Blog Tour: Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure by Cliff Lovette

Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure 

By Cliff Lovette

Publication Date: 1st March 2026

Publisher: Bim Bom Books

Print Length: 478 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Romantic Adventure /  Political Intrigue

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.

Pre-order your copy of

Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure 

HERE

Cliff Lovette

Father, storyteller, and dog lover living in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with London curled at his feet. Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure is the first book in his debut duology, followed by Circus Bim Bom: The Great Escape.

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Tour Schedule Coming Soon

The Quest for the Crown of Thorns (Book Two Of The Long-Hair Saga) by Cynthia Ripley Miller

 

The Quest for the Crown of Thorns 
(Book Two Of The Long-Hair Saga)
By Cynthia Ripley Miller

Publication Date: 29th October 2018

Publisher: Booklocker.com

Page Length: 293 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Thriller

AD 454. 

Three years after the Roman victory over Attila the Hun at Catalaunum, Arria Felix and Garic the Frank are married and enjoying life on Garic’s farm in northern Gaul (France). Their happy life is interrupted when a cryptic message arrives from Arria’s father, the esteemed Senator Felix, calling them to Rome. At Arria’s insistence, but against Garic’s better judgment, they leave at once.

On their arrival at Villa Solis, they are confronted with a brutal murder and a dangerous mission. The fate of a profound and sacred object—Christ’s Crown of Thorns—rests in their hands. They must carry the holy relic to the safety of Constantinople, away from a corrupt emperor and old enemies determined to steal it for their own gain. But a greater force arises against them—a secret cult who will commit any atrocity to capture the Crown. All the while, the gruesome murder and the conspiracy behind it haunt Arria’s thoughts.

Arria and Garic’s marital bonds are tested but forged as they partner together to fulfill one of history’s most challenging missions, The Quest for the Crown of Thorns.

Praise

"In this thriller, set in fifth-century Rome, rivals race to possess Christ's crown of thorns. Ripley Miller (On the Edge of Sunrise 2015) astutely brings to life a Rome teetering precariously on the brink of collapse ... The plot advances energetically, and the combination of political and romantic drama--spiritual as well--is rousing. The reader should be glad to have read this volume and eager for a third. Intelligent and artfully crafted historical fiction ..." 

Kirkus Review

"From cover to cover a gripping read - in all senses of the word! Grips your interest and imagination, your held breath and your pounding heart! A thumping good novel!"

Helen Hollick USA Today bestselling author of the Sea Witch Voyages

"The Quest for the Crown of Thorns is an elegant masterpiece of historical fiction. This book totally ensnared me in its clasps, and it did not release me until I had read it all. The attention to detail was exquisite. The characterisation was sublime, and the romance was breathtakingly beautiful. I adored the world that Miller has created, as well as the characters in it. This is a sit-down and finish book and is one I would Highly Recommend."

Mary Anne Yarde

Pick up your copy of

 The Quest for the Crown of Thorns 

HERE!

Cynthia Ripley Miller

Cynthia Ripley Miller is a first-generation Italian-American writer with a love for history, languages, and books. She has lived, worked, and traveled in Europe, Africa, North America, and the Caribbean. As a girl, she often wondered what it would be like to journey through time (she still does), yet she knew it could only be through the imagination and words of writers and their stories. Today, she writes to bring the past to life. 

Cynthia holds two degrees and has taught history and teaches English. Her short fiction has appeared in the anthology Summer Tapestry and The Scriptor. A Chanticleer International Chatelaine Award finalist for her novel On the Edge of Sunrise, she has reviewed for UNRV Roman History and blogs at Historical Happenings and Oddities: A Distant Focus and on her website. 

Cynthia has four children and lives with her husband, twin cats, Romulus and Remus, and Jessie, a German Shepherd, in a suburb of Chicago. On the Edge of Sunrise is the first in the Long-Hair Sagas; a series set in late ancient Rome and France and published by Booklocker.

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Annie's Day by Apple Gidley

Annie's Day

By Apple Gidley

Publication Date: November 18th, 2025

Publisher: Vine Leaves Press

Pages: 300

Genre: Historical Fiction / Women's Fiction

War took everything.

Love never had a chance.

Until now.

As an Australian Army nurse, Annie endures the brutalities of World War II in Singapore and New Guinea. Later, seeking a change, she accepts a job with a British diplomatic family in Berlin, only to find herself caught up in the upheaval of the Blockade. Through it all, and despite the support of friends, the death of a man she barely knew leaves a wound that refuses to heal, threatening her to a life without love.

Years later, Annie is still haunted by what she’d lost—and what might have been. Her days are quiet, but her memories are loud. When a dying man’s fear forces her to confront her own doubts, she forms an unexpected friendship that rekindles something she thought she’d lost: hope.

Annie’s Day is a powerful story of love, war, and the quiet courage to start again—even when it seems far too late.

Praise 

"Moving and enlightening..."

Deborah Swift, bestselling author

"This is a story of courage and love, and it lingers long after you turn the last page."

Caroline James, author, 5* Goodreads review

"I love the lyrical writing of this author. The descriptive prose and humor made this book a joy to read."

Louise, reviewer, 5* Goodreads review

Pick up your copy of

Annie's Day

HERE

Apple Gidley

Anglo-Australian, Apple Gidley's nomadic life has helped imbue her writing with rich, diverse cultures and experiences. Annie’s Day is her seventh book.

Gidley currently lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband, and rescue cat, Bella, aka assistant editor.

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Betsey: The Prequel to the Much Loved Hartford Manor Series by Marcia Clayton

 Betsey: 
By Marcia Clayton

The Prequel to the Much-Loved Hartford Manor Series

 

Publication Date: 4th November 2022

Publisher: Sunhillow Publishing

Page Length: 342 Pages

Genre: Historical Romance

1820 North Devon, England

Betsey, a sadly neglected child, is shouldering responsibilities far beyond her years. As she does her best to care for her little brother, Norman, she is befriended by Gypsy Freda, an old woman whose family is camped nearby. Freda's granddaughter, Jane, is also fond of the little girl and is concerned about her.

Thomas, the second son of Lord Fellwood, happens across the gypsy camp and becomes besotted with Jane. However, Jasper Morris, the local miller, also has designs on the young gypsy, and inevitably, the two men do not see eye to eye.

Betsey is drawn into their rivalry for the attention of the beautiful young woman, and she finds herself promising to keep a dangerous secret for many years to come.

Only 0.99 on #Kindle for a Limited Time.

Read with #KindleUnlimited

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Betsey

HERE!

Marcia Clayton

A farmer’s daughter, Marcia Clayton, was born in North Devon, a rural and picturesque area in the far South West of England. When she left school, Marcia worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul, and David. 

As the children grew older, Marcia worked as a Marie Curie nurse caring for the terminally ill and later for the local authority managing school transport. Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is a keen researcher of family history, and this hobby inspired some of the characters in her books. Marcia and Bryan are keen gardeners and grow many of their own vegetables. 

An avid reader, Marcia can often be found with her nose in a book when she should be doing something else! Her favourite genres are historical fiction, romance, and crime books. Marcia has written five books in the historical family saga, “The Hartford Manor Series”, and is working on the sixth. Besides writing books, Marcia produces blogs to share with her readers in a monthly newsletter. 

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The Wastrel's Daughters by Arabella Brown

 

The Wastrel's Daughters

By Arabella Brown 

Publication Date: 25th February 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Print Length: 268 Pages

Genre: Historical Regency Fiction

A chaste, entertaining Regency novel. Left with nothing but debts after their father’s death, Anne and Polly Selby have no choice but to let the house and seek employment, bidding farewell to a genteel life.Anne becomes a governess – but is dismissed within weeks, though not before losing her heart to a debt-ridden gamester.Polly, companion to testy, demanding Lady Thrutchbeck, falls seriously ill. Recovering, she finds herself courted by a gentleman she has never met.Does Polly's suitor intend marriage, or does he only want a sympathetic ear for his memories of his dead wife? Will Anne's rake truly reform, or is he merely making empty promises? Is there a chance for their happiness? And what has happened to the mysterious valise mentioned by their father in his last words?

Pick up your copy of
The Wastrel's Daughters

HERE

Arabella Brown 

Arabella Brown is a pen name of Henye Meyer. Mrs. Meyer has published a number of books for a specific niche market, so to differentiate, she uses Arabella Brown for Regencies and other types of fiction such as SF and genre stories. All of her writing is absolutely clean. She loves writing historical fiction but occasionally has dreams too interesting to resist turning into stories.

Mrs. Meyer was born in North America but now lives in the U.K. in a Victorian semi-detached bungalow, an unusual configuration. It has a larger garden (mostly vertical) than you expect to find in the city, which she keeps as nature-friendly as possible, attracting a wide variety of birds as well as foxes (of course), newts, hedgehogs, and deer.

Mrs. Meyer has an exceptionally tolerant husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a lively sense of humor.