Author L.J. Smith, best known for The Vampire Diaries and Night World series, passed away on Saturday, March 8, at the age of 66 after a long illness.
Born Lisa Jane Smith in Orange County, California, in 1958, she developed a love for writing as early as kindergarten but struggled with self-confidence. Encouragement from her English teacher at Villa Park High School helped her overcome her doubts. Before pursuing a writing career, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and obtained teaching credentials from San Francisco State University. She later worked as an elementary school teacher for three years before dedicating herself to writing full-time.
Smith’s debut novel, The Night of the Solstice (1987), marked the beginning of the Wildworld series. Intended for young adults, the book was marketed toward children, which contributed to modest sales.
She gained widespread recognition after being hired by Alloy Entertainment to write The Vampire Diaries series—a blend of horror, fantasy, and romance. Smith penned the first seven books before a dispute with the publisher led to ghostwriters continuing the series. She later published her intended sequels as non-canonical Vampire Diaries: Evensong novels on Kindle Worlds.
In 2009, The Vampire Diaries was adapted into a television series by The CW, with 5.7 million viewers tuning in for the premiere. The show’s success led to spin-offs, The Originals and Legacies, and played a key role in shaping the supernatural teen drama genre of the 2000s and 2010s.
Despite the success of her series, Smith took a decade-long hiatus from writing to help raise her sister’s children while her brother-in-law battled illness. She returned to writing in the 2010s and continued to connect with fans.
Lisa is survived by her sister, nieces, nephews, and her close friend Julie.
For more on her life and career, please visit her official website.