The Woking
Writers’ Collective is very pleased to welcome Joelle Tamraz to the blog. Her
new book, The Secret Practice, is a memoir and certainly presents something
different from our authors.
About the book:
His yoga
focused on control and manipulation. Until she broke the sequence.
For fans of
Netflix’s Bikram, Tara Westover’s Educated and Megan Phelps-Roper’s Unfollow
"The word yoga
comes from the same root as the word yoke—to tie together.”
Joelle Tamraz
was barely past twenty when she travelled to India in search of spiritual wisdom.
In Rishikesh, the home of yoga, she met an alluring older man who offered to
teach her a secret practice. This encounter would realign her next twenty
years.
Despite signs
there was more to her Arun than his winning smile, she persisted in seeing him
as her spiritual master, soul mate, and key to her destiny. Until one day, she
dared to open her eyes and change her pose to one of strength and harmony.
From darkness
to light, dependency to self-awareness, from psychological need to genuine love, The Secret Practice is an exposé of a master
manipulator, the exploration of a marriage, and the exhaustion of a disciple’s
faith.
Joelle Tamraz
About the
author:
Joelle Tamraz
is a memoir and life writer. She’s been putting thoughts to paper ever since
she learned about journaling and stream-of-consciousness writing in her
eighth-grade English class. Her debut memoir, The Secret Practice: Eighteen
Years on the Dark Side of Yoga, reads like a fast-paced novel and speaks about
mind control, manipulation, and trauma, as well as self-empowerment and
healing.
Before writing
full-time, she held senior roles in technology companies for over two decades
and owned a yoga studio for ten years. She earned an Honours BA degree in
social studies from Harvard and an MBA from INSEAD. She is also a certified
life coach and a youth mentor.
Joelle has
lived in the US and France and now resides in Surrey, UK with her husband and
two dogs. She's passionate about sustainability and enjoys being outdoors, walking, cycling, or being in nature.
You can visit Joelle's Website here!
BUY THE BOOK
(Paperback & Kindle formats)
Amazon Review:
"An amazing, powerful story about an innocent young woman who breaks the cycle of abuse. I really connected with Joelle’s open and compelling writing style, not only what she was saying but how she said it. As a reader, I felt welcomed into her world and true story, and I love that, in the end, she wins. Five full stars." - Amy Kierce
Brief Interview:
When did you
start writing your new book?
I started
writing in Guildford in 2018, four years after moving to the UK.
What was the
inspiration behind the book?
My memoir
covers turbulent years in the world of yoga and spirituality. I experienced
mind control, manipulation, and trauma before eventually coming to my own power
and healing. After my divorce ten years ago, I knew I would someday tell the
story, but it would take me five years to find a way to do so. I was inspired
at an open writing day with Chris Leonard to capture experiences that occur
much later in the story. Responding to open-ended prompts freed me from the
pressure of telling the story from the beginning.
Can you
describe your route to publication from concept to completed novel?
I started
considering publishing tracks in the summer of 2020 while attending the Jericho
Writers Summer Festival of Writing. Over the course of three months, we heard
from many industry professionals, from writers to agents and editors, all of
whom had interesting and valuable advice. The independent route appealed to me
but also seemed very daunting at the time. A year ago, when I felt I had a
near-final product, I queried agents but became discouraged by how long and
uncertain the path ahead would be. In the meantime, I had fruitful
conversations with other self-published authors and decided to publish on my
own terms and timeline.
What ideas do
you have for any future books?
I have two more
memoirs in mind: one about my childhood and troubled family; the other about
recovering from psychological trauma and making a new life in the UK. Right
now, I’m focusing on book marketing and writing shorter pieces, but I’ll tackle a longer project in a few months.
Which
publishing services (if any) would you recommend?
Publishing
through KDP and Ingram Spark has been efficient and easier than I expected. My
book is also available through Gardner’s, the UK wholesaler. I’m still learning
about marketing, which takes time, but getting the word out and hearing back
from readers has been a wonderful experience so far.
