L. A. Banks is the recipient of the 2008 Essence Storyteller of the Year award has written over 35 novels and contributed to 12 novellas, in multiple genres under various pseudonyms. She mysteriously shape-shifts between the genres of romance, women's fiction, crime/suspense thrillers, and of course, paranormal lore. She is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program with a Master's in Fine Arts from Temple University and she is a full-time writer living/working in Philadelphia.