L.A. Banks (1959-2011)

Writer Leslie Esdaile Banks, 51, who wrote urban fantasy as L.A. Banks, died August 2, 2011 of adrenal cancer in Philadelphia PA.

She was born December 11, 1959 in Philadelphia, and attended the University of Pennsylvania. She got a master’s in fine arts in filmmaking from Temple University.

Her first fantasy novel was Minion (2003), which began the Vampire Huntress Legends series. That continued with The Awakening (2003), The Hunted (2004), The Bitten (2005), The Forbidden (2005), The Damned (2006), The Forsaken (2006), The Wicked (2007), The Cursed (2007), The Darkness (2008), The Shadows (2008), and The Thirteenth (2009). Her Crimson Moon series began with Bad Blood (2008) and also includes Bite the Bullet (2008), Undead on Arrival (2009), Cursed to Death (2009), Never Cry Werewolf (2010), and Left for Undead (2010).

She recently began a new series about angels with Surrender the Dark (2010) and the forthcoming Conquer the Dark (2011). She also contributed many stories and novellas to urban fantasy and paranormal romance anthologies.

Banks was diagnosed with late-stage adrenal cancer in June 2011, and spent her remaining weeks in the hospital, with her family and fans organizing many fundraising events to help cover her medical expenses. She is survived by her daughter Helena.