Dinner for Vampires

By: Bethany Joy Lenz

Narrated by: Bethany Joy Lenz

Includes exclusive audio cameos from One Tree Hill cast members Tyler Hilton, Paul Johansson, James Lafferty, and Chad Michael Murray!

An “incredible” (Alex Cooper, Call Her Daddy), “riveting” (People) New York Times bestselling memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to break through as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her acting career was set to soar, but her personal life was beginning to unravel in ways her fans could never imagine. Unknown to the millions of viewers and even her costars, Lenz led a secret double life within a cult.

As an only child seeking belonging, Lenz thought she found a safe haven in a Bible study group with fellow Hollywood creatives. However, the group morphed into something more sinister—a web of manipulation and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz surrendered her autonomy, eventually moving to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound overseen by a domineering minister who convinced her to marry his son and secretly drained millions from her TV income without her knowledge. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”—inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to escape and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help from a devoted One Tree Hill fan), she broke free from the family’s grip, beginning her healing journey from deep trauma that reshaped her faith and identity.

Written with powerful honesty and dark humor, Dinner for Vampires is a “tart, refreshing” (The New York Times Book Review) story about the importance of identity and understanding what you believe.

Critic reviews

"Actor-singer Bethany Joy Lenz’s vulnerability and resiliency radiate as she narrates her memoir, which is focused on her decade in a religious cult...Lenz’s wry laugh matches her dark humor, and she navigates accents well. Listeners will enjoy snippets of Lenz’s incredible singing and her rendition of actor and friend Sophia Bush’s famously husky voice. Lenz’s angry screaming at God highlights her journey from obedience to hopelessness to finding her faith again."

Listening to this was like sitting in a room with Joy herself.

I couldn’t stop listening! I’ve been rewatching One Tree Hill with my teenage daughter and then found out about your memoir. I laughed, cried and even prayed for you Joy. Thank you for being who you are and sharing your story. Thank you for the snippets of your beautiful singing voice too. Wishing you and Rosie all the best in the years to come.

Well written and captivating

She did a great job writting this, it’s clear, well paced, and the orderly. The story is captivating and her performance reading was spectacular.

Holy crap!

Such a brave and amazing story. It puts cults in a new light and is so well written.

The beautiful view of religion and God through all of this trama around the same subject

I would love to hear a little bit more about joys healing from this trama.

Great listen/read!

I really enjoyed the honesty of this book. Listen to or read this book all the way through the epilogue. It is a fantastic story about life, one with some colossal ups and downs! And in the end, the truth. One that is there for all of us no matter your situation. We all live a unique experience, and we all have the same things in common.