LENA. DONOVAN

Hey there, dark hearts! I'm Lena Donovan, and I write romance that dances in the shadows where ancient magic meets modern desire. (And yes, I absolutely drink too much coffee while doing it.)

I've always been that weird girl who was more interested in grimoires than geometry textbooks. Growing up in a tiny New England town, I spent countless hours in our local library's dusty corners, devouring everything from Celtic mythology to Gothic romance. My poor mother probably should've been concerned when I started writing stories about kissing demons instead of doing my algebra homework, but she just bought me more notebooks. (Thanks, Mom!)

Writing wasn't my first career – I actually spent five years as a museum curator, which mostly involved cataloging creepy artifacts and trying not to accidentally curse myself. But those late nights surrounded by ancient relics and whispered legends definitely shaped the stories I tell now. There's something intoxicating about the idea that magic still lurks in our world's dark corners, isn't there?

My debut novel, "Blood and Shadows," came to me during one of those sleepless 3 AM moments when reality feels a little thin. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if an ordinary woman discovered she was the key to an ancient prophecy – and the immortal being tasked with either protecting or destroying her wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. (Spoiler alert: sexual tension ensues.)

I write the kind of romance that makes your heart race for multiple reasons. Yes, there's steam (sometimes enough to fog up your e-reader), but there's also danger, betrayal, and the kind of choices that haunt you long after the last page. My characters aren't simple heroes or villains – they're complicated people trying to navigate impossible situations while fighting their inconvenient attractions to exactly the wrong person.

When I'm not writing, you can usually find me wandering through old bookstores, collecting more tarot decks than any one person needs (I'm at 47 and counting), or attempting to convince my rescue cat Luna that my laptop keyboard is not her personal heating pad. I live in a century-old house that's probably haunted, but so far the ghosts have been pretty chill about my late-night writing sessions.

What can you expect from my books? Dark romance with a heavy dose of supernatural intrigue. Morally gray characters who'll make you question everything you thought you knew about good and evil. Spice that'll make you fan yourself. And always, always, a thread of ancient magic weaving through modern lives.

Fair warning: I don't write gentle stories. My characters bleed, literally and metaphorically. They make terrible choices for all the right reasons. They fall in love with people who could destroy them. But I promise you this – every dark moment serves a purpose, and the light feels brighter for having fought through the shadows to find it.

I'm beyond grateful to everyone who's joined me on this journey with "Blood and Shadows," and I can't wait to share more stories with you. (I'm currently working on something involving a cursed grimoire and a very annoyed witch – stay tuned!) You can find me on Instagram posting aesthetic boards at 2 AM or in my Facebook reader group, "Donovan's Dark Hearts," where we chat about everything from favorite tropes to which mythological creatures would make the best book boyfriends.

To all my fellow lovers of dark romance and ancient mysteries – welcome to my world. The shadows are warm here, and there's always room for one more...

(P.S. If you ever want to send me pictures of your cats or your favorite haunted locations, my DMs are always open. Just saying.)