Leslie Ann Esdaile Banks ( Peterson; December 11, 1959 – August 2, 2011) was an American writer under the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

s of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various

genres Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other form ...

, including

African-American literature African American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. Phillis Wheatley was an enslaved African woman who became the first African American to publish a book of poetry, which was publis ...

, 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. ''leslieesdailebanks.com'' August 2006

Biography

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. 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. Banks contributed to magazines and newspaper columns, and wrote commercial fiction for five major publishers: St. Martin's Press (NYC),

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

(NYC), Kensington Publishing (NYC), BET/Arabesque (NYC), and Genesis Press (MS). 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"). In addition, Banks wrote the book series for the network cable series "Soul Food," as well as the novelization of the movie "Scarface."

Illness and death

In June 2011, it was announced on Banks' website that she had been diagnosed with late-stage

adrenal cancer An adrenal tumor or adrenal mass is any benign or malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland, several of which are notable for their ability to overproduce endocrine hormones. Adrenal cancer is the presence of malignant adrenal tumors, which include ...

. 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. Authors including

P. N. Elrod Patricia Nead Elrod (born 1954) is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked ...

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. After appearing in tel ...

and

Charlaine Harris Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for her book series '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series '' True Blood''. The television sh ...

donated books and services to raise funds for Banks, as did others in the literary community. Banks' official website was updated to reflect her death from cancer on August 2, 2011, at the age of 51. She is survived by her daughter, Helena Esdaile.

Bibliography

As Leslie Esdaile

Romance novels

* ''Sundance'' (1996) * ''Slow Burn'' (1997) * ''Love Notes'' (2001) * ''Love Lessons'' (2001) * ''River of Souls'' (2001) * ''Love Potions'' (2002) * ''Still Waters Run Deep'' (2002) * ''Tomorrow's Promise'' (2002) * ''Through the Storm'' (2002) * ''Sister Got Game'' (2004) * ''Keepin' It Real'' (2005) * ''Take Me There'' (2006) * ''Better Than'' (June 2008)

Romance novellas

* "Home For The Holidays" in ''Midnight Clear'' (et al.) (2000) (*) * "Time Enough for Love" in ''After the Vows'' (et al.) (2001) (*) * "Valentine's Love" in ''Candlelight and You'' (et al.) (2003) (*) * "Shameless" in ''Sisterhood of Shopaholics'' (et al.) (2003) (*) * "A 'No Drama' Valentine's" in ''Valentin's Day Is Killing Me'' (et al.) (2006) (*)

Alexis Grant

Men of the Delta Force Series * ''Sizzle & Burn'' * ''Locked at Loaded''

Non-fiction

* ''How to Write A Romance for The New Market'' (1999) (*)

As Leslie E. Banks

Drama, TV adaptation novels

* ''Soul Food: For Better, For Worse'' (October 1, 2002) * ''Soul Food: Through Thick and Thin'' (March 1, 2003) * ''Soul Food: No Mountain High Enough'' (September 30, 2003)

As Leslie Banks

Non-fiction

* "Light at the End of the Tunnel" in ''Chicken Soup for the African American Soul'' (2004) (*)

As Leslie Esdaile Banks

Crime and suspense

* ''Betrayal of the Trust'' (2004) * ''Blind Trust'' (2005) * ''Shattered Trust'' (2006) * ''No Trust'' (final book) (2007)

As L. A. Banks

Crime and suspense

* ''Scarface, The Beginning'', Volume 1 (2006) * ''Scarface, Point of No Return'', Volume 2 (TBD)

Paranormal

= The Vampire Huntress Legend Series

= # ''Minion'' (trade paperback) (2003) (mass market) (2004) # ''The Awakening'' (trade paperback) (2004) (mass market) (2004) # ''The Hunted'' (trade paperback) (2004) (mass market) (2005) # ''The Bitten'' (trade paperback) (2005) (mass market) (2005) # ''The Forbidden'' (trade paperback) (2005) (mass market) (2006) # ''The Damned'' (trade paperback) (2006) (mass market) (2007) # ''The Forsaken'' (trade paperback) (2006) (mass market) (2007) # ''The Wicked'' (trade paperback) (2007) (mass market) (2008) # ''The Cursed'' (trade paperback) (2007) (mass market) (2008) # ''The Darkness'' (trade paperback) (2008) (mass market) (2008) # ''The Shadows'' (trade paperback) (2008) (Book 11) (2009) # ''The Thirteenth'' (trade paperback) (2009) NOTE: ''The Darkness'' (10), ''The Shadows'' (11), and ''The Thirteenth'' (12) are called ''The Armageddon Finale'' to ''The Vampire Huntress Legend'' Series.

Vampire Huntress Graphic Novel Books

Source: # ''The Hidden Darkness #1'' (2010) # ''The Hidden Darkness #2'' (2010) # ''The Hidden Darkness #3'' (2010) # ''The Hidden Darkness #4'' (2010)

Neteru Academy

# ''Shadow Walker: A Neteru Academy Novel'' (2010)

= Betrayal of the Trust Books

= Source: # ''Betrayal of the Trust'' (2004) # ''Blind Trust'' (2005) # ''Shattered Trust'' (2006) # ''No Trust'' (2007)

=Crimson Moon novels

= # ''Bad Blood'' (2008) # ''Bite The Bullet'' (2008) # ''Undead on Arrival'' (2009) # ''Cursed to Death'' (2009) # ''Never Cry Werewolf'' (2010) # ''Left for Undead'' (2010)

=Dark Avengers Series

= # ''Finders Keepers'' (2008) # ''Loser's Weepers'' (2008) The Dark Series # Surrender the Dark (2011) # Conquer the Dark (2011)

=Paranormal novellas

Articles

Fiction Factor – Building Characters Through Realism

References

External links

*
The Vampire Huntress Legend Series Website

Crimson Moon Novels Website

Official Leslie Banks MySpace

*

Interviews

Reviews

Paranormal romance ReviewsThe Best Reviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Leslie Esdaile 1959 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists African-American non-fiction writers African-American novelists American crime fiction writers American romantic fiction writers American women novelists Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Deaths from adrenocortical cancer Philadelphia High School for Girls alumni Urban fantasy writers Writers from Philadelphia American women science fiction and fantasy writers American women romantic fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers Speculative fiction writers of African descent Women crime fiction writers Novelists from Pennsylvania American women non-fiction writers African-American comics writers American horror writers American fantasy writers American female comics writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century African-American women writers 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century African-American writers