Bryn Donovan: On the Power of a High-Concept Story
In this interview, bestselling author Bryn Donovan discusses the power of a high-concept story, avoiding AI like poison, and much more.
Bryn Donovan is the author of several romance novels, including Sunrise Cabin, a Publishers Weekly bestseller. She’s also written nonfiction books and the story treatments for two Hallmark Channel movies. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Writer’s Digest, and many literary journals. A former executive editor in publishing, she earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona. She’s a voracious reader, a rescue-dog lover, and a hopeless romantic who lives in the Chicago area and blogs about writing and positivity.
In this interview, Bryn discusses the power of a high-concept story, surprises in the writing process, avoiding AI like poison, and much more.
Name: Bryn Donovan
Literary agent: Julie Gwinn, The Seymour Agency
Book title: Her Time Traveling Duke
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: December 9, 2025
Genre/category: Romantic Comedy; Paranormal & Fantasy Romance
Previous titles: Her Knight at the Museum, Berkley; Master Lists for Writers
Elevator pitch for the book: Magic meets science and sunshine meets grumpy when a love spell whisks a Regency-era duke to modern times.
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What prompted you to write this book?
Rose Novak, the heroine of this book, was the best friend of the heroine in my previous book, Her Knight at the Museum. I usually take a long time to develop characters, but Rose showed up on the page fully formed. She’s a self-taught, chaotic witch, and as I wrote the first scene with her in book one, I realized something about her that inspired the story in Her Time Traveling Duke.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took about a year and a half from the original idea to publication, but of course, the book was finished months in advance of the release date. I had to do a lot of research for this one: Regency-era England, art restoration, the history of astronomy, time travel theories, and another topic that would be too spoiler-y to mention. My editor and I agreed on a synopsis in advance, so the plot didn’t change much until the end.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
One thing I’ve learned over the past few years is the power of a high-concept story. In other words, you read the title and the logline, and you see the cover design, and you know what you’re getting. The publisher changed my original title to Her Time Traveling Duke, and I thought that was perfect. That title, paired with his cover illustration, conveys the “man out of time” idea so quickly.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
There is one thing in the story that could go either way, and until I got to the end of the first draft, I really didn’t know what would happen! Also at the end, something happens to a secondary character that I didn’t see coming, although in retrospect, I should have.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
There are two themes I come back to again and again. One of them is taking joy in the moment, even when things are tough. Rose grew up working class, and she has tragedy and heartbreak in her past, but she still finds the magic in life, figuratively as well as literally. The other theme is about nothing being ever truly lost.
I love writing about Chicago because so many people have false impressions of the city. It isn’t high in crime; it doesn’t even rank in the top 25 most dangerous U.S. cities. Chicago is filled with culture, it has unique traditions, and the lake and the skyscrapers are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. In Her Time Traveling Duke, you’ll visit Rose’s vibrant neighborhood of Pilsen, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Riverwalk, a Lincoln Park mansion, a basement apartment on the South Side, and a hot dog stand with famously rude employees. The city is definitely one of the main characters in the book.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Avoid so-called AI like poison. Your brain needs regular practice at putting together sentences, and even writing a boring email counts. A recent MIT study showed that regular use of large language models like ChatGPT negatively affected memory, attention span, and executive function—all things you need to write. Besides, you never want to be tempted to lie about your process. That’s never going to feel great. The way you brainstorm and work through creative roadblocks is part of what makes your writing unique, and your authorial voice is worth nurturing.
