Since her first hit romance was published, Donovan has sold three more novels and a novella to St. Martin's and another novella to Kensington Publishing. Her greatest career challenge is making herself write on a regular schedule, she said. Donovan rises at 4:30 a.m., heads to the gym until 6:15, gets the kids on the school bus by 7 a.m., and starts writing by 7:30. Her creative "magic" happens between 7:30 and noon, and she spends the next three-plus hours handling the business end of her job. Then it's back to her role as wife and mother.
But it's Donovan's past life as a journalist that gave her the tools to create fiction rooted in reality.
"I'm a firm believer that truth is stranger than fiction, so I use a lot of truth in my fiction," Donovan said. "Every character, every fact, is researched. I use interviews for much of my research because that's what I'm comfortable with. It's the reporter in me coming out."
