Welcome Patt Mihailoff

It is the dawn of Camelot and the wind whispers of a great and changing time.Through trickery, Gillaine Madeen, a woman of middle years, is chosen as the Harvest Maid. Refusing the "honor" she runs right into Lachlan Gilwayden the Highland Liege of Loch Vayne Hall. While he had no intention of exercising the rite of Jus Primae Noctis — the Right of First Night — her obstinate demeanor and subtle beauty make him disregard his better judgment and allow his lust to rule.A child is born of that union while Lachlan is on crusade. Something has awakened in the liege, something he thought he would never feel, but he is forced to remember his secret and that while he may welcome the son, he is forbidden to accept the woman.When Lachlan claims his son Gillaine follows, thus setting in motion her destiny.


The Lady Novelist is pleased to welcome first time author Patt Mihailoff. Patt is another chapter member of RWA NYC and is having a banner year! Not only is her first full length book being published by Cerridwen Press (and isn't that the most amazing cover ever?) but she also has two more books in the pipeline coming from Cerridwen.

Patt has to be one of the biggest cheerleaders for our chapter. She is always ready to listen, to give big hugs when people sell, and to generally pitch whenever she is needed. For example, every year, she makes the certificates and badges for our GAA awards that are like works of art. She's also been known to invite writers to her house for the weekend for some tough love aka writer's boot camp. I don't know what the chapter would do without her.


Tell us a little about yourself, what is your background and how long have you been writing before you were published.

Well I’ve been around so long, everyone knows almost everything about me. I grew up in Queens New York, relocated to New Jersey in 1993. How long have I been writing? It seems like my first draft of anything was done on Papyrus at the foot of a pyramid.
I’ve always enjoyed writing, and wrote what I thought was a pretty good murder mystery when I was in high school. Back then of course there was no one to help with “the process”, so it stayed in my loose leaf until graduation. Therefore its safe to say a really long time.


What made you choose romance?

The Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt and The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. and I am not ahsmaed to say FABIO, YES! I bought books with his bare chested-long-haired-big-bodacious muscles on the cover. Lastly, I love the lovin.


Ring Dancer's Destiny includes characters from Arthurian legend such as Merlin and Nimue. How did you become interested in this time period?

I have always been a fan of historicals, fantasy and legends. There’s something mystically beautiful about the Arthurian tale. It’s been done and redone, but I never seem to be able to get enough. John Boorman’s Excalibur, ( my all time favorite) had me glued to my seat from the first moment I saw it. Merlin, First Knight and The Mysts of Avalon are all so filled with magic, romance, and history that it just moves my imagination. I’ve always been a fan of chivalry, and a man fighting for the honor of a woman.

What you do love about the time period? What do you like least about the time period?

I love how the legends are born and then made into stories that area passed on and become relevant throughout time. I never liked the way servants are treated, which is why I always use them in stories positively. I don’t like the cruelty.

Anything that constrained you or that you had to plot carefully around?

Oh goodness yes and thank God for imagination. Since we all know that there are only a few plot lines, I didn’t want to do everything that had been done. I wanted to keep the plot feasible, especially the romance between Merlin and Nimue. I added Mab (Queen of the sorceresses) as a contentious bitch because I wanted to add a little spice to their interactions. I also wanted the lake protectors to be vivid, since I am hoping they will be prevalent in the sequel.

What sparked this book? Was it a character? An historical event? A scene you just couldn't get out of your head?

Yes it was Guinevere. And although this book is not exactly about her I needed a different tact. I like to write about the children BEFORE they are who they become. In this book Guinevere is just a five-year-old princess who has been abducted by a witch who has seen her future, and wants to make sure that she never becomes Arthur’s queen.

Did you have to do any major research for his book? Did you stumble across anything really interesting that you didn't already know?

The Library and the internet is my saving grace. As you know long before this new movie coming out about Excalibur I not only researched the history of the sword but found that I liked my forging of it much better, especially the way Nimue had to explain it Merlin.
The Once and Future King— T.H. White, Firelord Parke Godwin, Medieval Scottish Kings by Teresa Eckford and so many others.

What made you decide to make this the focus of your book?

My focus was that I love the era, but I wanted the focus to be on the Scottish Laird, intertwining English lore and complications surrounding them.

What/Who do you like to read?

I like reading a wide variety of books. Bios, historicals of all kinds, especially westerns, medieval and horror.

Care to share a bit about your writing process? Are you a pantser or a plotter?

Most of the time I can’t plot for crap. However the McGuyver of plotting is Kathye Quick who helps me whenever I get stuck. Like most authors I am too close to my work, that is when you call in the ear of Darlene James. She finds the holes, she helps fill them and then rallies me on to completion.

Do you write multiple drafts or clean up as you go?

Nope! One draft and I get it on the paper mistakes and all. When an idea comes into my head, its usually so fast that I simply have to start writing, no matter where I am. I will do it in the bathroom on tissue if I have to but I have to get it down. Keep a pad by my bed and sometimes I have awakened with an idea or a “literary nodule” as I call them and had to put it down. This of course is also because I am dangerously close to an age when C.R.S (can’t remember crap) becomes a real issue.

What are you planning to work on next?

I just finished Single Heart-Single love, a Historical western epic. I am almost done with THE PLEASURE PLANET. It’s a sci-fi story also with a Scottish back story. (love those kilts) Also the sequel to Ring Dancer’s Destiny. (with all the little kiddies are teens and twenty-agers).

There was a recent article called "Harm in reading romance novels," Do you think romance novels harm or empower women?

You know what? Suddenly there’s harm in Poland Spring bottled water. But do people stop drinking it? NO! The only harm you will find in a romance is when a woman reads one and finds out her man ain’t doing half the stuff that the men (usually written by women) should be doing. What harm? They it not realistic, Yeah I heard that one too. But let’s face it girls, for the most part sometimes fantasy is better than the real thing. Fantasy don’t have headaches, doesn’t dry up, won’t finish too fast (wink-wink) and it doesn’t fall asleep afterwards. And while you may not be able to snuggle up to a fantasy, it doesn’t fart either.

Yes, romance novels can be very empowering, especially with today’s heroines being as strong as they are. People get so stuck in a past rut. Romance novels are not all about the hugging and kissing all through the book. (although that would be fine with me). It’s about the journey, the trials, the tribulations and yes the damned heartache, because romance can be heartbreaking. Please don’t make me tell you about my tear-jerking-play-Gladys Knight-and-Elvis-records-all-day-until-tears-put-out-the-pilot-light in the oven I stuck my head in, days. It ain’t pretty.

I like romance. I liked the bodice rippers (yeah! that’s right I said it!) and like the women today that range from super heroine to the shy wall flower that becomes a kick ass bitch and let’s not forget the wise cracking-take-no-prisoners women who always gets her man. Okay now go ahead and ask me what I don’t like about the industry… Oh okay that’s another interview.

Thanks Patt! Ring Dancer's Destiny is available now from Cerridwen Press.

Stay tuned in future for more interviews with our Golden Apple Award winners Caridad Pineiro, and Wendy Corsi Staub.

Thanks for reading,

EKM