Candace Havens‘s first book was not fiction. It was a 2003 biography of Joss Whedon, and her first novel followed two years later. Since then she has written romance of several kinds, from witches to Marines, as well as cozy mysteries. Her cozy series under her own name is the Ainsley McGregor Mysteries, set in Sweet River, Texas. As Lucy Connelly she writes three more.
Who Is Candace Havens? Author, Film Critic and Entertainment Journalist
Candace “Candy” Havens is a writer of romance and cozy mysteries, and an entertainment journalist. She has a journalism degree from the University of North Texas and is based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas.
Her official bio calls her one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists, with interviews from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. She reviews films on “Hawkeye in the Morning” on 96.3 KSCS. Her bio also names her a former president of the Television Critics Association. In a 2009 interview she said her TV columns ran in more than 600 newspapers.
She teaches, too. According to her bio, she runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2,000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. One of them is “Fast Draft: Write Your Novel in Two Weeks”. At home she has two dogs, Mr. Poe and Elvis, and Mr. Poe also appears in her Mercy McCarthy books.
Candace Havens Books in Publication Order: Every Series
She has written more than 40 novels under two names, plus one nonfiction title and a few anthology stories. Here is her bibliography, each run in the order of release.
Her Nonfiction Debut on Joss Whedon
Her first published work was the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy. BenBella Books brought it out in 2003, with a UK edition from Titan Books. In her own telling, a friend then suggested she try writing fiction.
Bronwyn the Witch: The Charmed Books
Her first romance, Charmed & Dangerous, opened the Bronwyn the Witch trilogy, paranormal chick lit for Berkley.
- Charmed & Dangerous (2005)
- Charmed & Ready (2006)
- Charmed & Deadly (2007)
Like a Charm followed in 2008. Some lists count it as the fourth Bronwyn title, while her publisher counts the trilogy as three.
Other Romance Series
The Caruthers Sisters books, The Demon King and I (2008) and Dragons Prefer Blondes (2009), also came from Berkley. For Harlequin Blaze she wrote the Stonegate Investigative Agency trilogy (2010–2011). Her Marine romances in the Uniformly Hot! line ended with Christmas with the Marine (2016). Entangled published Take It Like a Vamp (2013) and Baby’s Got Bite (2015). Her self-published Holiday Peak trilogy of sweet holiday love stories began with Christmas at Holiday Peak (2018).
Ainsley McGregor Mysteries (5 Books)
Her first cozy series follows Ainsley McGregor, a former English professor who runs the artisan market Bless Your Art in Sweet River, Texas. Her Great Dane is called George Clooney. Tule Publishing released the five novels:
- A Case for the Winemaker (2020)
- A Case for the Yarn Maker (2020)
- A Case for the Toy Maker (2020)
- A Case for the Candle Maker (2021)
- A Case for the Cookie Baker (2021)
The characters also became a movie franchise on Great American Family, starring Candace Cameron Bure. Our series page covers the books and the films in detail.
As Lucy Connelly: Three Cozy Mystery Series
Since 2023 she has also written cozy mysteries as Lucy Connelly. The Scottish Isle Mysteries follow Dr. Emilia McRoy, an American doctor on Sea Isle in Scotland:
- An American in Scotland (2023)
- Death at a Scottish Wedding (2024)
- Death at a Scottish Christmas (2024)
- Death on a Scottish Train (2025)
- Death at a Scottish Halloween (2026)
The Mercy McCarthy Mysteries, published by Bookouture, center on Mercy, her dog Mr. Poe and a bookshop in Shamrock Cove, Ireland:
- An Irish Bookshop Murder (2024)
- Death by the Book (2024)
- Death at Inishmore Castle (2025)
- Murder on the Clock (2025)
- A Body at the Irish Book Club (2026)
- A Body at the Bakery (2026)
The Welsh Village Mysteries began with The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor (2026). Its heroine, Dr. Gwen Griffith, is a journalism professor in Dillynaidd, Wales.
Awards and Nominations
Her debut novel, Charmed & Dangerous, was a RITA finalist. Her bio also lists nominations for the Holt Medallion, the Write Touch Reader Awards and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. It says she won the Barbara Wilson Award, too. For the first Scottish Isle mystery, her site quotes a starred Library Journal review.
New Candace Havens Books and Upcoming Releases
The newest is A Body at the Bakery, the sixth Mercy McCarthy mystery, published as Lucy Connelly on 4 November 2026. Under her own name, the latest is still A Case for the Cookie Baker (2021). Next comes The Curious Case of the Bludgeoned Birder, the second Welsh Village mystery, due on 26 January 2027. Death at Shamrock Cove (April 2027) and Death at a Scottish Cemetery (July 2027) are also announced.
Where Can I Find a Review of a Candace Havens Book?
Not on this site yet: we have not reviewed any of her books under either name so far. To read her cozy side first, start with A Case for the Winemaker, which opens the Sweet River books. The page linked above lists all five in order. For a Scottish setting, begin with An American in Scotland.
Frequently Asked Questions About Candace Havens
How many books has Candace Havens written?
By our count, more than 40 novels: 17 cozy mysteries as of November 2026 and over 25 romances. Under her own name, without the Lucy Connelly books, that makes at least 30 novels. Her official bio gives a higher figure, more than fifty books.
Is Lucy Connelly her pen name?
Yes. Lucy Connelly is her pen name for the Scottish Isle, Mercy McCarthy and Welsh Village mysteries. Her own bio says she writes under two names.
Is she in the Cozy Mystery Census?
Yes. Her row in the Cozy Mystery Census lists the Sweet River mysteries: five books from 2020 on, set in Sweet River.