Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophia will have to survive her social-climbing mother's quest to put her on the throne of Russia - at any cost. Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophia has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family - and herself - Sophia vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans. Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophia will need to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be. In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?
Sophie―now Catherine, Grand Duchess of Russia―had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace, things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace. When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life―and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.
If her time at court has taught Catherine anything, it's that there is no room for weakness in Imperial Russia. With the Empress' health failing and rumors of a change in the line of succession, her place in the royal line is once more in jeopardy. Tormented by her sadistic husband and his venomous mistress, Catherine must once more walk the fine line between pleasure and politics―between scandal and survival. When her young son becomes the target of those rebelling against Peter's reign, Catherine will have to rise up to protect herself, her child, and her nation from his unstable and potentially catastrophic rule. This means putting herself at odds with the most dangerous man she's ever known, trusting those who once proved to be her enemies, and turning a nation against its sovereign. In the ultimate battle for the crown, new alliances will be forged, loyalties will be tested, and blood will be shed. Don't miss this breathtaking conclusion to the Stolen Empire series!
"A must read romance!" ~ Serena Chase, Special for USA TODAY Far from the shores of England, another Elizabeth was born to rule a nation… The daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth is a princess by birth, yet a warrior by blood. Never content to be a pawn in the game of men, Elizabeth is destined to sit upon a throne. But when her father’s sudden death leaves her mother and sister at the mercy of the scheming Privy Council, she will have to abandon her beloved Russia in order for her family to survive. This is not a fairy tale. And Elizabeth is not an average princess. She is a Romanov—one woman in a line of powerful female rulers who will change the fate of Russia forever. Don't miss the series dubbed a "must-read romance" by the USA Today and "An entertaining and racy read" by School Library Journal. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most vibrant women in history. This series is complete with all three books available to read today. Novels in The Stolen Empire Series by Sherry D. Ficklin: Queen of Someday Queen of Tomorrow Queen of Always The Winter Queen Also, check out Sherry D. Ficklin's new Historical Romance Series The Canary Club Fresh out of jail, "Bad Luck" Benny is desperate to care for his struggling family, even if that means once again landing on the wrong side of the law. Masie, the daughter of a wealthy gangster, has the voice of an angel and gun smoke in her veins. A pawn in her family's bid for control of the city, she turns to an unlikely ally who might be the only person able to spring her from her gilded cage. Two worlds collide in this compelling story of star-crossed lovers in gritty prohibition-era New York. The Canary Club (Available October 2, 2017) Glitter and Gold: A Canary Club Anthology (Available Now) Catherine the Great, Historical Romance, Historical Romance Regency, 18th Century Romance, Russian Royalty, Steamy Historical Romance, Love Triangle, Historical Fiction Biographical, Young Adult Fiction, Royalty Romance
Fans of The Last Czars, a Netflix original series, will love this decadent look at one of the most intriguing monarchs in history… Don't miss the series dubbed a “must-read romance” by USA Today and “An entertaining and racy read” by School Library Journal. Long before Catherine was great, Elizabeth was destined to rule the Romanov empire... The last true Romanov, Elizabeth has once again been denied the throne of Russia. Grieving and isolated, she struggles to protect the few loved ones she has left. But when Empress Anna’s health begins to fail, Elisabeth’s very existence becomes a threat to Anna’s plans to place her chosen heir, the infant Ivan, on the throne. Knowing only one of them will survive, Elizabeth enters into a dangerous alliance with Anna’s former lover in the hopes of not only returning the crown to its rightful line, but also rescuing her nearly bankrupt nation from the hands of an enemy king determined to bring the country under his rule. Desperate and willing to sacrifice anything—and anyone—to her gambit, Elizabeth must make her final choice between the destiny that was promised to her and the one man she might truly love. Don’t miss the series dubbed a “must-read romance” by USA Todayand “an entertaining and racy read” by School Library Journal. The Hollow Queen is a scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most vibrant women in history.