L.A. Banks: R.I.P.

Back in May (2011), I reviewed the first book in a new urban paranormal series called Surrender the Dark by L.A. Banks. There are so many Angel romance and paranormal series circulating in recent years, but there was something about her new series that stood out. I immediately connected with the setting of the novel which is in Philadelpha, PA, literally 40 minutes from where I live. Ms. Banks has an amazing ability in giving her characters authentic accents--not every author has the patience or talent to write dialogue the way she does.

I recently just purchased the 2nd book in this particular series called Conquer the Dark. Right before I did, I noticed there was a contest giveaway for the novel on someone's blog. While I was on there, I learned the very sad news that L.A. Banks, at only 51 years of age, has died of adrenal cancer. Apparently she passed away on August 2nd, a few months before I even found out.

Leslie Esdaile Banks was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She was an African American writer who enjoyed dabbling in several different genres which included everything from crime/suspense, to paranormal/horror, to African American literature, and romance. She wrote under numerous pseudonyms, such as LA Banks, Leslie Esdaile, Leslie Banks, and Leslie Esdaile Banks. She was a New York Times bestselling author and her most popular series, called Vampire Huntress Legend, have been optioned for Hollywood films by GothamBeach Entertainment and Griot Entertainment.

I think the thing that saddens me the most is despite her success and popularity as a writer, her medical expensives were so great that her family had to start a charity in her name. Other authors helped show their support (such as Charlaine Harris and Heather Graham) by helping the literary community start several auctions where the proceeds went to Bank's medical care.

I wish I could have known her sooner. And I hope this does not sound selfish, but I wonder if Conquer the Dark ends on a cliffhanger or if she was able to tie up loose ends. I am assuming this was her last book since it was published in September of 2011 and only book 2 in the new series she started. My heart goes out to her family and her fans. I know that sounds strange to say considering I am technically a fan as well. But I feel like I missed something, like I am the last one to jump on a train that has already been traveling for days. She has readers that have most likely been with her since the beginning that will mourn her greatly.


~Mia~

Andy Whitfield: R.I.P.

I just found out the most devastatingly sad news. Andy Whitfield, at only 39 years old, has passed away from cancer. For those who have never heard of him, Andy was a virtually unknown actor with a small cult following (including myself) after playing the lead role in the indie flick Gabriel. It wasn't until the STARZ original series Spartacus that people started to take notice. Andy had the full package-- not only did he have the physical attributes to play such a vigorous character, but the man could truly ACT.

With the success of season 1 under wraps and fans around the world rooting for the underdog (in the show and in real life), Andy and the other actors of Spartacus began to prepare for season 2. During a routine checkup, Andy was diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma. Production of show was put on hold while the actor focused on getting better. The chances looked good since they caught it in time. While Andy began treatment, the creators of Spartacus decided to move forward with a prequel.

After a few months of treatment, Andy was given a clean bill of health and began training to get back in shape for the grueling shooting schedule. No one expected the cancer to come back and this time with a vengeance. Knowing there was only one thing to do, Andy decided to pull out of Spartacus altogether, to focus his full attention on his family and his health. Holding no bitterness, he gave the show creators his blessing to recast for the lead role rather than canceling it altogether.

And that is the last bit of information we heard about Andy Whitfield until today. Other then 1 photo supposedly snapped of the actor with his family looking pale and gaunt a few months back, everyone in the Hollywood world seemed to respect his privacy as he battled for his life. In the meantime, after months of trying to find a replacement, the title role of Spartacus was finally given to Liam McIntyre which I wrote about several posts back.

I thought my next post about Spartacus would be my opinion on whether I felt Liam McIntyre's performance lived up to Andy Whitfield's brilliant portrayal. Never in a million years did I think I would be sitting here, fighting back tears of shock with the news of Andy's lost battle with cancer. I am saddened that his life was cut so short, that he leaves behind a beloved wife and two little children. I mourn his loss because we only got to see a small fraction of his acting abilities, talent that I knew was just under the surface, ready to be unleashed with his rapidly growing fame.

In his memory, I will put aside my reservations about the newly revamped season 2 of Spartacus and try to watch it with an open heart. Afterall, he gave his blessing for the production to move on. My heart goes out to his family and friends. And like those before him such as Heath Ledger and Brandon Lee, Hollwood has missed out on a truly talented actor.

Rest In Peace, Andy.

<3 Mia

Perry Moore: R.I.P.

So yesterday I found out some disheartening news. Perry Moore--the openly gay author of HERO and executive producer of the Chronicles of Narnia films--was found dead from an accidental drug overdose on February 17th. He was only 39 years old. His death was not just a shock to my system but struck me as odd since I literally was just talking about him a few days ago and gave an extra copy of his book HERO I had on my bookshelf to a friend.

Many people probably have never heard of Perry Moore or wonder what's the big deal. While he was more known for his dedication as a producer of the Chronicles of Narnia films, I will always remember him as an author, even though he only had 1 or 2 books published. HERO is a young adult novel about a teenager named Thom who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality and superpowers. Yes, I said superpowers. Moore was an openly gay man who felt that it was important to create positive gay characters for anyone out there-- young and old--who may stumble across his book(s) (he planned to write more obviously) that might be struggling with their own sexuality. Even though I had read many stories with gay characters, they were mainly stories that were in ebook format and of the adult variety. Perry Moore's HERO was the first young adult novel I had read with a main character that was gay.

Moore's short life is not only tragic for his family and life partner, but also his fans. He had apparently just secured funding for the next Chronicles of Narnia film which was not an easy task since the last Narnia film did not do as well as expected. Moore was also in negotations with STARZ to adapt HERO into a possible tv series. I think that will hurt fans the most, including myself.

I send my love and support to his loved ones during this devastating time. I can only hope that someone close to him, perhaps his life partner, Hunter Hill, will keep negotiating with STARZ so that HERO gets adapted to film. What a great way to honor his memory.

~~Mia~~