In Memoriam - L.A. Banks

Sadly, popular author and friend to libraries L.A. Banks has died at the age of 51. Banks wrote under several names and her range was wide including romance, urban fantasy, suspense and paranormal. She also wrote under the pseudonym of Leslie Esdaile.

Essence Magazine named Banks as their 2008 Storyteller of the Year recognizing her contribution to African American literature and the 2009 Romantic Times Booklover's Convention Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Fiction.

A recent book Left for Undead, a part of the Crimson Moon series, is a great example of her fast-paced, compelling stories.

"Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau earned a long vacation with her lover and fellow Shadow Wolf, Hunter, after the brutal wolf-like attacks that left New Orleans in an uproar. But when her team calls with news of vampire slayings, Sasha knows it's only a matter of time before another war breaks out among the supernatural denizens of the world ...The vampires are nobody's ally, but the cold-hearted deaths of their own kind make them even more bloodthirsty than usual. But who is the culprit? With the Seelie and Unseelie courts claiming innocence and aligning together, Sasha's team is at a loss. Until they discover that they're facing ancient creatures from the depths of hell itself, bent on unleashing pure fury..." - Publisher