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When the world was black and white but the circus was a colorful place by Jina Bacarr

October 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category circus, Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as cirucs, Paris, thriller, trapeze, writing, WW2

Hitler loved the circus.

According to classified reports uncovered after the war, the Fuehrer would sit in the front row of the circus and cheer on the performers he perceived to be ‘working class folks’ putting their lives on the line.

He loved the ‘woman in danger’ element in the acts, as my heroine Lia di Montieri discovers when she appears in a circus in Germany in the 1930s. I shan’t spoil the surprise, but we follow Lia’s career, her heartbreak over losing her baby, and how she makes a daring leap to join the Resistance to save Jewish children.

I’ve always been fascinated by circuses since I was a little girl. Especially the trapeze. We had a swing set in the backyard when I was growing up and I’d try every crazy trick I could think of, pretending I was flying under the big top, that I was ‘an angel without wings’ until one day the swing broke. Then we moved. As we did a lot in those days.

And so ended my circus dreams.

Finally, I can fly again! In my Boldwood Books upcoming WW2 novel about Occupied Paris and the circus.

‘The Stolen Children of War’ is…

The heartbreaking story of Lia di Montieri, Queen of the Flying Trapeze, who loses her own baby and risks her life to save innocent children from the Gestapo.

An adorable baby elephant named Bebe.

And lurking in the background is a serial killer preying on circus queens who threatens to destory what Lia holds most dear.

I wanted to write a story about circuses with a twist — there’s danger under the big top at every performance… lions, tigers… knife throwers… high wire walkers, trapeze artistes flying 100 mph from the flybar to the catcher, but what if there was also a killer watching their every move, ready to strike?

You’ll find all that and more at Le Cirque Casini!

It’s a psycological thriller with a mad doctor serial killer, beautiful circus queens in danger, heroes willing to die to protect them, baby animal ‘cuteness’, and ‘stolen children’ who will steal your heart.

Step right up, ladies and gents, and let’s go to the circus!

Now on NetGalley for all you book bloggers and reviewers.

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My own private war to write ‘The Stolen Children of War’ by Jina Bacarr

September 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category circus, Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as children, circus, France, Paris, writing, WW2

War is hell.

Writing can also exact a toll on you that’s hard to come back from. I don’t propose to compare the valiant efforts of our soldiers, amazing servicemen and women, to me sitting safe behind a computer and writing about war. Not at all. I never served in combat, but I did counsel men who did (this was before women were allowed to fight in combat) and I heard the stories late at night sitting around a big, ole aluminum coffee pot in the US Army Service Club or playing pool with the men. We had a lot of soldiers passing through on their way ‘back home’ who felt more comfortable talking to me about their experiences than their families.

I was so young… and not a trained counselor or psychologist. But I did have one thing: I’m a good listener. Something taught to me by the nuns, especially the wise and round-faced Sister Mary Celestine at St Peter’s. I learned a lot from these Army and Air Force soldiers about brotherhood and loyalty and being ‘blooded’ and that unbreakable bond these men had with their units. I envied that. I wondered how we women would fare in such tense situations under fire.

Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to write about women in war.

My last several books are about Paris during the Occupation by the Nazis and the brave women who fought in the Resistance even as they fell in love and raised children. But writing about such intense times does take a toll on you. Especially when you’re fighting your own pain from an accident and struggling to make a deadline. (I thank God for my fabulous editor Isobel who was with me during this time and never gave up on me.)

Then I remember the sacrifice made by the women and men fighting the Nazis. My God, would I have had the courage to do as they did? I like to think I could and every day I strive to do what I can to help others… whether it’s at the market and someone needs help, or a nervous, new receptionist at my doctor’s office starting her first job.

The world is a scary place.

I also give thanks every day for what I have. Shelter, food, my treasured books I’ve collected since I was a little girl. And the Internet. Which allows me to share my heartfelt stories with you.

So, here we are… the hot days are slowly giving way to cooler temperatures. And with the advent of Fall, I’m so excited to announce my next Paris WW2 book, The Stolen Children of War.

I’m so thrilled with this fabulous cover.

It’s so circus-y!

That’s Lia, my heroine. A trapeze artist and trick rider since she was a kid.

The two children she saves will steal your heart as they did mine!

There’s also a stolen baby, handsome heroes, and an adorable baby elephant.

And a mystery, too… a madman threatening circus queens….

It’s a glorious ride of heart, passion, and razzle dazzle under the big top!

Can’t wait to introduce you to the world of circus during the Occupation of Paris 1943 when the children needed the joy of circus more than ever!

Out 10th November https://mybook.to/ChildrenOfWar

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Anyone remember paper dolls? Why AI can’t compete with a trip down memory lane by Jina Bacarr

August 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as AI, France, German, imagination, movie star, paper dolls, Translation, writing

I have the best memories when I was a kid playing with my paper dolls.

From Sleeping Beauty to In Old New York (Colonial Paper Dolls), I cherished these fragile cardboard dolls with paper dresses with tabs that never stayed on (bobby pins worked!) and kept them in my box of treasures.

Yes, I still have them.

I invented names and personalities for each paper doll, designed clothes for them, and stuck them between the pages of my math book so I could play with them when I was supposed to be doing homework.

As a child, I didn’t have AI answering questions for me, or a cellphone screen telling me what to think, wear, or ‘influence’ me. I made up the stories and created worlds with my paper dolls down to the smallest detail.

And that is what forged my writing.

Imagination.

We writers must continue to craft stories to engage readers to encourage them to use their imagination, even if the words flicker across a computer screen and not the printed pages of a book. To bring our characters into their world so they can identify with them, to feel for them when they’re sad, happy, fall in love.

It’s called being a human. AI has its place, I don’t dispute that, but it’s not the whole enchilada. How can it be?

I doubt AI ever played with a paper doll.

Have you?

My best wishes to you!

Jina

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We have a new German translation for THE RESISTANCE GIRL.

Paris, 1943. Sylvie Martone is the star of French cinema, and adored by fans. But as Nazi officers swarm the streets of Paris, she is spotted arm in arm with an SS Officer and her fellow Parisians begin to turn against her.

However Sylvie has a secret – one she must protect with her life…

Paris, 2020. Juliana Chastain doesn’t know anything about her family history. While her mother was alive she remained very secretive about her past.

So when Juliana discovers a photograph of a glamorous French actress from World War Two amongst her mother’s possessions, she is in shock to find herself looking at her grandmother – especially as she is arm in arm with a Nazi Officer…

Desperate for answers, Juliana is determined to trace the journey of her grandmother. Surely there is more to the photograph than meets the eye?

But as she delves into Sylvie’s past, nothing can prepare Juliane for the tales of secrets, betrayal and sacrifice which she will uncover.

Here she is from DP Digital Publishing: Die Tochter der Résistance

Ein historischer Roman über das Schicksal einer jungen Frau

The Daughter of the Resistance | A historical novel about the fate of a young woman

Wenn Sie in Deutschland sind, hier ist der Link:

https://www.digital-publishers.com/de/romane/die-tochter-der-resistance-historisch-ebook

I’m also excited to announce The Resistance Girl is also being translated into French and Dutch…

Here’s a fun video I made about Sylvie Martone, the heroine of The Resistance Girl:

See you soon!!

Jina

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Lost… no, Found in Translation and where the heck have I been? by Jina Bacarr

July 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as France, German, movie star, Translation

Sister Mary Celestine would be so upset with me… like the time she made me kneel on my desk and measured with her ruler to see if my green uniform touched the polished blonde wood.

It didn’t.

I was in total teen rebellion, making my uniform shorter so I looked ‘cool’.

I wish I could say I was in teen rebellion to explain my absence, but I just haven’t been my best for a while. I’m homebound, rarely go out or post on social media, and my poor motorcar barely has any miles on it; in other words, I’m trying to heal from injuries sustained several months ago. And continue to write. I’d rather ship myself off to a desert island with teeth-gnashing raptors than let my editor down. Isobel has been so understanding, working with me and giving me extra time to finish my next book. And I did it.

I’m working on edits this week when I realized it’s time to post. Then I realized I missed last month… and before that. I apologize. I’ve been living with massive headaches and hand and shoulder injuries… well, I’m not a downer type, so let’s talk about some majorly good stuff… like finishing my book due out later this year.

And a new German translation for THE RESISTANCE GIRL.

However Sylvie has a secret – one she must protect with her life…

Paris, 2020. Juliana Chastain doesn’t know anything about her family history. While her mother was alive she remained very secretive about her past.

Desperate for answers, Juliana is determined to trace the journey of her grandmother. Surely there is more to the photograph than meets the eye?

But as she delves into Sylvie’s past, nothing can prepare Juliane for the tales of secrets, betrayal and sacrifice which she will uncover.

Here she is from DP Digital Publishing: Die Tochter der Résistance

Ein historischer Roman über das Schicksal einer jungen Frau

The Daughter of the Resistance | A historical novel about the fate of a young woman

Wenn Sie in Deutschland sind, hier ist der Link:

https://www.digital-publishers.com/de/romane/die-tochter-der-resistance-historisch-ebook

I’m also excited to announce The Resistance Girl is being translated into French and Dutch…

Here’s a fun video I made about Sylvie Martone, the heroine of The Resistance Girl:

And now back to my edits…

See you soon!!

Jina

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The TITANIC set sail 113 years ago…with a Pig on board by Jina Bacarr

April 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Reading, Titanic, Writing tagged as #Historical, 1912. historical romance, British, Confessions of a Podcast Goddess, countess, Downton Abbey, England, Ireland, Irish, pig, romance', ship of dreams, Southampton, Titanic, Titanic 104

Photos: Dreamstime.com — female passenger and of course, the little pig.

Hard to believe it’s 113 years ago today the grand ship Titanic left Ireland.

So in honor of the souls who perished that night and those who survived, here is a lesser known story about the Titanic.

And a little pig.

According to the New York Herald on April 19, 1912: Five women saved their pet dogs and another woman saved a little pig, which she said was her mascot.

The reporter goes on to say that she didn’t know how the woman cared for her pig aboard the Titanic, but she carried it up the side of the ship [the Carpathia, rescue ship] in a big bag.

How did the pig get into the lifeboat?

Was the little pig traveling first class?

In a word, yes.

More about this intrepid little piggy and the important part it played in the sinking of the Titanic later. First, it seems you can’t get away from pigs and the Titanic.

In the Julian Fellowes’ mini-series Titanic, a passenger in third class isn’t happy about traveling steerage to New York. She tells her husband that her daughter said their Irish Catholic family is like six little pigs packed into that cabin, all trussed and bound for market.

They’re not the only Irish aboard the ship with pigs on their mind.

Ava O’Reilly, the heroine in my historical romance, THE RUNAWAY GIRL nearly doesn’t make it on board the ship because of a pig.

Katie runs away from the grand house where she is in service after she is wrongly accused of stealing a diamond bracelet. The law is after her, but she has one chance to escape.

The Titanic.

Will Ava make it on board the Titanic before she sails? Only by the skin of her teeth.

Does she see the pig during the crossing?

Few passengers did because the cute little pig with the curly tail was the lucky mascot of Miss Edith Russell.

She loved to wind up its tail and it would play a lively musical tune similar to a two-step called Maxixe.

You see, the pig was musical pig.

The reporter on the Carpathia didn’t know the real story behind Miss Russell’s pig. How it was given to her after she survived a horrific motorcar crash. She promised her mother it would never be out of her sight. When she realized the Titanic was sinking and she’d left her mascot in her cabin, she sent the steward to retrieve her lucky pig.

Still, Edith was hesitant to get into a lifeboat. When a seaman tossed her pig into a boat (believing it was a baby wrapped up in a bag), Edith insisted on getting into the boat, too. Its nose was gone and its legs broken, but Edith and her little pig escaped in lifeboat no. 11.

Overcrowded with sixty-eight passengers (nearly one-third were children), Edith realized her little pig could comfort others as it had her. She wound up its tail so it would play music for the children. Most of the little ones stopped crying as the pig’s sparkling musical notes calmed their fears.

Its furry, white-gray body wet with sea spray.

Its cute grin giving them hope they would be saved.

It was the little Titanic pig that could.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Jina

The Runaway Girl

Buy Links:

Amazon:

US https://amzn.to/30yll8P

UK https://amzn.to/2NCqTty

Audible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084MM1D4R

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3A08bcsCeI6LHWRQTmAM30