Marie L. Decius is a Haitian-American writer, veteran, and public health professional whose historical fiction centers Black women’s resistance and diasporic memory. She grew up in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, where she attended an English immersion school and memorized every book on every shelf in the library. Reading under a kerosene lamp, she fell in love with storytelling early, scribbling poems and short tales in worn notebooks she still keeps today.

At twenty, Marie moved to the United States for college and later joined the U.S. Army at twenty-eight. Even in uniform, she always carried a book—often fiction, sometimes met with side-eyes from fellow medics. In 2025, following her layoff from a federal job, Marie made the decision to publish the stories she had penned over the years.

Marie is the author of Girls Who Burn First, We Named Her Toya, God, Grades, and Guilt, and Madame Bélair, with more novels forthcoming. She holds a BS in Psychology, a BA in Humanities, an MPH with a concentration in Alternative Medicine, and a Doctorate in Health Administration. She is currently pursuing a Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Policy.

A mother of three, Marie enjoys traveling, crime shows, soccer, and braiding hair. Her books are love letters to the women who raised her, the country that shaped her, and the stories that saved her.