Neck-deep in revisions on my latest contracted Blaze, I was inspired to pen a loving musical tribute to my intrepid editor, Laura Barth, to the tune of Barry Manilow’s Mandy.

I remember my first book
So many, many weeks it took
I sent it off to Blaze
Never dreaming it would sell
Then twelve months later
A call on my cell

And then I sold my second Blaze
I drank champagne and glowed for days
I e-mailed you the doc
Hoping you’d love it
Though if you thought it sucked
I’d fix the heck out of it

Oh Laura
Well you called me from up in Toronto
With some notes for my Blaze
Oh Laura
I told you I’d get to them pronto
Yet I ignored them for days
Oh Laura

My hero is a seaplane pilot
On a tiny Bajan resort islet
I need to cut his hair
And give him some morals
Now it all seems so clear
So I shan’t bother to quarrel

Oh Laura
You came and you found all my plot holes
And my repetitive verbs
Oh Laura
You need more of my characters’ life goals
Plus cut five thousand words
Oh Laura

Another thing to fix
There’s too many phone calls
At least three I need to nix
Because the pacing it stalls

Oh Laura
Well you asked me to make it more steamy
And promised I would
Oh Laura
Then you told me some parts were unseemly
And so change them I should

Oh Laura
Well it’s making my book so much stronger
And less boring as well
Oh Laura
All my clichés you help me to conquer
And so thank you I will
Oh Laura

Take Me If You Dare was officially released yesterday. I’m so friggin’ excited I can barely stand it. In the publishing world the book came out pretty fast, but it still feels like I’ve been waiting forever. I can’t wait for you guys to read it.

Funny how these things come about. It began at a breakfast meeting in Summer 2008 with long-time friend Kathryn Lye, who also happens to be one of the editors of the Harlequin Blaze line. I met Kathryn years ago at local event where I was forced into teaching line dancing for an RWA outing. It’s a long funny story that maybe I’ll share some time. But the important thing for you to know about that night was that I became friends with Kathryn.

We bonded over television and movies. She was curious about what was coming up for the fall season, and of course I had all the scoop. Each year we tried to get together to say hello, have a meal or watch pilots during RWA. Then that summer in 2008 we had breakfast in San Francisco. As usual we talked about everything from our families to TV to books. She always was kind about asking what I was working on, and I told her that I wanted to try my hand at writing something like the Woman’s Murder Club meets Burn Notice. Sexy detectives and spies coming together and solving cases.

She said that sounded like something that would work for Blaze. I was shocked. She told me to put together a proposal. My agent thought it was an awesome idea, and that, my friends is how the Stonegate Investigative Agency came to be. My idea was that these very strong women who ran the agency would have to deal with cases all over the world. Of course, they’d also fall in love.

Mariska, my heroine in Take Me if You Dare owns the agency that was bequeathed to her by her mother. But it was the hero, who really brought this book to life for me. Jackson is a burned CIA agent and all he wants to do is get out of Bangkok. It was kind of my ode to “Burn Notice” and that sexy Michael Westin (Jeffrey Donovan). Jackson needed a heroine who could hold her own, and that is how Mariska was born. Of course, you “Law & Order” fans know where I stole that name from and it fits this character.

What I like, and yes I know I wrote it, is that even though there are mob guys and intrigue, there is also a lot of humor. Jackson and Mariska are fun, sexy couple, who always seem to find themselves in trouble. I had a blast writing their adventure and I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

I’m celebrating all month and have lots of ways for you to win cool prizes, so be sure to check out www.candacehavens.com. Oh and you can check out the first episode of RAW CANDY where I talk about books, television, movies and celebs at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6B3slnuGVk

I’d like to hear about your all-time favorite romantic couples. Do you have one couple that stands out above all the rest? Tell me, I want to know!