Leslie Ann Peterson was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 considered herself a shape-shifter, writing romance, women’s fiction, crime and suspense, and of course, dark vampire huntress lore.
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.
Dragon Page interview: Cover to Cover #327A: L. A. Banks
Amazon: Vampire Huntress Legend Series (12 book series)
News: The Late L.A. Banks: Beyond Vampires, Werewolves
