L.J. Smith was an American author of young adult fiction best known for her best-selling series The Vampire Diaries, which has been turned into a successful television show. Her books, particularly The Vampire Diaries and Night World, have been in the New York Times Best Seller list and have been nominated for five awards. The Secret Circle has also been adapted into a TV series.
Smith died from complications of an autoimmune disease at a hospital in Walnut Creek, California, near her Danville home, on March 8, 2025, at the age of 66.
