[7] Stephens graduated from Texas Southern University in 1955 with a degree in Home Economics, Clothing, and Textiles before moving to the New York City Area.
[8] Because of the dominance of Harlequin at the time, the Candlelight line was simply a way for Dell to keep a presence in the market, and so it became a place for the company to place inexperienced staffers like Stephens[10] Because of Dell's hands-off attitude, Stephens had wide latitude with the Candlelight books, which were so-called “sweet” contemporary romances similar to the Harlequin Romance line.
She tested her theory by publishing Morning Rose, Evening Savage by author Joan Hohl under then pen name Amii Lorin, which had been rejected by Harlequin, as part of the Candlelight line in August 1980.
When no negative reactions were forthcoming, Stephens pitched the idea of a new line called Candlelight Ecstasy to Dell, citing it as a possible competitor to Harlequin Presents.
Upper management greenlighted the endeavor and Stephens launched the line in December 1980 with two new manuscripts that fit her vision: one by Hohl writing as Amii Loren, The Tawny Gold Man, and another from Jayne Castle, Gentle Pirate.
Three books by this pool of authors were published by Candlelight Ecstasy: Web of Desire by Jean Hager; Golden Fire, Silver Ice by Marisa De Zavala; and The Tender Mending by Lia Sanders.
[20] In July 2020, author Sarah MacLean, critic Jen Prokop, and Bowling Green State University archivist Steve Ammidown discussed Stephens' legacy on the Fated Mates podcast.
In September 2020, Stephens appeared on the Black Romance Podcast with host Julie Moody-Freeman to discuss her own legacy in a two part interview [21]