Today's #HistFicThursdays blog is a fantastic interview with Cliff Lovette , as part of his Yarde Book Promotion tour! Read on to find out about his influences, inspirations, and the emotional rollercoaster on which Circus Bim Bom carries readers away. But first, let's meet the book... Blurb 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 romanc...
Today's #HistFicThursdays blog is a fantastic interview with Cliff Lovette, as part of his Yarde Book Promotion tour! Read on to find out about his influences, inspirations, and the emotional rollercoaster on which Circus Bim Bom carries readers away.
But first, let's meet the book...
Blurb
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.” This genre-bending tale explores whether human connection can transcend ideology—and whether storytelling can bridge the divides that separate us.
What Makes This Novel Different
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, explore primary sources, and debate historical accuracy
✨ Discounts on Gifts and Merch
✨ Exclusive glimpses into the self-publishing journey
✨ Previews of historical curiosities about Soviet circus life that didn't make it into the book
✨ Exclusive "Rabbit Hole" bonus stories and other literary surprises
✨ A front-row seat to the book's development and launch
✨ Sign up for Free
YouTube Link to Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fafpTaJLD84
Circus Bim Bom
is available via this Universal Link
CROWVUS INTERVIEW
Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure
by Cliff Lovette
Bim Bom Books
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What inspired you to write this book?
I’m a
storyteller at heart. Back in college, during those smoke-filled nights, I
captivated friends with tales that kept them engaged long past midnight. How
far could I go before someone said, “That’s one of Cliff’s BS stories, isn’t
it?” That compulsion has never faded.
My
storytelling instinct likely led me to entertainment law, where I represented
multi-platinum artists like Usher and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, as well as record
companies and independent filmmakers—but something was missing.
Then kismet
intervened. In 1991, Bobby Liberman walked into my Atlanta law firm. He had
been the American road manager for a privately owned Soviet circus that toured
the U.S. in 1990—a hundred and twenty performers, crew, and families from the
crumbling Soviet empire. His account of that tour—and what happened
afterward—was the sort of fantastical story I would have made up, except it was
true.
Over the
years, I regaled friends and strangers with the tale of Circus Bim Bom, adding
embellishments along the way. I even recruited law interns to gather research,
resulting in a fifty-four-page archive I never parted with, even as I purged my
belongings.
My late friend
David Rams kept insisting that I write it. His persistence finally took hold.
When the pandemic arrived and the world stopped, I had no more excuses.
Whether I’m
writing, creating character avatars, or sharing the story with a dog owner at
the local park, my compulsion for storytelling is fulfilled.
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Is there anything about your writing process that is
unusual or unique to you?
I’m a hybrid
pantser and plotter, but my plotting takes place entirely in my head. Most of
my creativity occurs while walking in the woods with London (my Goldendoodle)
or gathering my thoughts while still in bed. I work best in the morning, before
the world intrudes.
I lay out the
story like a storyteller rather than an author. In the early stages, I would
sit down to write, read the chapter I was working on, and revise it to immerse
myself in the scene before adding new material. My editing is where the magic
happens. I tap into my visual and emotional senses, with my humor always
lingering in the background.
Sometimes I
stumble around until I find my voice—then scenes, words, and inspirations
tumble out. I’ve never experienced writer’s block; storytelling is too much of
a compulsion to linger in empty spaces.
Ironically, my
slightly satirical narrator, The Ringmaster, swears by the Russian storytelling
creed: “Don’t let truth ruin great story.” Naturally, I made the Russian part
up.
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How much of yourself goes into the characters you create?
I connect with
my characters on an emotional level. If I can’t feel what they’re feeling, they’re
lost. I have to inhabit their skin—whether that’s a young aerialist dreaming of
becoming a clown against his father’s wishes or a Soviet official wrestling
with impossible loyalties.
The Ringmaster
holds a special place in my heart. He arrived fully formed in my
imagination—teal top hat, stylized mustache, that knowing glint in his eye. He
gave me permission to write this book by freeing me to pursue emotional truth
over documentary precision.
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What’s the first thing you do once you complete a
manuscript? Is it immediately sent to the first readers, or does it go on ice
for a while?
By the time I
complete my first draft, I’ve rewritten each chapter numerous times. There’s no
icing—there’s too much heat in the room.
When I
discovered beta readers—wow, friends and strangers actually read my manuscript
and provide feedback—I put tremendous energy into recruiting them and
considering their input. Hats off to Evan Grow and StoryOrigin for providing a
supportive author platform to manage my beta reader process. I’m also using it
for my ARC management, alongside NetGalley.
The feedback
loop is invaluable. Each reader catches something different—an inconsistency I
missed, a character moment that didn’t land, a historical detail that needed
more grounding. I’ve learned to embrace their input rather than defend my
original choices.
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What emotions should your readers expect to feel when
reading this book for the first time?
I love this
question. Imagine visiting a foreign world and meeting a people—presumably
enemies—you only knew through political propaganda. Now imagine the emotions
coursing through your body and mind: seeing the Empire State Building for the
first time, sinking your teeth into a Big Mac and fries, tasting freedom.
There’s plenty
of exhilaration, fear, joy, humor, and sadness to go around. But also wonder
and heartbreak. These performers left families behind in bread lines, uncertain
if they’d get enough to eat. They carried guilt alongside their sequined
costumes.
The Ringmaster
says: “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.”
───────────────────────────────
Were there any parts of the book that were particularly
challenging to write? Maybe because of heightened emotions or research
challenges?
I had to get
into the heads and manners of Las Vegas mobsters, Soviet Communist Party
leaders, the head of the KGB, White House foreign advisors, a German-Jewish
family, animal trainers, and clowns—types of people I’d never met. I have a
robust imagination that led me to envision who they might be.
Building the
world of the animal trainers proved unexpectedly emotional. When the circus
animals finally arrived in America—after a disastrous quarantine in
Brooklyn—they were traumatized. A young bear engaged in repetitive
head-banging; big cats showed their ribs through matted fur. Writing those
scenes forced me to confront the moral complexity of circus life that my
characters themselves grapple with.
The research
itself came easily thanks to the internet and, more recently, AI. The challenge
was organizing it all—decades of interviews, newspaper clippings, declassified
State Department documents about the Washington Summit negotiations, and legal
filings. Every answer generated new questions, and each document pointed to
another I hadn’t yet found.
───────────────────────────────
Which authors have most influenced your writing style?
I don’t think
I write like Kurt Vonnegut, but I tapped into his voice and sense of humor to
find mine. His willingness to blend satire with genuine pathos, to be
simultaneously playful and profound—that gave me permission to write The
Ringmaster the way I did.
Donald Maass
has influenced my craft tremendously. His books Writing the Breakout Novel
and The Emotional Craft of Fiction became my guidebooks. I completed one
full manuscript editing pass after reading The Emotional Craft of Fiction,
layering in emotional beats I’d originally rushed past.
Others have
influenced me unconsciously—likely the accumulation of a lifetime of reading.
But Vonnegut and Maass are the ones I consciously studied.
───────────────────────────────
What three pieces of advice would you give to aspiring
writers?
First: Tap into your storytelling self before you write. Get to know your
story and characters by telling it—to yourself, to friends, to anyone who’ll
listen. You need words to articulate and humanize your story. This should
continue throughout the writing process; sometimes the writing comes later,
while the storytelling comes first.
Second: Learn the craft of writing from others. Watch YouTube videos, read
writing blogs, study craft books like those by Donald Maass. Writing is a
learned skill layered on top of natural storytelling instinct. Don’t assume you
can skip the learning.
Third: Pay attention when you feel emotions about what you write. You’re
often tapping into your voice. When you feel you’ve captured it, describe it in
writing. Keep it in your mind. And fall in love with editing and revising. It’s
not a chore—it’s where the magic happens.
───────────────────────────────
Is writing “real life” for you, or do you need to balance
it with other things?
Storytelling
is a compulsion. Writing is a means to an end. Everyone needs balance.
Since Circus
Bim Bom is my debut duology, I’m currently out of balance—gloriously so. I
don’t make a living at it, which is a factor. Every few hours, London reminds
me it’s time to go outside. My ADD is both a blessing and a hindrance when it
comes to balance: it fuels creative obsession but makes it hard to step away.
I’ve also
discovered that marketing a self-published book is its own creative endeavor. I’ve
made circus posters, character avatars, and an entire companion website. The
line between “writing” and “promoting” has blurred into something that feels
like one continuous act of storytelling.
───────────────────────────────
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have to edit
and revise the second book, Circus Bim Bom: The Great Escape—which
covers what happens after Book One ends, as the Soviet Union collapses around
our characters. That’s due in late 2026.
Meanwhile, I’m
tackling self-publishing with the same obsessive energy I brought to the
writing. I’ve turned my marketing and promotion into a story in itself. My
companion website at bimbombookclub.com
features twenty-five animated character avatars who introduce themselves
through video, a Historians’ Room (still under construction) where readers can
debate where history ends and imagination begins, and embedded links to period
music and historical footage throughout the novel.
Perhaps these
characters will want to continue after the Soviet collapse. Perhaps they’re
living in the present, confronting the same issues that Russians face now.
There’s always more story to tell.
───────────────────────────────
Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure launches March 1, 2026. Paperback available now.
Visit https://bimbombookclub.com/media
to explore the interactive companion website.
Please buy the Author’s Edition paperback from me, instead of from
Jeff Bezos: https://books.by/bim-bom-books
Now, let's meet 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
You can follow Cliff on these links:
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