Occupation Writer Citizenship United States Language English Name Leslie Banks | Nationality African American Role Writer Ethnicity African-American | |
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Born Leslie Ann Peterson
December 11, 1959
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. ( 1959-12-11 ) Pen name Leslie Esdaile,
Leslie E. Banks,
Leslie Banks,
Leslie Esdaile Banks,
L. A. Banks Died August 2, 2011, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Education University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University Books The Bitten, The Thirteenth, Bite the Bullet, The Mad Scientist's Guide to, Valentine's Day Is Killing Me Similar People Carrie Vaughn, MaryJanice Davidson, Marjorie Liu, L E Modesitt Jr, David D Levine | ||
Leslie Banks Lew Klein Award Video
Leslie Esdaile Banks, née 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.
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She won several literary awards, including the 2008 Essence Literary Awards Storyteller of the Year.
Biography
Leslie Ann Peterson was born and raised in Philadelphia. She married Michael Esdaile,; they had one child, a daughter, Helena Esdaile. The couple divorced and she remarried, to Al Banks, in 2000.
Leslie 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). 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").
Illness and death
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. 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.
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.