After a month of quietness and no episodes of "Life in Salem" or "Affairs of the Hearts", a shocking announcement has been made as the backstage upheavel continues! However, Creator/EP/HW of AOTH and Co-EP/Co-HW of LIS, ML Cooks, wishes to tell the fans himself:

"When I joined LIS last November , the series was in a state of panic, coming off the heels of another previous co Head writing stint by Jay Vanderburg. LIS seemed to have lost it’s identity some what. With the help of Series creator Tara Smith, we turned LIS around.From Hope Brady smoking crack, to Will, being 15 and h aving a child of his own to the romances of Abe and Maggie and Victor and Celeste to the introduction of Vivian’s sister, Valentine Heart.As LIS continues, Tara and I have had some varying ideals for the future of LIS. So in essence, it was mutually agreed, I would step down from my positions of Co head writer and Co executive Producer. Tara and I remain very dear friends as she has recently was announced the new Co EP and CO HW of my own series, S.T.E.A.M.I must say it has been a fun ride writing stories for the characters I loved for over 16 years and to have wrote them with a great friend was the icing on the cake.As AOTH comes to an end and the shows join back into one, LIS enters a new era of drama. LIS is on fire right now and no other Days blog out there right now can come close to what’s been written and what’s coming up. I leave AOTH and LIS in a great position to entertain and it does saddened me that I am leaving on such a creative high that LIS is at right now. But Tara is a gifted writer and she has everything under control.Thank you Tara for letting me tell some of the crazy stories I pitched to you and thank you for helping me learn and grow as a writer.And to the fans of LIS, I thank you for sticking by us and if like my writings, check out my own series, S.T.E.A.M.And this is my swan song. I leave here on good terms and who knows maybe I’ll be back one day."

Yes, it is true, ML and Tara Smith have parted ways! ML's last episodes of LIS have already aired, and the last few episodes of the short term spinoff AOTH, penned by him, shall air soon enough! "It was such a joy working with ML for almost a year on LIS," Tara Smith said "But unfortunately a time comes for every beloved team to part ways. ML's work on LIS was so fantastic and will never be forgotten, and the mark he left on it will not fade for some time if ever. And, I hope the fans will continue to read, and also, ML and I will still be working together on his own soap "STEAM"."