Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out with L.A. Banks

Urban Reviews: Tell our readers about The Cursed.
L.A. Banks: The Chairman has been killed and now Lilith, Satan's Consort sits on the vampire throne as the Vampire Council’s new Chairwoman. She raises all the dark covens—calling every major dark witch and warlock to do her bidding. Her goal is to distract the team members, while the unborn heir to the Dark Realms awaits his own birth. All Lilith needs now is Damali's newly discovered angelic powers to make that come to past. That will allow her evil progeny to walk through the veil between worlds and take his throne as the true Anti-Christ.

Damali and her crew race to stop Lilith. However, raising not only the dark covens, but all vampires that had not been slain by Damali, puts the world out of balance and kicks off the Armageddon. See more at www.Vampire-Huntress.com

Urban Reviews: What inspired you to create the VHL series? Did you think it would be this popular?
L.A. Banks: I began looking at the urban horror of young people killing each other and all the violence and wanted to do a cautionary tale about the dark side taking one over. My agent had the brainstorm to go with vampires as the metaphor and my editor had always wanted to do a multicultural tale in that genre--it was a three-way collaboration...an awesome coming together of creative talent to produce this series. None of us had a clue it would go this far.

Urban Reviews: When can we expect the next installment of the VHL series?
L.A. Banks: The next installment, book 10--The Darkness, will be out February 2008.

Urban Reviews: You are also starting a new series called Bad Blood. Can you give us a sneak peak at this upcoming series?
L.A. Banks: This is a werewolf series with a female heroine who works for the Preternatural Containment Unit--sort of a Black Ops, Area 51 of the government. Sasha Trudeau's task is to contain the supernatural contagion...only to find out that she has part of it in her DNA. I had a blast with this... you can see more at www.CrimsonMoonNovels.com

Urban Reviews: You write across several genres under different pseudonyms. Can you tell us which names belong to each of the genres?
L.A. Banks: Leslie Esdaile is the name I began with for romances, then I added Leslie E. Banks to do a one time only project for the Soul Food TV series... then I added Leslie Esdaile Banks for crime and suspense novels, and finally, when my true passion was released in the paranormal genre, I became L.A. Banks. the funny thing is, all of these names are legally on my driver's license... I really am Leslie Ann Esdaile Banks (smile!) All together, under various pen names by genre, I have about 30 books--see www.LeslieEsdaileBanks.com (even I get confused some days, LOL!)

Urban Reviews: What made you decide to use different names for the various books?
L.A. Banks: We had to go with different names based on different genres so that readers didn't get confused and inadvertently pick up a new book by Leslie, not realizing that it might contain subject matter that could make them cringe. It was a marketing decision, really, that's all.

Urban Reviews: How are you able to write in so many genres without getting confused?
L.A. Banks: LOL, who says I don't some days, ha ha ha! No, seriously, I keep plot lines and characters up on white plastic charts on the wall (where I can use erasable colored markers.) I think they key is just being organized and really understanding your characters before beginning a new book--this way you truly know them and don't get lost. If you do this madness of writing in multiple genres, then your characters cannot be interchangeable--they must be fleshed out and solid enough to defy you to mix them up.

Urban Reviews: Are you working on any other upcoming projects?
L.A. Banks: I'm always working on upcoming projects, LOL! Right now I'm doing book 10 of the Vampire Huntress Legends series, as well as working on book 3 of the new Crimson Moon werewolf series... while trying my hand at some comic book stuff. I don't sleep much :)

Urban Reviews: Do you have a favorite genre that you like write?
L.A. Banks: Absolutely--the paranormal... that's where I stretch my imagination to the fullest.

Urban Reviews: What is the most memorable moment that you ever had with a fan?
L.A. Banks: When a person told me that reading my work gave her and her husband hope in resolving some marital conflicts. She had tears in her eyes and put them in mine when she privately told me some of the things they'd been through and that I'd written about it with a positive, realistic solution that they both could relate to. It's days like that when you realize how much your work can affect people--so, in my mind, it is imperative to always have something uplifting to say at the end.

Urban Reviews: What advice would you give to all of the aspiring authors out there?
L.A. Banks: Believe enough in yourself to stop struggling with the process and put your story down on paper. It doesn't exist until you manifest it on the page. I am always so sad when people TELL me about this great book they are "going to" write, but haven't written yet... and to spur them on I always tell them, "You'd better write it and hurry up, before I do." Then I hug them, because I so want those voices out there--everyone should have a chance to do what they love. If writing is your thing, then by all means do it... learn the craft, keep adding to your knowledge base, but also know that there's no "perfect" conditions under which to write. You've just gotta suck it up, sit your behind in the chair, and do it--consistently, even if just an hour a day. The results (like going to the gym) will eventually show... but if you just keep talking about it, it'll never happen.

Urban Reviews: Name one thing that the world does not know about L. A. Banks-the person?
L.A. Banks: Probably how much I love music and use that as my Muse :) (Only thing, though, I can't sing a lick, ha ha ha!)