Vampire Vixens : L.A. Banks

L.A. Banks

l_a_banks
Essence Magazine Storyteller of the Year!

Ms. Banks is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program, and alumnae of Temple University’s Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking program. Ms. Banks began her career in corporate marketing for several Fortune 100 firms and worked as an executive for over a decade at Xerox, Hewlett Packard, and Digital Equipment Corporation. She then subsequently evolved her veteran marketing experience into a solid entrepreneurial career as a marketing consultant within the economic development and community-based organization environment.

In 1992, Banks added another facet to her career, entering the publishing industry. She writes under the pseudonyms; L.A. Banks, Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, and Leslie Esdaile Banks. She has won several literary awards and has penned over 19 novels and 7 novellas in genres as diverse as romance, women’s fiction, crime suspense, and dark fantasy/horror. She has contributed to magazines, newspaper columns, and has written commercial fiction for five major publishers simultaneously: St. Martin’s Press (NYC), Simon and Schuster (NYC), Kensington Publishing (NYC), BET/Arabesque (NYC), and Genesis Press (MS.)

Banks’ writing career took a new twist in 2000 when she won the coveted contract with Paramount/Showtime in collaboration with Simon & Schuster/Pocketbooks to write a book series for the popular cable network television series, Soul Food. From there, Banks transitioned into another hot genre—the world of vampire fiction, where she is currently penning a nine book series for St. Martin’s Press: “Minion,” (June 2003), “The Awakening,” (January 2004), “The Hunted,” (June 2004), and “The Bitten,” (January 2005), “The Forbidden” (July 2005), “The Damned,” to be released January 2006, with three additional titles to be added in 2006 thru 2007. In addition, Banks was recently signed to a St. Martin’s Press inspired paranormal romance anthology, entitled, “Stroke of Midnight,” contributing with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Amanda Ashley, and Lori Handeland, which hit the New York Times Bestseller extended list in 2004. She has also worked with other horror anthology collections, Dark Dreams I and Dark Dreams II for Kensington Publishing.

Banks other works include a crime thriller with Kensington/Dafina, which was released November 2004 (“Betrayal of The Trust”—the pending 2005 September sequel is entitled, “Blind Trust”), as well as numerous romances and women’s fiction works with BET/Arabesque, Kensington Publishing, and Genesis Press. Banks also contributed her inspirational personal story of triumph over tragedy within the anthology, “Chicken Soup for the African American Soul.”

Ms. Banks is a native West Philadelphian and entrepreneur, who remains fervently committed to her community. She writes and lives in University City, Philadelphia, with her husband and children.

WEB PAGE & EMAIL

www.vampirehuntress.com
www.leslieesdailebanks.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Non-Fiction/Inspirational:
-- “Chicken Soup For The African American Soul,” Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach,

FL, Anthology, Sept. 2004, Leslie Banks, page 160—contributing author to this collection of over 100 inspirational writers.

-- “How To Write A Romance For The New Markets,” (anthology collection, page 274 contribution as Leslie Esdaile), Genesis Press, 1999.

Crime/Suspense Thrillers: (Writing As Leslie Esdaile Banks)

-- “Betrayal of The Trust,” Kensington Books/Dafina, Nov. 2004, Crime Thriller, Leslie Esdaile Banks

-- “Blind Trust,” Crime/Thriller, Kensington/Dafina, NYC, under Leslie Esdaile Banks – Sept. 2005

*Note: The above mentioned thriller novels in the “Trust” series are books 1 & 2 of a four-book continuing saga published by Kensington/Dafina, NYC.

Paranormal: (writing as L.A. Banks)

-- “The Damned,” horror, St. Martin’s Press, NYC, under L.A. Banks – Jan. 2006 (Book 6 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

-- “The Forbidden,” horror, St. Martin’s Press, NYC, under L.A. Banks – summer 2005 (Book 5 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

-- “Dark Dreams II,” horror anthology, Kensington Publishing, L.A. Banks, (novella) “Natural Instinct,” Coming April 2006

-- “Dark Dreams,” Kensington Publishing, a horror anthology, Aug. 2004, (novella): “If The Walls Could Talk.”

-- “Stroke of Midnight,” NY Times Best-selling Anthology—St. Martin’s Press, Oct. 2004, Horror, with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Amanda Ashley, L.A. Banks, and Lori Handelan. L.A. Bank’s short story in this collection is, “Make It Last Forever.”

-- “The Bitten”, St. Martin’s Press, January 2005, under L.A. Banks (Book 4 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

-- “The Hunted,” St. Martin’s Press, June 2004, under L.A. Banks (Book 3 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

-- “The Awakening,” St. Martin’s Press, January 2005, under L.A. Banks (Book 2 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

-- “Minion,” St. Martin’s Press, January 2005, under L.A. Banks (Book 1 of 9 books scheduled for The Vampire Huntress Legend Series)

WOMEN’S FICTION & ROMANCE: (Writing as Leslie Esdaile)

-- “Valentine’s Day Is Killing Me,” anthology, romantic comedy, Kensington Pub., Leslie Esdaile Banks,

(Novella) “A No Drama Valentine’s,” Scheduled for February 2006.

-- “Keepin’ It Real,” Romantic Comedy, Kensington/Dafina, under Leslie Esdaile – summer 2005

-- “Sister Got Game,” Kensington Publishing, romance, August 2004, under Leslie Esdaile

-- “Sistahood of Shopaholics,” St. Martin’s Press (Anthology), “Shameless,” October 2003 – Comedy

-- “Through Thick and Thin,” Simon and Schuster/Pocketbooks (Soul Food TV series basis), March 2003, written under Leslie E. Banks.

-- “Candlelight And You,” BET/Arabesque (Anthology), “Valentine’s Love,” January 2003 – Romance

-- "Through The Storm," BET/Arabesque, December 2002 – Romance/Crime Suspense

-- "Tomorrow's Promise," Genesis Press, September 2002 – Romance/Military

-- “For Better, For Worse,” Simon and Schuster/Pocketbooks (Soul Food TV series basis), October 2002, written under Leslie E. Banks.

-- "Still Waters Run Deep," Genesis Press, June 2002–Women’s Fiction (Sequel to Rivers of the Soul, Book 2)

-- “Love Potions," BET/Arabesque, April 2002 – Paranormal (Romantic Comedy)

-- "Rivers of the Soul," Genesis Press, December 2001 – Women’s Fiction (Book 1)

-- "Love Lessons," BET/Arabesque, September 2001 – Romance

-- "After the Vows," Genesis Press (Anthology), "Time Enough for Love," May 2001 – Romance

-- "Love Notes," BET/Arabesque, February 2001 – Suspense

-- "Midnight Clear," Genesis Press (Anthology), "Home for the Holidays," October 2000 – Paranormal

-- "Slow Burn," Arabesque/Kensington, August 1997 – Paranormal/Crime Thriller (Ghosts)

-- "Sundance," Arabesque/Kensington, October 1996 – Paranormal/Action Adventure (Past Lives)

NOTE: Books 1 and 2 of The Vampire Huntress Legend Series (“Minion” and “The Awakening,” respectively), have been optioned for Hollywood films by Gotham Beach Entertainment and Griot Entertainment.

PURCHASE BOOKS

bamm.com / Amazon.com / bn.com / Powells / Fictionwise

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