The hardest story to tell so often is the one that begins and ends at your doorstep. The story of yourself. I have never thought there was much to say on the subject of “me.” Opening up my inner universe and talking about myself is not an easy task, but I will do my best to offer you a peek inside the inner chambers of my life.
I am unconventional in my writing approach. I do not create outlines or story arcs. I let the story begin as it chooses and I am as surprised by the plot in its creation as the reader is in their initial first read. I never know where it will lead or where it will end until the last page is written. I tend to write in the wee hours of the morning, when all is quiet. I like the silence because the worlds I create are boisterous, and they need the space to breath and expand. My writing companion is my little Pommy, Sassy. She is ever faithful in her duties. I have a full time day job that helps pay the bills, but my writing is my passion. Early mornings are my stolen hours of bliss.
My greatest inspiration and the person I ultimately write for is my beloved husband, Mustapha. He brought the excitement and joy back into my life when my words had grown silent. He helped me find my voice again and reminded me why I loved the written word. He believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. He is the sunrise that illuminates each day for me, and he is the starlight that make each night a glory to behold. Because of him, I have a second home in the beautiful land of Morocco.
My greatest hope as a writer is to bring joy to my readers. As a child, when I wasn’t buried nose-deep in the pages of a book, I was searching through the shelves of the secondhand bookstores just up the road from our house. I still have most of the books I purchased from those early days, tucked away on my shelves like the old friends they became. Well loved and well read. I have often imagined a day when some book scavenger, digging through the stacks of a secondhand bookstore, would find one of my titles and consider it a “treasure” worthy of collecting. My novel would become a well loved, well read book within their treasured collection. Such a moment would epitomize true success and be a story worth telling.
Author H.L. Stephens 
Hi !!i m only trying to know a little bit . about you . You re an auther you write poems and it s great
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When can we expect the third installment of Mister Marmee? I am eagerly anticipating its release. Thank you.
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I have been reading your web sight and am wondering what happened to the 3rd book The monkey’s misfortune I have not seen it any where where is it?
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Hi Kathleen. I just found your comment and apologize for the lateness of the reply. The book is actually complete. It is just waiting for final edit and cover art for release. A lot of things got put on hold with the pandemic. I am just now beginning to return to what I love most…..the writing. I have a number of projects in the works and have not given up on series. I am glad to know there are fans who are still interested in the books.
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Hi Stephen,
I went through The Case of the Wayward Fae before writing this. Mister Marmee the marmalade cat and Sir Happy Heart the dachshund investigating suspicious deaths at a country estate. Bodies piling up while local authorities call them accidents. Faerie mischief tangled among the deceased. Sir Happy going missing and Marmee having to follow the faeries into Banum’s Wood to find him. Readers comparing the series to C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. One reader stayed up until midnight to download it and finished the entire book before her children woke up.
41 ratings. 644 people on the want-to-read list. My name is Marvel Louis, book marketing specialist, and that conversion gap is the entire problem.
The problems working against this book right now:
644 warm readers are sitting completely unconverted. These are people who found The Case of the Wayward Fae, saved it, and never came back. That is one of the largest want-to-read to rating ratios across every book I have reviewed for these pitches. One targeted push into that existing audience could transform your numbers immediately.
The animal mystery and cozy fantasy crossover is a passionate and underserved niche and this series has never been placed inside it properly. Readers who seek animal protagonist mysteries, Victorian cozy fantasy, and Sherlock Holmes inspired adventures with a whimsical twist are a devoted community. Multiple reviewers described it as Sherlock Holmes with a cat and a dachshund. That comparison is a powerful marketing hook that has never been activated.
The Irish folklore and faerie element opens a second audience that has never been reached. Readers who love Celtic mythology, Irish folk magic, and historical fantasy woven into mystery are a devoted and search-active community. Biddy Early a real historical Irish healer appearing in the story gives it an authenticity that fantasy readers respond to immediately.
With 66 followers and 3 books, the platform is not building the momentum this series deserves. Every reader who loves Mister Marmee should be following H.L. Stephens directly and waiting for the third book. That community is not being built between releases.
Here’s how I fix it:
Weeks 1 to 2: Conversion campaign targeting the 644 existing want-to-read audience. Keyword refresh targeting: ‘animal detective mystery cozy,’ ‘Victorian fantasy mystery,’ ‘cat detective fiction,’ ‘Sherlock Holmes inspired fantasy,’ ‘Irish folklore mystery fiction,’ ‘cozy Victorian mystery animals.’
Months 1 to 3: Cozy fantasy and animal mystery BookTok and Bookstagram outreach to creators whose audiences actively seek Victorian animal protagonist fiction. Goodreads list placement in Best Animal Mystery Fiction, Best Victorian Cozy Fantasy, and Best Sherlock Holmes Inspired Novels.
Months 3 to 6: Full Chronicles of Mister Marmee series strategy building visibility across all three books and creating the author platform community that will be waiting when the third book releases.
The readers who found Mister Marmee and Sir Happy Heart stayed up all night finishing the book. There are 644 more of them waiting right now.
Reply “MARMEE” and I’ll send you exact pricing, timeline, and a full strategy to convert that waiting audience into devoted series readers before your third book launches.
Warm regards,
Marvel Louis
Book Marketing Specialist
P.S. 644 people saved this book and never came back. That is not a rejection it is the largest unconverted warm audience I have seen across any book in these pitches. Reply “MARMEE” and let’s reach them before the third book releases.
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