I’m absolutely over the moon that the wonderful Garage Girls, who inspired my novel The Codebreakers and documentary Red Lipstick Intelligence, have received the Australian Intelligence Medal. I only had to keep this secret a short time (I was partly involved in the application process) and it reminded me how difficult it must have been for these ladies to keep secrets for decades! Well done, Joyce, Coral and Ailsa, I’m so proud of you!
I am very pleased to announce RED LIPSTICK INTELLIGENCE, the documentary I’ve been working on with Yael Bergman and Nick McInerney, has been selected by the Australian International Documentary Conference to be in their Central Showcase.
Only thirteen documentaries were chosen from a very competitive international field, so we’re super pleased! This means we will have special access to pitch our documentary to international film financiers, broadcasters, streamers, sales agents, and distributors at the AIDC conference in March. I am still blown away!
Here’s a quick rundown on our documentary:
RED LIPSTICK INTELLIGENCE
When Hitler declared he hated red lipstick, Allied women painted their lips in defiance and a group of secret Australian heroines working as codebreakers helped change the course of WWII.
Director: Nick McInerney
Producers: Yael Bergman, Alli Sinclair
YB Productions, Codewords Productions (Australia)
Not a bad start to my new company, Codewords Productions!
If you’d like to see all the productions selected, you can click here: https://if.com.au/aidc-unveils-projects-for-the-factory…/
Lots of lovely readers have been asking when the audiobook of The Codebreakers will be available, and I’m happy to say today is the day! The Codebreakers is now out in Australia and New Zealand through all audiobook retailers and is released by Bolinda Books.
You can listen to a sample HERE.
It has been quiet on the blog-front lately, I must admit but with very good reason, I promise! I am working on quite a few projects at the moment and I hope to reveal more over the next little while.
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that The Codebreakers has been chose as #15 in Kobo’s Top Books of 2021! I am so very pleased this story, inspired by the real-life female codebreakers in Brisbane in WWII, has appealed to so many of you.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this book and my many others, whether it’s writing a review and telling your friends because word of mouth really does make a huge difference in visibility for a book. Thank you so much to you and all at Kobo – what a lovely honour!
You can find the full list of books here: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/p/best-of-year
Book reviewers play such an important role in helping authors get their books out in the world. Mrs B runs a wonderful blog and I’ve discovered some really great authors from her reviews. Please go and check it out!
Title: The Codebreakers
Author: Alli Sinclair
Published: March 3rd 2021
Publisher:Mira – AU
Pages: 496
Genres: Fiction, Historical
RRP:$29.99
Rating: 4.5 stars
They will dedicate their lives to their country, but no one will ever know…
A compelling story about tenacity and friendship, inspired by the real codebreaking women of Australia’s top-secret Central Bureau in WWII. For readers who love Judy Nunn and Kate Quinn.
1943, Brisbane:The war continues to devastate and the battle for the Pacific threatens Australian shores. For Ellie O’Sullivan, helping the war effort means utilising her engineering skills for Qantas as they evacuate civilians and deliver supplies to armed forces overseas. Her exceptional logic and integrity attract the attention of Central Bureau – an intelligence organisation working with England’s Bletchley Park codebreakers. But joining Central Bureau means signing a lifetime secrecy contract. Breaking it is treason.
With her country’s freedom at risk, Ellie…
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I had a lovely tea break with Mrs B chatting about writing, research and future projects.
It is a pleasure to welcome Alli Sinclair back to my blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews for A Tea Break with Mrs B, a author interview series. To help celebrate the release of The Codebreakers we sat down for a chat. Thanks Alli!
Hello Alli. It is my pleasure to welcome you back to my blog,Mrs B’s Book Reviews. I greatly appreciate the time you have provided to answer a few questions. To begin,what is your drink of choice as we sit down for a chat about your new book?
I do love a cup of lemongrass and lime herbal tea. It helps kick the brain into gear!
Can you give us an overview of your writing career to date?
It’s been quite the journey. My first book, Luna Tango, was published by Harlequin MIRA in 2014 and since then five more books have been…
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Today’s the day The Codebreakers is released in Australia and New Zealand in print and e-book! It’s a story very close to my heart as it’s inspired by the real-life codebreaking women in Brisbane in WWII.
When I first learned about the Garage Girls and Central Bureau, it felt like a treasure trove of endless stories had been unearthed. Female codebreakers in Australia in World War II? Who were they? What did they do? Why had we not heard about them before? My investigating led me into an amazing world and I’ve met and interviewed many fascinating and courageous people who worked for Central Bureau and other signals intelligence departments and outposts. They generously shared stories not only about the work, but their personal experiences of living with secrets and how it affected their lives during and after the war.
People who worked top-secret jobs during the war often felt there was an invisible wedge in the relationships with their loved ones. For those families, to know someone for decades and learn about this other life they led was sometimes shocking and hard to fathom but, more often, it was a source of immense pride. Learning about the reaction of family and friends, and the relief of Central Bureau members after they could finally tell their story, gave me great insight when creating the characters in The Codebreakers.
Many of the real-life women of Central Bureau had never lived away from home or experienced any degree of independence. When they joined this elite organisation most were young, often without tertiary qualifications but with natural aptitude for the work they did. Not only did they learn new skills and adapt to working in non-traditional roles in a male-dominated environment, they had other challenges to deal with such as homesickness, the grief of losing loved ones and the heavy responsibility of working with some of the country’s biggest secrets.
The Codebreakers is the result of two years of research which included countless interviews with the actual codebreakers who inspired the story of Ellie and the Garage Girls. I hope you enjoy learning about these amazing women and help the legacy of their work live on!
The Codebreakers is available at all book retailers in-store and online, including:
Not long now until The Codebreakers is released and I have one special Advance Reader Copy available to give away. To enter, all you need to do is sign up for my newsletter here (and if you’ve signed up previously you are already in the draw!). Entries close 11.59 AEDT, 2 February, 2021.
Stay tuned for a special announcement for pre-orders!
The talented and wonderful Belinda Alexandra has a new book out today. It’s absolutely fabulous with lots of fantastic life lessons we can learn from our feline friends. It’s called THE DIVINE FELINE and you can get it from everywhere books are sold. This is a great video from Belinda to give you a taste of what her book is about (and excellent words of wisdom!).
One of the best parts of writing a book is seeing the cover for the first time. I’m so lucky the cover fairies at Harlequin MIRA (ANZ) are so brilliant and always create incredible covers. And here’s the cover for my March 2021 release, The Codebreakers!
This story is very close to my heart and it’s been a privilege to meet the real life female codebreakers who worked in Brisbane in WWII. They generously shared their experiences with me about what it was like to work for Central Bureau, an elite intelligence organisation. They had to remain silent about their work for decades and it’s only in recent times they’re able to talk more about it. This has helped me shape my characters and their experiences in this story and celebrate and honour the real women of Central Bureau.
The Codebreakers is now up for pre-order online and at your favourite bookstore, so you can be one of the first to receive it upon release.
About the book:
They will dedicate their lives to their country, but no one will ever know… A compelling story about tenacity and friendship, inspired by the real codebreaking women of Australia’s top-secret Central Bureau in WWII. For readers who love Judy Nunn and Kate Quinn.
1943, Brisbane: The war continues to devastate and the battle for the Pacific threatens Australian shores. For Ellie O’Sullivan, helping the war effort means utilising her engineering skills for Qantas as they evacuate civilians and deliver supplies to armed forces overseas. Her exceptional logic and integrity attract the attention of the Central Bureau—an intelligence organisation working with England’s Bletchley Park codebreakers. But joining the Central Bureau means signing a lifetime secrecy contract. Breaking it is treason.
With her country’s freedom at risk, Ellie works with a group of elite women who enter a world of volatile secrets; deciphering enemy communications to change the course of the war. Working under immense pressure, they form a close bond—yet there could be a traitor in their midst. Can the women uncover the culprit before it’s too late?
As Ellie struggles with the magnitude of the promise she’s made to her country, a wedge grows between her and those she holds dear. When the man she loves asks questions she’s forbidden to answer, how will she prevent the double life she’s leading from unravelling?
Alli Sinclair 