LJ Smith death: Vampire Diaries author dies aged 66

‘The Vampire Diaries’ was famously adapted into a TV series starring Ian Somerhalder (left), Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley in the late 2000s - (Moviestore/Shutterstock)

LJ Smith, the author behind the beloved and best-selling The Vampire Diaries series, has died. She was 66.

The writer had been battling a rare autoimmune disease for a decade. Her death on March 8 was confirmed by her partner, Julie Divola, and her sister, Judy Clifford.