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The Vampire Diaries author LJ Smith (also known as Lisa Jane Smith) passed away at the age of 66 on March 8, 2025, in Walnut Creek, California. According to Smith's partner, Julie Davola, the author breathed her last in a hospital due to her struggles with a rare autoimmune disease.
Smith was facing the symptoms for the past decade, as confirmed by her partner to the New York Times. Her death was also confirmed on March 27 on her official website through a statement.
According to PEOPLE, LJ Smith has 24 published books and reportedly left three unpublished works. She gained widespread popularity due to her fantasy novel series, The Vampire Diaries, which was also adapted into a popular CW teen-drama series of the same name.
Following her death, her fans and readers poured their tributes on X, with many penning heartfelt messages for LJ Smith. One X user wrote:
"The OG vampire queen has left the chat. Rest easy, L.J. Smith.😭"
"Rip to the author of one of the greatest vampire shows of all time," a fan wrote.
"No way… she created such an iconic world. Rest in peace," another netizen penned.
"She served us with a masterpiece. we will miss her," another person added.
Fans continued to share their memories of Smith's work and paid their respects:
"Such sad news her stories shaped an entire generation of vampire fans her impact will never be forgotten rest in peace," a fan remarked.
"Her stories shaped a generation of supernatural fans. May she rest in peace," another person commented.
"Smith created a world that will live on in the hearts of millions. Thank you for the magic, the romance, and the darkness," a user chimed in.
Exploring Vampire Diaries author LJ Smith's literary career in light of her death
Lisa Jane Smith was born in September 1958 in Fort Lauderdale but soon relocated with her family to Southern California. The author chose her pen name as a tribute to two of her favorite fantasy authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and C.S. Lewis, known for his Chronicles of Narnia series.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in experimental psychology from the University of California. She also worked as a kindergarten teacher and special education trainer for years before pursuing writing professionally. At the time of her death, LJ Smith had 24 published books and three reported unpublished works.
According to PEOPLE, LJ Smith began writing her first fantasy novel, The Night of the Solstice, as a high school student. The late author attracted the attention of Alloy Entertainment with her work, which was a book packaging company at that time but was later acquired by Warner Bros.
Alloy signed Smith to pen the Vampire Diaries series, inspired by the success of the 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice's 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire. The first of Smith's novels in the series was published in 1991.
The Vampire Diaries series is divided into multiple subcategories. The first four novels were written entirely by LJ Smith and published between 1991 and 1992. After a long hiatus from writing the series, Smith returned with The Return trilogy. The first of these three books came out in 2009, and the final one in 2011. The trilogy served as a sequel to the four original novels and continued the story.
The next three books in the Vampire Diaries series, The Hunters trilogy, were not written by LJ Smith. A ghostwriter took over the series, and the books were published between 2011 and 2012. The final three books in the series, the Salvation trilogy, were written by another ghostwriter, Aubrey Clark, and released between 2013 and 2014.
Therefore, LJ Smith only wrote the first seven books in the Vampire Diaries trilogy. After Alloy fired her from writing the fantasy series, Smith announced in 2014 that she would continue her own version of the novels as fan fiction. John Silbersack, Smith's agent, told The New York Times she was writing up until her death.
“She had been quite ill, but despite the difficulties and the pain, she was fiercely dedicated to continuing to write," he said.
The Vampire Diaries series is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls and focuses on teenager Elena Gilbert, who falls into a love triangle with 19th-century vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
In 2009, the Vampire Diaries series was adapted into a hit CW series of the same name, featuring the same characters. Nina Dobrev played Elena Gilbert, while Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder played Stefan and Damon Salvatore, respectively. The show aired from 2009 to 2017, featuring eight seasons and 171 episodes.
Apart from the fantasy series, LJ Smith is also known for her Secret Circle and Night World book series.
