| Leslie Esdaile Banks | |
| Pseudonym: | Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks, L. A. Banks |
| Birth Name: | Leslie Ann Peterson |
| Birth Date: | 11 December 1959 |
| Birth Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Writer |
| Language: | English |
| Alma Mater: | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Bachelor's degree) Temple University (Master's degree) |
| Period: | 1996–2010 |
| Genre: | African American literature, crime suspense, dark fantasy/horror, non-fiction, romance, women's fiction |
| Spouse: | Michael Esdaile, Aldean Banks |
| Children: | 1 |
| Awards: | Essence Literary Awards Storyteller of the Year (2008) Best 50 Women in Business Award for the State of Pennsylvania (2008) Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Fiction (2009)[1] |
Leslie Ann Esdaile Banks (Peterson; December 11, 1959 – August 2, 2011) was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including African-American literature, romance, women's fiction, crime suspense, dark fantasy/horror and non-fiction.
She won several literary awards, including the 2008 Essence Literary Awards Storyteller of the Year.[2] [3]
Leslie Ann Peterson was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She married Michael Esdaile,; they had one child, a daughter, Helena Esdaile. The couple divorced and she remarried, to Al Banks, in 2000.
She attended University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, where she earned her undergraduate degree and then attended Temple University's School of Communications and Theater, earning her masters in fine arts.[4] Before she began writing full-time, she worked at The Women's Opportunities Resource Center, where she helped develop micro-entrepreneurial career curriculums for women of low income in Philadelphia.[5]
Banks contributed to magazines and newspaper columns, and wrote commercial fiction for five major publishers: St. Martin's Press (NYC), Simon & Schuster (NYC), Kensington Publishing (NYC), BET/Arabesque (NYC), and Genesis Press (MS).[6] She became the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, received the 2008 ESSENCE Magazine Storyteller of the Year award, as well as the 2009 Romantic Times Booklover's Convention Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Fiction. Books 1 and 2 of The Vampire Huntress Legend Series (Minion and The Awakening, respectively), have been optioned for Hollywood films by GothamBeach Entertainment and Griot Entertainment. Originally a nine-book series, The Vampire Huntress Legend Series has been expanded to twelve (the last being called "The Thirteenth").[7]
In addition, Banks wrote the book series for the network cable series "Soul Food," as well as the novelization of the movie "Scarface."[8]
In June 2011, it was announced on Banks' website that she had been diagnosed with late-stage adrenal cancer. It was revealed that due to the extreme costs of her medical care, her family opened up a charitable fund in her name in one of the local Pennsylvania banks. The literary community also rallied around the ailing author, with several supporters starting a series of auctions where the proceeds went towards Banks' medical care.[9] [10] [11] Authors including P. N. Elrod, Heather Graham and Charlaine Harris donated books and services to raise funds for Banks, as did others in the literary community.[12]
Banks' official website was updated to reflect her death from cancer on August 2, 2011, at the age of 51.[13] She is survived by her daughter, Helena Esdaile.
Men of the Delta Force Series
NOTE: The Darkness (10), The Shadows (11), and The Thirteenth (12) are called The Armageddon Finale to The Vampire Huntress Legend Series.
=
The Dark Series
| Anthology or collection | Contents | Publication date | Editor | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke of Midnight | Make It Last Forever | 2004 | Sherrilyn KenyonAmanda Ashley L.A. Banks Lori Handeland | New York Times bestseller extended list 2004 | |
| Dark Dreams | If The Walls Could Talk | 2004 | Brandon Massey | ||
| Death's Excellent Vacation[15] | Seeing Is Believing | 2010 | Charlaine HarrisToni L. P. Kelner | ||
| Voices from the Other Side: Dark Dreams 2 | Natural Instinct | 2006 | Brandon Massey | ||
| Love at First Bite | Ride the Night Wind | 2006 | et al. | ||
| My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding | Spellbound | 2006 | P.N. Elrod | ||
| Vegas Bites | 2006 | L.A. Banks, et al. | |||
| Creepin' | Payback is a Bitch | 2007 | Monica Jackson | ||
| Dark Delicacies 2 | What the Devil Won't Take | 2007 | Del HowisonJeff Gelb | ||
| On the Line | 2007 | Donna HillVincent Alexandria L.A. Banks | |||
| Hotter Than Hell | Equinox | 2008 | Kim HarrisonMartin H. Greenberg | ||
| The Darker Mask | 2008 | Gary PhillipsChristopher Chambers | |||
| The Ancestors | Ev'ry Shut Eye Ain't Sleep | 2008 | L.A. Banks, Tananarive Due, and Brandon Massey |