Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories. Her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series and Merry Gentry series. Hamilton is generally considered one of the most influential writers in the history of paranormal fiction. Several media outlets, including USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Time, have identified her works as significant contributions to the development of the urban-fantasy genre.
