals, returned to our hometown after peace was declared earlier that year. He limped, and part of an earlobe was missing, but he had not served in the armed forces. So what accounted for his injuries suffered when he was “over there”?
Years later, when he died an early death, it came out that he had volunteered to serve in a secret government agency known as the OSS and had been assigned to Paris where he was caught and tortured by the Gestapo, both strange names until research revealed the origins and purposes of both organizations. They were enough to raise the hair on one’s head. Even then, long before I ever thought to become a writer, I was left to wonder at the makeup of men and women of the OSS who would risk life and limb, horrible treatment, and death to serve their country through an organization where their names, bravery, and sacrifice might never come to light.
Thus it was that eight decades later, Dragonfly came to be. It is the story of five young Americans the OSS hand picks to insert into German-controlled Paris in the years 1942-44. Because of the extensive research, the narrative took nearly three years to write. Involved was a study of the history of the OSS and its founder, William J. Donovan, for which I am thankful for the biography “Wild Bill Donovan” that gave me an insight into the man and his agency. Other major sources besides the Internet, from which I gathered a staggering amount of information, were Ronald C. Rosbottom’s riveting When Paris Went Dark; Patrick K. O’Donnell’s Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs; and Douglas Wallers’s Disciples.
When all was said and done, I believe that germ imbedded in the back of my mind those many years ago may have inspired the nucleus of Dragonfly as a tribute to the memory of the man none knew was a hero living next door.

Leila Meacham is a writer and former teacher who lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of the bestselling novels Roses, Tumbleweeds, Somerset, and Titans.

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK   
GOODREADS   BOOKBUB

—————————————–

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

TWO SIGNED COPIES OF DRAGONFLY

August 7-17, 2019

(US ONLY)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

8/7/19	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
8/7/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
8/8/19	Review	Nerd Narration
8/9/19	Guest Post	The Page Unbound
8/9/19	Review	Momma on the Rocks
8/10/19	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
8/10/19	BONUS Audio Review	Hall Ways Blog
8/11/19	Audio Review	Forgotten Winds
8/12/19	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
8/12/19	Review	Bibliotica
8/13/19	Guest Post	Chapter Break Book Blog
8/13/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
8/14/19	Audio Review	Sydney Young, Stories
8/15/19	Guest Post	Missus Gonzo
8/16/19	Review	Max Knight
8/16/19	Review	Book Fidelity

   blog tour services provided by