L.J. Smith, whose 'Vampire Diaries' books inspired CW series, dies at 66

Author L.J. Smith, who created the “Vampire Diaries” publication bid that inspired the CW play of the aforesaid sanction and contributed to popular culture’s obsession with vampires, has died.

Smith died March 8 successful a infirmary successful Walnut Creek, Calif., The Times confirmed. A connection shared to Smith’s website says she died “peacefully” aft “a agelong bout with illness.” The author’s spouse Julie Divola and sister Judy Clifford confirmed to the New York Times connected Wednesday that Smith, a Danville, Calif., resident, died “after enduring the cascading effects of a uncommon autoimmune illness for a decade.” She was 66.

“Lisa was a benignant and gentle soul, whose brilliance, creativity, resilience and empathy, illuminated the lives of her family, friends and fans alike,” the announcement connected Smith’s website said. “She volition beryllium remembered for her imaginative spirit, her pioneering relation successful supernatural fiction, and her generosity, warmth and heart, some connected and disconnected the page.

Smith, who was calved successful Florida successful September 1958,, wrote respective young-adult publication bid including “Night World” and “The Secret Circle” but was champion known for creating the “Vampire Diaries” novels. Smith’s inaugural entries for the phantasy bid famously laid the groundwork for the CW adaptation of the aforesaid sanction by producers Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson.

The CW’s “Vampire Diaries,” riding disconnected of popular culture’s vampire obsession reignited by Stephenie Meyer‘s “Twilight” bid and movie adaptations, aired from 2009 to 2017. “Vampire Diaries” starred Nina Dobrev arsenic teen Elena Gilbert, who finds herself successful a emotion triangle betwixt vampire brothers Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) portion navigating the less-mythical throes of precocious schoolhouse and moving connected from her past.

Smith grew up successful Southern California and began penning arsenic a child. She published her debut phantasy novel, “The Night of the Solstice,” successful 1987, according to her website, and caught the attraction of an exertion astatine Alloy Entertainment. Alloy signed Smith to statesman its “Vampire Diaries” publication series, according to NYT. She published the archetypal 4 “Vampire Diaries” books from 1991 to 1992. Alloy hired Smith connected a work-for-hire declaration — meaning she did not ain the rights to her characters — but she did not recognize it astatine the time, the Wall Street Journal reported successful 2014.

Years aft entering the literate scene, Smith took a hiatus from penning to woody with household matters, including her mother’s death. She reentered the satellite of “Vampire Diaries” successful 2007 amid the occurrence of Meyer’s vampire franchise. She struck different woody with Alloy to pen much “Vampire Diaries” books, published successful 2009 and 2010. Shortly after, Smith parted ways with HarperCollins (which bought the “Vampire Diaries” publication series) and Alloy, reportedly implicit originative differences.

Despite this, Alloy hired a ghostwriter to constitute caller novels and implicit the “Vampire Diaries” series. “I didn’t recognize that they could instrumentality the bid distant from me,” Smith told the WSJ successful 2014. “I was heartbroken.”

Though Smith turned her absorption to different enactment aft the fallout with Alloy and HarperCollins, she yet picked up “Vampire Diaries” wherever she near disconnected — penning the communicative her mode done instrumentality fiction. In Amazon’s now-defunct Kindle Worlds fan-fiction publishing platform, Smith reclaimed her beloved characters successful informal “Vampire Diaries” entries.

Smith’s penning portfolio besides included abbreviated stories that she published connected her website. She astir precocious finished the latest books successful her “Night World” and “Strange Fate” bid and the big publication “Lullaby,” according to her website. In an introduction successful her FAQ, Smith says “I didn’t take oregon decide” to go a writer.

“I person been a storyteller since earlier I learned however to work oregon write,” she said. “I knew from my earliest puerility — the archetypal things I remember— that I would lone beryllium blessed arsenic a storyteller.”

Smith is besides survived by her sister Judy Clifford; her niece Lauren Clifford and Lauren’s lad Wyatt; and her nephew Brian Clifford and his wife, Taylor Acampora.