The Value of Allies - Cold Peace - Helena P Schrader - Literature & Fiction - Bublish Book Bubble On 24 June 1948, the Russians (who at that time did NOT control the American president) laid siege to the Western sectors of Berlin. Inside the...

Remember when the American president wasn't a Russian puppet and our Allies were happy to help us stand up to tyrants? If so, you'll enjoy this excerpt from awardwinning "Cold Peace"
www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...
#Aviationfiction #ColdWarfiction #BerlinAirlift

I’m welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic – research THE RESEARCH NEVER ENDS Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure Bim Bom Books by Cliff Lovette In 1991, I was a young attorney at an entertainment law firm in Atlanta. In walks this long-haired road manager named Bobby Liberman. He’d just finished a tour and started telling me about his previous gig: road manager for a privately owned Soviet circus that had arrived in America in 1990—a hundred and twenty performers, crew, and families from the crumbling Soviet empire. I was hooked. More than three decades later, I’m still researching. Following the Trail The Circus Bim Bom saga barely made a ripple in national news—just a few newspaper articles and some local TV coverage—before the story vanished into thechaos of 1990. It was a year when the rubble of the Berlin Wall was still being cleared, Saddam invaded Kuwait, and the Soviet Union began its final unraveling. With so much history unfolding simultaneously, a Soviet circus touring America was easy to overlook. Yet fragments survived: newspaper clippings in library archives, a circus program printed in both Russian and English, photographs from a July Fourth picnic at Lake Lanier where Soviet performers celebrated America’s birthday with Georgia Rotarians. The challenge was finding these fragments—and the people who could provide them with meaning. The Hunt for Living Memory In 2010, I recruited a team of Emory Law students to help me organize the chaos. They compiled a fifty-four-page research packet that included contact lists for circus performers, American promoters, attorneys, and journalists who had covered the story. They created quote databases highlighting the most revealing moments fromdozens of newspaper articles, spanning publications from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to The Washington Post to The Los Angeles Times. They transcribedinterviews that captured voices I might otherwise have lost to time. But documents only tell part of any story. I needed voices—living witnesses whocould fill in what the paper trail left out. I tracked down the Nashville promoter who had worked with the tour. I found theRoswell Rotarian who had hosted that Fourth of July party, and I listened as he described, with tears in his eyes, how a towering Russian strongman had put an arm around his shoulder during the fireworks and said, “Happy Birthday, USA.” That moment stayed with me. Here was an American patriot who’d opened his home to Soviet performers—strangers from the other side of the Iron Curtain—and three decades later, he still choked up remembering it. Over the years, I interviewed more than a dozen people connected to the tour. Some welcomed the chance to share their memories, while others were initially reluctant, surprised that anyone still cared about events from so long ago. Each conversation unlocked new details, contradictions, and mysteries, reminding me why this story matters. The Bigger Picture Personal testimonies provided the human story, but I needed context—the geopolitical forces shaping what these performers experienced while their empire teetered back home. What was happening in Moscow while they performed in American arenas? What pressures weighed on Soviet officials? What were American audiences thinking as they watched these artists from behind the Iron Curtain? I studied declassified State Department documents about the Washington Summit negotiations between President Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev—the high-level diplomacy that formed the backdrop for this circus tour. I traced connections between promoters on both coasts and dug through newspaper archives from Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. Every answer generated new questions. Every document pointed to another document I hadn’t yet found. Why the Research Never Ends M.J. Porter writes that we must “question everything and not just accept it… look at the why, the how, and everything in between, including the chance survival of the records we do have.” That philosophy resonates deeply with me. Historical research isn’t about finding definitive answers; it’s about following threads wherever they lead, questioning assumptions even when the answers seem obvious, and accepting that some gaps can never be filled. The fragments that survive do so by chance—a newspaper clipping saved in a scrapbook, a photograph tucked in a drawer, a memory that someone chose to share before it was too late. What matters is honoring those fragments: the transcribed interviews, the faded newspaper clippings, the photographs of Soviet acrobats at a Georgia lake on the Fourth of July. Those fragments became Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure—a novel that weaves fact and imagination to bring this forgotten story back to life. The book took shape over years of drafts, each revision incorporating something new I had learned, some detail I had finally tracked down, or some connection I had made. But even now, with the book complete, I continue to find new details—a name I hadn’t encountered, a connection I hadn’t made, a question I hadn’t thought to ask. The research never ends. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s the 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. Purchase Link https://books2read.com/u/3Gj0B https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G4FPKNPR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4FPKNPR Join the Bim Bom Book Club – https://bimbombookclub.com/ Members receive: ✨ 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 What Makes This Novel Different Circus Bim Bom offers an innovative multimedia reading experience. 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. The companion website (www.bimbombookclub.com) 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 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 Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Amazon Goodreads https://bimbombookclub.com/ linktr.ee/TheRingmaster606 Follow the blog tour for Circus Bim Bom run by Yarde Book Reviews Posts Stay up to date with the latest from the blog. I’m welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic – research #CircusBimBom #CliffLovette #historicalfiction #romance #ColdWarfiction #blogtour #YardeBookPromotions  Blog Tour · The Cold War · Yarde Book Reviews Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Love Lost in Time by Cathie Dunn, a dual timeline novel #LoveLostInTime #CathieDunn #DualTimeline #WomenAcrossTime#BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions Blog Tour · Coffee Pot Book Club · historical fiction · Yarde Book Reviews I’m welcoming Hidden Truth by CD Steele to the blog with an excerpt and a fab competition to enter #blogtour #Mystery #NewRelease Blog Tour · Crime Fiction · murder mystery · New Release · Rachel’s Random Resources I’m welcoming Dragon Kin’s Blood by Jo Gatenby to the blog #fantasy #bookreview #blogtour historical fiction

I'm welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic - research #CircusBimBom #CliffLovette #historicalfiction #romance #ColdWarfiction #blogtour #YardeBookPromotions @bimbombookclub @yardereviews @maryanneyarde

I’m welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Ciric Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic – research THE RESEARCH NEVER ENDS Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure Bim Bom Books by Cliff Lovette In 1991, I was a young attorney at an entertainment law firm in Atlanta. In walks this long-haired road manager named Bobby Liberman. He’d just finished a tour and started telling me about his previous gig: road manager for a privately owned Soviet circus that had arrived in America in 1990—a hundred and twenty performers, crew, and families from the crumbling Soviet empire. I was hooked. More than three decades later, I’m still researching. Following the Trail The Circus Bim Bom saga barely made a ripple in national news—just a few newspaper articles and some local TV coverage—before the story vanished into thechaos of 1990. It was a year when the rubble of the Berlin Wall was still being cleared, Saddam invaded Kuwait, and the Soviet Union began its final unraveling. With so much history unfolding simultaneously, a Soviet circus touring America was easy to overlook. Yet fragments survived: newspaper clippings in library archives, a circus program printed in both Russian and English, photographs from a July Fourth picnic at Lake Lanier where Soviet performers celebrated America’s birthday with Georgia Rotarians. The challenge was finding these fragments—and the people who could provide them with meaning. The Hunt for Living Memory In 2010, I recruited a team of Emory Law students to help me organize the chaos. They compiled a fifty-four-page research packet that included contact lists for circus performers, American promoters, attorneys, and journalists who had covered the story. They created quote databases highlighting the most revealing moments fromdozens of newspaper articles, spanning publications from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to The Washington Post to The Los Angeles Times. They transcribedinterviews that captured voices I might otherwise have lost to time. But documents only tell part of any story. I needed voices—living witnesses whocould fill in what the paper trail left out. I tracked down the Nashville promoter who had worked with the tour. I found theRoswell Rotarian who had hosted that Fourth of July party, and I listened as he described, with tears in his eyes, how a towering Russian strongman had put an arm around his shoulder during the fireworks and said, “Happy Birthday, USA.” That moment stayed with me. Here was an American patriot who’d opened his home to Soviet performers—strangers from the other side of the Iron Curtain—and three decades later, he still choked up remembering it. Over the years, I interviewed more than a dozen people connected to the tour. Some welcomed the chance to share their memories, while others were initially reluctant, surprised that anyone still cared about events from so long ago. Each conversation unlocked new details, contradictions, and mysteries, reminding me why this story matters. The Bigger Picture Personal testimonies provided the human story, but I needed context—the geopolitical forces shaping what these performers experienced while their empire teetered back home. What was happening in Moscow while they performed in American arenas? What pressures weighed on Soviet officials? What were American audiences thinking as they watched these artists from behind the Iron Curtain? I studied declassified State Department documents about the Washington Summit negotiations between President Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev—the high-level diplomacy that formed the backdrop for this circus tour. I traced connections between promoters on both coasts and dug through newspaper archives from Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. Every answer generated new questions. Every document pointed to another document I hadn’t yet found. Why the Research Never Ends M.J. Porter writes that we must “question everything and not just accept it… look at the why, the how, and everything in between, including the chance survival of the records we do have.” That philosophy resonates deeply with me. Historical research isn’t about finding definitive answers; it’s about following threads wherever they lead, questioning assumptions even when the answers seem obvious, and accepting that some gaps can never be filled. The fragments that survive do so by chance—a newspaper clipping saved in a scrapbook, a photograph tucked in a drawer, a memory that someone chose to share before it was too late. What matters is honoring those fragments: the transcribed interviews, the faded newspaper clippings, the photographs of Soviet acrobats at a Georgia lake on the Fourth of July. Those fragments became Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure—a novel that weaves fact and imagination to bring this forgotten story back to life. The book took shape over years of drafts, each revision incorporating something new I had learned, some detail I had finally tracked down, or some connection I had made. But even now, with the book complete, I continue to find new details—a name I hadn’t encountered, a connection I hadn’t made, a question I hadn’t thought to ask. The research never ends. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s the 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. Purchase Link https://books2read.com/u/3Gj0B https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G4FPKNPR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4FPKNPR Join the Bim Bom Book Club – https://bimbombookclub.com/ Members receive: ✨ 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 What Makes This Novel Different Circus Bim Bom offers an innovative multimedia reading experience. 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. The companion website (www.bimbombookclub.com) 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 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 Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Amazon Goodreads https://bimbombookclub.com/ linktr.ee/TheRingmaster606 Follow the blog tour for Circus Bim Bom run by Yarde Book Reviews Posts Stay up to date with the latest from the blog. I’m welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Ciric Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic – research #CircusBimBom #CliffLovette #historicalfiction #romance #ColdWarfiction #blogtour #YardeBookPromotions  Blog Tour · The Cold War · Yarde Book Reviews Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Love Lost in Time by Cathie Dunn, a dual timeline novel #LoveLostInTime #CathieDunn #DualTimeline #WomenAcrossTime#BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions Blog Tour · Coffee Pot Book Club · historical fiction · Yarde Book Reviews I’m welcoming Hidden Truth by CD Steele to the blog with an excerpt and a fab competition to enter #blogtour #Mystery #NewRelease Blog Tour · Crime Fiction · murder mystery · New Release · Rachel’s Random Resources I’m welcoming Dragon Kin’s Blood by Jo Gatenby to the blog #fantasy #bookreview #blogtour historical fiction

I'm welcoming Cliff Lovette and his new novel, Ciric Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure to the blog with a post about my favourite topic - research #CircusBimBom #CliffLovette #historicalfiction #romance #ColdWarfiction #blogtour #YardeBookPromotions @bimbombookclub @yardereviews @maryanneyarde

Book Spotlight: Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure by Cliff Lovette Soviet circus performers arrived in America hoping to build cultural bridges. Instead, they became unwitting pawns in a Cold War game of int...

Book Spotlight: Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure by Cliff Lovette. Why not visit my blog and have a look?
maryannbernal.blogspot.com/2026/02/book...

@maryanneyarde.bsky.social

#CircusBimBom #CliffLovette #historicalfiction #romance #ColdWarfiction #blogtour #YardeBookPromotions

Cold War shadows. Deadly secrets. Mancuso hunts the truth 🕶️ #ThrillerReads #ColdWarFiction #Bookstagram

“Espionage is easy. Living with it isn’t.” In EYES TO DECEIT by @gvaljan.bsky.social, Operation Ajax and MI6’s Boot collide in the 1953 coup in Iran, forcing Walker to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice.
👉 pictbooks.tours/6DTypEBh

#HistoricalFiction #LiteraryNoir #ColdWarFiction

The Cold War left scars on everyone it touched. Surviving Prague examines them: https://f.mtr.cool/vzokisqnfz #SurvivingPrague #PaulHollis #SpyThriller #ColdWarFiction #HistoricalThriller

The best thriller writing shows restraint. Let the scene speak. From Surviving Prague: https://f.mtr.cool/rjvwtlnisy #SurvivingPrague #PaulHollis #SpyThriller #ColdWarFiction #HistoricalThriller

This passage from Surviving Prague reminds me why I write thrillers to explore the darkness we all carry: https://f.mtr.cool/zekaykgwmx #SurvivingPrague #PaulHollis #SpyThriller #ColdWarFiction #HistoricalThriller

#Maskirovka #TechnoThriller #ColdWarFiction #NavalHistory #Geopolitics #BookSky #ThrillerReads

🎪📚 Book bloggers wanted!

Seeking hosts for the blog tour of "Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure" by Cliff Lovette.

Interested? Please message me for details 👉 maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/12/blog...

#BlogTour #BookBloggers #ColdWarFiction #HistoricalFiction #BookSky
💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚💙📚

Borders close. Secrets unravel. Escape from Berlin leads five chilling tales of survival and betrayal. Watch the cinematic trailer & read the full collection:

maryannbernal.blogspot.com/2025/11/scri...

#Espionage #Suspense #Thriller #ShortStories #ColdWarFiction

The new book is here! The new book is here! Visit pamelanorsworthywrites.com to order signed copies for the readers on your holiday gift list! #historicalfiction #ColdWarFiction #theflorentineentanglement

An American nurse in Soviet hands is the focus of today's excerpt from award-winning "Cold Victory." Read the full excerpt on Book Bubbles at:
www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...
#ColdWarFiction #SovietTerror #BerlinAirlift

Just picked up North from Rome by Helen MacInnes found tucked away in the local bookshop. Spies, suspense, and 1950s Italy? Count me in.. 📖🇮🇹

#VintageFind #HelenMacInnes #NorthFromRome #BookshopDiscovery #ThrillerReads #ColdWarFiction #SecondhandBooks #CurrentlyReading #BookLovers #BookSky #Books

Andropov's Cuckoo Check out Andropov's Cuckoo - <p>In the heart of the Soviet Union during the turbulent 1970's, Natalya Petrovna - code-named Youriko - is a brilliant Kazakh linguist whose striking resemblance to her ...

Was Youriko KGB? I didn't know. Should I have?
She claimed to be Japanese. She was really Kazakh.
She claimed to be a tourist. She was likely KGB.
I was 20. She was unforgettable.
👉 Andropov’s Cuckoo – based on a real Cold War encounter.
bookshop.org/a/111536/978...
#ColdWarFiction #KGB #booklover

Love in Leningrad 1974...
Valuta bars.
KGB staff.
Bugged hotel rooms.
And one mysterious woman from Alma-Ata pretending to be Japanese.
I lived it. Now you can read it:
📖 Andropov’s Cuckoo
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...

#ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #HistoricalFiction #BasedOnATrueStory

Youriko.
That was the name she gave me in 1974.
Was it her real name? No.
Was anything real? Yes — the impact she left.
Read her story (and mine):
📘 Andropov’s Cuckoo
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...

#AndropovsCuckoo #ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #HistoricalFiction #BasedOnATrueStory

What happens when a young British man falls for a Soviet woman pretending to be Japanese… but working for the KGB?
Andropov’s Cuckoo is my answer.
Half novel, half memory.
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...

#AndropovsCuckoo #ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #HistoricalFiction #BasedOnATrueStory

In 1974, I met a woman who changed my life.
In 2024, I wrote the novel that tells her story — and reveals her secret...
📚 Andropov’s Cuckoo
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...
#AndropovsCuckoo #ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #HistoricalFiction #BasedOnATrueStory #booktokuk #booktokusa

The spy who loved me…

Would you recognise a KGB honeytrap if she kissed you?
I didn't.
Not at 20.
Not in 1974 Leningrad.
But I wrote about it - 50 years later
📖 Andropov's Cuckoo
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...
Please like and share
#AndropovsCuckoo #ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #booktokuk

Andropov's Cuckoo Check out Andropov's Cuckoo - <p>In the heart of the Soviet Union during the turbulent 1970's, Natalya Petrovna - code-named Youriko - is a brilliant Kazakh linguist whose striking resemblance to her ...

Andropov’s Cuckoo
“Obedience was the price of survival – but when Youriko wavered, a gulag became her home!”
Tip: When survival demands silence, rebellion is already overdue.
📘 Read the full novel
bookshop.org/a/111536/978...
Please like and share
#SovietDrama #ColdWarFiction #AndropovsCuckoo

Youriko – KGB agent and my girlfriend.
In 1974, I fell in love in Leningrad.
Fifty years later, I wrote a novel about her — and what she really was.
📖 Andropov’s Cuckoo
meganpublishingservices.com/behind-the-b...
#AndropovsCuckoo #ColdWarFiction #SpyNovel #HistoricalFiction #BasedOnATrueStory

With Cold War tensions rising, Fantaisie captures the uncertainty of a world rebuilding while secrets still threaten peace. Fantaisie, Historical Fiction by Michael Kenneth Smith Book Tour with Guest ... Fantaisie, Historical Fiction by Author Michael Kenneth Smith, Book Tour with Guest Post

Author Michael Kenneth Smith brings his well-known historical storytelling expertise—seen in The Postwoman—to this new and complex setting in Fantaisie

#HistoricalFiction #ColdWarFiction #WWII #MichaelKennethSmith #BookTour #GuestPost

awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/2025/04/with...