Lisa Jane Smith, author of The Vampire Diaries, has died at the age of 66.

Lisa Jane Smith, American writer and author of the Vampire Diaries series, has died at the age of 66 in California. This was reported on March 26 by the New York Times (NYT) newspaper with reference to the writer's relatives.

According to the newspaper, the author died on March 8 in the hospital from an illness. It is noted that Smith has been undergoing treatment for a rare autoimmune disease for a long time, which she was diagnosed with more than 10 years ago.

Lisa Jane Smith was born in 1958 in Florida. Her first published book was the fantasy novel Solstice Night, which she began writing in high school.

In 1991, Smith wrote the first three parts of the Vampire Diaries series, and later, in 2009, the works were adapted into a television series of the same name, which aired on the CW Network. She is also the author of more than 20 books for children and teenagers.