Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Paula Paul | What is a woman?
Author Guest / May 13, 2012

A remarkable woman. A woman you can’t forget. An interesting woman. There’s more to her than meets the eye. Chances are, a woman you’ve heard described by any of those terms was also the object of criticism. A woman who won’t stay in her place subjects herself to disparagement . Catherine The Great, Empress of Russia is no exception. She’s the subject of my historical novel, SIN OF THE EMPRESS.The first time I heard of her, I was in my early twenties and read a scholarly history book that I was called upon to review for a newspaper. Later, I heard all those salacious stories about her sexual appetite and the (false) story about her having sex with a horse. None of that was mentioned in the somewhat dry tome I’d read, I might add. Over time, I forgot about the book and dismissed the sensational gossip until years later when I was inspired by authors Phillipa Gregory and Allison Weir to try my hand at historical fiction. Catherine was there, lurking in the shadows of my mind. I found that old book I’d reviewed and reread it. I also found a copy of her memoir, written by her own…