PHOTO CREDIT: TYPORAMA
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CIRCUS BIM BOM
CLIFF LOVETTE
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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.
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The novel includes 45+ YouTube links to period music, historical speeches, and cultural moments embedded throughout—readers can listen to the actual songs characters dance to as they waltz, and watch Reagan's Brandenburg Gate speech as it's referenced in the text.
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Book One of a Duology
Historical Fiction
Romantic Adventure
Political Intrigue
March 1, 2026
Bim Bom Books
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"How a Soviet Circus Walked Into My Law Firm — And Stayed for 30 Years"
2026 offers authors new opportunities to reimagine the book reading and writing experience.
My debut novel is putting this theory to the test with everything I have.
Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure launches on March 1. It's based on a true story I've carried for over 30 years. In 1991, the American road manager of a privately owned Soviet circus walked into my Atlanta entertainment law firm. His account of the circus's tumultuous 1990 American tour — and the events that followed as the Soviet Empire unraveled — stayed with me through three decades and a pandemic before I finally brought it to the page.
The novel follows an ensemble of Soviet circus performers — acrobats, clowns, animal trainers, and musicians — touring America as their empire collapses behind them. Circus director Yuri navigates treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circle like predators. Forbidden romances bloom across the ideological divide, and a young aerialist dreams of becoming a clown against his family's wishes.
The story extends beyond the printed page. The book contains over 45 embedded YouTube links to period music, historical speeches, and archival footage — allowing readers to hear the actual songs playing in the scenes. The companion website at bimbombookclub.com features 25 animated character avatars that help readers navigate Russian names, vintage circus poster art, community forums, and a Historians Room where they can fact-check the novel against historical records. Even the marketing is immersive — the 23-stop blog tour unfolds inside a themed train car on the website.
I've built a Press Train media hub at: at https://bimbombookclub.com/
The Press Wagon (Car 1) contains the media kit, one-sheet, and press materials. The Portrait Gallery (Car 2) features downloadable book covers, author headshots, and character, circus, and Cold War artwork. Cars 3 and 4 carry the schedules for two blog tours — a 23-stop tour with Yarde Book Promotions from February 23 to March 7, followed by a 60-day RABT tour from March 7 to May 5.
Links:
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PRAISE/REVIEW FOR CIRCUS BIM BOM FROM KATHY OF BOOK NOOK SHENANIGANS:
"High Wire, No Safety Net
BOOK NOOK SHENANIGANS' FULL REVIEW HERE
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ABOUT CIRCUS BIM BOM:
"1990. The Soviet Empire is unraveling. A circus has just arrived in America." - Line taken from Amazon UK and Amazon USA description.
Soviet circus performers arrived in America hoping to build cultural bridges. Instead, they became unwitting pawns in a Cold War game of international intrigue.
When the first privately owned Soviet circus arrived in 1990 in America as the Soviet Union disintegrated, its elite performers expected to build cultural bridges through spectacular shows. Instead, this prestigious troupe faced a perilous journey through Cold War America.
Circus director Yuri had to navigate treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circled like predators. Young aerialist Anton dreamed of becoming a clown against his family's wishes, while forbidden romances and unexpected connections bloomed between Soviet performers and Americans who saw past the ideological divide. As high-stakes conspiracies threatened to tear the circus family apart, they had to choose between the authoritarian chains of home and the uncertain promise of freedom.
As the Ringmaster reminds us, "The best Soviet stories are like vodka—they burn with suffering, intoxicate with conflict, keep you stewing in reflection, and yearning for your heart's desire."
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The companion website extends the story beyond the page:
• Character Avatars: 25+ talking video introductions where characters speak directly to readers
• Re-Imagined Circus Posters
• Book Club Experience: Interactive forums, live chat, and community discussions
• Historians Room (under construction): A space for Cold War history buffs to fact-check the novel
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EXCERPT OF CIRCUS BIM BOM:
The figure looking back wasn’t the awkward girl from the stables or the anxious student trying to live up to her name. This was someone entirely new. Rita applied delicate wings. “Not a hump, but you’ll be a Pegasus. Be ready to dazzle.” The headdress and costume transformed her into something mythical, her shadow stretching like a creature from ancient Russian folklore. As she emerged, the bustling arena stilled as performers and crew caught their first glimpse of this magical being. What she didn’t see was how the light caught the rhinestones in her hair, creating a halo effect that made even the hardened riggers pause in their work to stare. She felt the lightness of becoming something that was authentically hers. While Alexander Bondarev led his Mazlintza folk dancing troupe— comprising dancers, harlequins, jugglers, and troubadours—into the second ring, the circus teens and kids completed their improvisational exercises. Katyana glided into the ring, her dancer’s grace evident as she approached Anton to show off her outfit. Mid-roar and still terrorizing the children, he swiveled around at her touch and found himself nose-to-snout with her towering headdress, which cleared him by six inches. He fell backward in surprise, legs akimbo, arms braced, landing hard on his tail, stunned. Despite Katyana’s attempts to stifle them, her giggles erupted in a relentless stream of snickers and snorts. Anton’s fierce lion whiskers twitched, ears drooping, as he lay with paws splayed in the sawdust. The powerful predator transformed into a frightened house cat in an instant. Josef collapsed, laughing, while Katyana’s heart pinched with guilt. When Josef offered a hand up, a humiliated Anton waived him away with a shoulder punch. Once the commotion settled, Anton, Josef, Tiko, and Alek moved to ringside seats. Anton brooded over his takedown. Tiko recognized Anton’s reaction to Katyana as something special—a spontaneous pratfall—pure clown gold. “Anton, get your head up. Look at me,” Tiko insisted. “That was outstanding.” “What?” Anton asked, his voice breaking. “I fell on my ass! Everyone laughed at me!” He buried his head in his hands. The laughter echoed his father’s voice from years past: “Clowns are for dreamers, not real performers.” But beneath the shame, something else flickered—a strange relief that he’d finally done something, even if it meant falling flat. Tiko leaned in. “Anton, we gave you two tasks—be a lion and improvise. Your spontaneous reaction revealed your fierce character’s vulnerability—a comedic masterpiece!” Alek added, “Anton, you nailed it. Your instincts led you perfectly. True improvisation is messy and unplanned; that’s its magic. And your audience? They laughed—uncontrollably. Josef added, “I nearly pissed my pants!” Tiko added, “How about Katyana? You can’t go wrong by making women laugh.” “I was supposed to be a fearsome lion.” “Yes, and you parodied your self-assured character—that’s what’s funny. The funniest character in The Wizard of Oz is the cowardly lion. He proclaims himself the King of the Forest yet panics at his tail. Your response was spontaneous and authentic. You convinced us you were afraid. When your faithful sidekick collapsed in laughter, hilarity spread. “Punching Josef for offering help—that’s classic.” Tiko noticed Anton’s blank stare. “Are you getting any of this?” Anton nodded, his face brightening. “I guess so.” Part of him wanted to resist Tiko’s words—Is this what clowning really is—finding humor in mistakes? The idea felt foreign yet oddly familiar. Maybe I’ve been thinking about it all wrong. “Great clowns are the butt of their jokes.” Alek placed a hand on Anton’s shoulder. “Pride has no place in the ring. So, scrape the humiliation off your paws. That was brilliant!” Tiko looked earnest. “Remember this moment, Anton—you’re now a clown. No turning back.” Something shifted in Anton’s chest, like a door opening in a room he’d never known existed. His fingers found the edge of his lion mask. It was a feeling every person knows but rarely names. “What about me?” Josef asked. Tiko grinned. “You were born saying ‘ta-da!’ Meanwhile, Katyana prepared for her entrance as Alek presented her with two coconuts from his prop bag. Katyana, confused, asked, “What are those for?” Alek exclaimed, “Clap them together like this—they sound like horse hooves!” Katyana sneered at their rancid odor and tossed them back. “I’ll pass, thank you! I don’t need your stinkin’ coconuts!” With a swish of her tail, she trotted off. As Katyana trotted around the ring, Alek mimicked Sir Lancelot’s servant from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, trailing her while clapping his coconuts. Katyana galloped away, leaving Alek struggling to catch up. He sputtered, tossed his coconuts, and collapsed in a heap. Katyana’s transformation unfolded quietly at first; her precise equine mimicry felt natural. But as she kicked and neighed, performers and crew watched, transfixed. Her crystal-studded costume scattered fractals of light as she embodied a graceful mare. The light technician noticed and followed her movements with a spotlight. Engrossed in her performance, Katyana was oblivious to the attention she attracted. For the first time, she wasn’t performing to meet expectations or uphold a legacy. The weight of five generations of Kantemirovs lifted from her shoulders. A piercing whinny escaped her as her blond hair swirled and her headdress traced figure eights in the air. Charging across the ring, she stomped and nickered, then reared up with a spirited squeal, arching her back and swishing her tail before lunging forward in a flurry of hooves. She paused and snorted, exploding from a trot to a gallop, clearing a teetertotter board, her front hooves landing in a single bound. The onlookers fell under her spell. Though Katyana felt exposed and uncertain, they saw only magic—a creature born of light and movement who stepped from a fairy tale into their ordinary world. The circus kids clustered at ringside. Anton sat frozen, witnessing Katyana as he had never seen her—graceful, powerful, unbound. Josef nudged Tiko with a knowing grin. “Our fierce lion seems quite bewitched watching this mare,” he whispered. Josef recognized something shifting in his friend. This wasn’t just admiration; this was discovery. Tiko caught Anton’s expression and Katyana’s glance back at him. Katyana continued her cantering, trotting, and galloping. Her angel wings fluttered as she leaped. Suddenly, the arena resonated with the orchestral soundtrack of The Little Humpbacked Horse. This was Nina and Rita’s doing. Katyana turned to see the sisters in the sound booth, cheering her on to perform the Dance of the Tsar Maiden. The familiar tune stirred something profound inside Katyana. Her ballet training merged with horsemanship as she performed a unique fusion of The Little Humpbacked Horse ballet—part prancing mare, part Tsar Maiden—a creation wholly her own. Katyana launched into a graceful cabriole, her hooves scissoring through the air. Smoke billowed around her feet like slow-moving clouds. 9 She leaped and galloped around the ring, her high-flung headdress trailing behind. She performed an arabesque—reaching skyward, back arched, leg extended, toes pointed—before flowing into a slow canter. Her blond mane, tied in crossed ribbons, flicked with each step. Katyana whinnied and stomped, her movements blending horse and dancer. The sequence culminated in brilliant pirouettes, her precise footwork belying her equine guise, until her final spin erupted into a whirlwind of hooves and muscle. Rita leaned into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, behold our very own countess of the ring!” Nina giggled, adding, “She moves like poetry in motion. She is making the Kantemirov dynasty proud!” When the music stopped, so did Katyana. Her spell broke the moment she realized she had an audience. Her natural shyness flooded back, sending her into a hasty retreat toward the exit, though pride and excitement still colored her cheeks. She felt exposed, vulnerable—had she revealed too much? But the applause followed her, and for once, she didn’t mind being seen. She approached the ring exit, shaking her sweaty mane and dabbing her face with a towel. Her breath came in quick bursts, peach fuzz glistening on her skin as glitter traced down her face and neck. As she passed the star-struck Anton, she tweaked his lion nose and tossed him her damp towel. “That was fun!” she exclaimed as she headed backstage, to resounding applause. The towel carried the scent of her exertion. Anton caught it blindly, the damp fabric warm against his paws. Katyana’s impromptu performance stirred something within her. Everyone saw her differently now—especially Anton, who sensed he was embarking on a new path.” 9 Watch Prima Ballerina Alina Somova perform as the Tsar Maiden Scan or visit: https://bimbombookclub.com/alina-somova/tsar-maiden.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Father, storyteller, and dog lover living in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with London curled at his feet.
Cliff Lovette is an entertainment lawyer who learned about the real Circus Bim Bom in 1991 when the circus's American road manager became a client at his Atlanta law firm. Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure is the first book in his debut duology.
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FOLLOW :
E-mail - cliff@circusbimbom.com
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PURCHASE LINKS:
