An Evening w/ Jessica (BRING IT ON) Bendinger

“The Seven Rays is an unforgettable book, a fascinating joyride for any reader. And so funny! The Seven Rays is the bomb!”
- Randy Jackson, American Idol Judge and creator of America’s Best Dance Crew

What would you ask JK Rowling if you had met her before HARRY POTTER took off on his broomstick? What would you ask Stephanie Meyer if you had sat with her prior to TWILIGHT’s dawn? What will you  whisper to Jessica Bendinger over drinks before her first novel, The Seven Rays, became the next great, teen-friendly best-selling sensation?

You may never meet Rowling or Meyer, but this Friday, December 11th, I invite you to join me and Ms. Bendinger for an exclusive evening of conversation and cocktails, during which I’ll interview the stunningly talented and breath-takingly beautiful author about her new book, her film work and why YOU ARE MORE THAN THINK YOU ARE.

For the modest admission price of $30, attendees will receive a FREE, autographed copy of The Seven Rays, free hooch, an hour-long interview that will redefine intimacy and candor and the opportunity to speak with Ms. Bendinger one-on-one.

Ms. Bendinger — whose screen credits include BRING IT ON,  STICK IT  and SEX & THE CITY — is the rare breed, the writer who can crafts fresh, funky, indie-minded material that remains broadly accessible and commercially viable. Imagine a female Charles Dickens with a much better ability to make the pitch and work the room.

You may purchase tickets via Paypal or with check or money order which may be brought to the door on the 11th.

About The Seven Rays

When seventeen year-old honors student Beth Michaels starts receiving gold envelopes with messages like, YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE, she thinks that a crazy person might be stalking her. When she begins seeing people’s thoughts, feelings, and personal histories on their electromagnetic fields, she thinks that she might be a crazy person. And then when the hottest boy in town, Richie Mac, kisses and becomes obsessed with her, she knows that something’s up.

But she can deal with all of that until her mom gets freaked out by her erratic behavior and sends her to a psychiatric institute for observation. It is here where Beth finds out that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances and perhaps has supernatural powers. Now all she has to do is break out of the ward – with Richie’s help – and road trip to New York to discover who she really is and why all this is happening to her…

Is it possible that Beth might be more than she thinks she is?

The Seven Rays is a paranormal coming-of-age story that delves into love, friendship, family and the supernatural.

What People Are Saying…

“Jessica Bendinger’s The Seven Rays takes you on a journey of mystery, magic, adventure and the intricacies of relationship and love. But there is a deeper significance to this story. It is about dormant potentials that lie deep within the domains of human consciousness and the field of infinite possibilities that we all have access to. Read this book, enjoy the adventure, be inspired, but also find that part of your being, where the paranormal becomes normal.”
- Bestselling author Deepak Chopra

“The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger takes you on a modern, mystical, mystery tour, leaving you holding your breath the entire time. Buckle in because it keeps you on the edge of your seat, your imagination stretched to the limits, and your heart pounding with anticipation, fear, excitement, and love. It’s a wild, psychic, surprising page-turner from beginning to end, and one that you won’t want to miss.”

- Sonia Choquette, Best-selling author of NYTIMES best-seller, The Answer is Simple

“The Seven Rays is awesome, and teentastic… and freaky. Is there anything Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger can’t write? Makes me wish I was a teen girl!”
- Greg Behrendt, bestselling author of He’s Just Not That Into You

“The Seven Rays totally awakened the fantasy fangirl in me!”
- Kate Brian author of the bestselling Private and Privilege series

About Jessica Bendinger

Jessica Bendinger is an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who launched onto the scene with her original script for the hit hip hop cheerleading comedy, BRING IT ON. Never shying away from challenges and new opportunities, Bendinger has also added the title of producer, director, and most recently, novelist to her repertoire. A self described “creative seeker,” Bendinger relies on her enthusiasm and curiosity when choosing the next frontier she would like to explore.

Bendinger is slated to release her first and highly-anticipated novel, The Seven Rays on November 24, 2009 with Simon & Schuster. The story follows 17 year-old, Beth Michaels, who uncovers elements of the supernatural on her journey of self discovery. The words: “You are more than you think you are” mysteriously present themselves to Beth and ultimately drive her quest. The novel reaches well beyond the interest of young adults, appealing to all as it explores the universal question-”Are we making the most of our lives?”

It’s a fun, paranormal, metaphysical, coming-of-age adventure based on the hope in all of us that we are more than we think we are. And perhaps our lives have a greater destiny than we anticipated,” says Bendinger.

A former journalist for Spin Magazine and MTV News, Bendinger covered the hip-hop movement while at Columbia University. On her first assignment with Spin Magazine, Bendinger interviewed Chuck D and Flava Flav, members of one of the greatest hip-hop groups, Public Enemy. Her interview with Salt n’ Pepa appears on the liner notes of their second album, A Salt With A Deadly Pepa. Bendinger’s love of music was fostered at an early age as she grew up in the “margins of the music business” where her mother was a renowned Dixieland jazz trombonist and her father wrote commercial jingles.

It was her love of hip-hop and ESPN cheerleading competitions that propelled her into the idea of BRING IT ON. BRING IT ON was rejected 27 times by various Hollywood studios, but Bendinger’s conviction ultimately drove the remarkable success of the film, which debuted at number one at the box office for two straight weeks, and grossed a combined $300 million in theaters and DVD sales. Following the success of BRING IT ON, Bendinger went on to write for Season Four of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning HBO series, Sex in the City, and for films such as THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE with Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg; FIRST DAUGHTER starring Katie Holmes; and AQUAMARINE starring Emma Roberts. Bendinger produced THE WEDDING DATE starring Debra Messing, Amy Adams and Dermot Mulroney.

In 2006, once again seeking her own creative opportunities, Bendinger next went on to write and direct the hit comedy STICK IT, starring Jeff Bridges and Missy Peregrym. Exemplifying Bendinger’s connection with the youth demographic, Stick It was the #1 movie download on iTunes for 7 weeks in a row, during the film’s home video release.

A former model who worked for the legendary designer Stephen Sprouse and appeared on the runway in “Slaves Of New York,” Bendinger was named by Glamour Magazine as one of Hollywood’s “Most Powerful Women Under 40″. Yet for all her success, she is always mindful to avoid complacency.

“I’m a seeker. I’m always interested in what’s new, what’s exciting, and what’s fulfilling for me. And that allows me to keep ahead of the curve as a creative explorer,” says Bendinger.

Jessica Bendinger currently resides in Los Angeles with her two dogs, where she is writing her next feature film and working on the sequel to The Seven Rays.