New Release Spotlight: THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn

Craving stories about brave women of the past? Read about the unsung women who risked their lives as spies during World War I: The Alice Network is finally available for readers wherever books are sold! In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

 About The Book 

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

BUY THE ALICE NETWORK

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Advance Praise For "The Alice Network"

“Amazing historical fiction... a must read!” (Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice) 

 “Lovingly crafted and brimming with details, readers are sure to be held in Quinn’s grip watching as the characters evolve. Powerful reading you can’t put down!” (RT Book Reviews (top pick)) 

 “The Alice Network... perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. This is historical fiction at its best--thrilling, affecting, revelatory.” (Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris) 

 “Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!” (Stephanie Dray, author of America's First Daughter)

About The Author

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with "The Alice Network." All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.

Kate's Website | Facebook Page | Twitter | Newsletter

Cover Reveal: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

I am so thrilled to share with you the cover for Kate Quinn's highly anticipated new book -- THE ALICE NETWORK which releases in June!

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

"The Alice Network, which hinges on the unsung valor of female espionage agents in the Great War, perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. This is historical fiction at its best--thrilling, affecting, revelatory." --Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris

"Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!" -- Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter

"A ring of daring female spies known as the Alice Network left a legacy of blood and betrayal. Two women suffering the losses of two different wars must join forces, one to find her voice and her redemption, the other to face her fears and her oldest enemy. Kate Quinn strums the chords of every human emotion with two storylines that race over continents and through decades to converge in one explosive ending." --Marci Jefferson, author of The Girl on the Golden Coin

PRE-ORDER your copy today!

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Female Spies During the Civil War by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Belle Boyd, a Civil War spy.

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author and blogger, Kathleen Bittner Roth. She'll be posting here with us every first Tuesday of the month, and I couldn't be more thrilled! 

Female Spies During the Civil War

Female spies have been known throughout the centuries in royal court, eavesdropping on conversations held at balls and in corridors, but did you know that the use of women as spies was commonplace in both England and America during the 19th century? In England, the brunt of spying took place in industry, while in America, the greatest use of female spies took place during the Civil War.

I find this particularly interesting because the Civil War occurred during the morally repressive Victorian era. Every action, dress codes, even education for women were so constricted that even the language back then became repressive – one must never have referred to a table leg or piano leg. Instead, they were called table limbs, or a piano’s limb. Every action a woman took was governed by the repressed Victorian mores, yet this era became a high season for female spies.

While some women took over teaching jobs, farming, and managing shops in the absence of their men gone off to war, some women moved close to the troops in the form of nursing, or raising supplies for the troops. But there were women who supported their country in a far more dangerous manner—they became spies. Many of these brave souls baked messages in bread or pies, and carried them across enemy lines with nary a blink of an eye. All of them carried weapons or spying devices of one kind or another. Had they been caught, they’d have been hanged by the neck until dead.

Belle Boyd was one of these bold spies. She would often show up at her father’s hotel and eavesdrop on Union officers registered there. Bold as they came, she would deliver her information to General Stonewall Jackson himself, moving through Union lines, so close to battle that it’s been said she’d returned more than once with bullet holes in her skirts.  

Scandalous was not even the word for what these women were doing. If found out, they were considered no better than a common prostitute. Some of these women who performed a great service to their country were born into wealthy families, yet after the war, they were shunned by polite society, despite their heroism. 

Some of the spy paraphernalia these valiant women carried was quite clever—as shown below:

Victorian spy camera hidden inside a pocket watch

A ring gun with extra bullets carried in a bullet necklace

A one-shot pocket watch pistol

Take a look at the daggers in this ladies fan!

Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.

Check out Kathleen's list of books on Amazon!