L.A. Banks (1959-2011)
Leslie Ann Peterson Esdaile Banks died on August 2 from adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare cancer. She left behind a wonderful daughter, Helena Marie Esdaile, who in many ways can be said to have started her on her writing career. In the winter of 1990 her daughter was injured in an accident, and Leslie--who had a degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School--left the corporate sector to be with and attend to her daughter. At this time, she tried her hand at writing, which resulted in her first novel, Sundance. Before that, she had helped develop business plans for small…