And the winner is...

+2025 survivor memoirs you should read, author interview & signed copies of my memoir

New Author Photo Selection

I was asked for a professional headshot for an event next year and decided to have new photos taken. My current ones date back to 2021 when I was recently retired from my corporate career and taking the first steps into my new author life.

So much has changed since publishing my memoir two years ago I feel like a different person.

After publishing my memoir, three things happened: I began a process of healing. I started writing my second book. And I focused more on teaching and sharing my passion for life writing and finding freedom.

These images no longer reflect who I am. I wanted to show a bolder, clearer version of myself.

From the set the photographer sent me, I posted five images on Facebook to solicit feedback. Each one was someone’s favorite! If you want to see the post, it’s pinned to my profile.

I found it hard to decide on one, but when I went to update my profile image I kept returning to the bottom two below (the top ones are from 2021 ).

From 2021 to Now

Some people might think growing older is losing something. I don’t see it that way.

My growing up years were tumultuous, and I had to figure out a lot on my own. I’m enjoying writing about my tween years in early 80s New York, but the story didn’t end there, and later I lost myself before finding myself again.

Growing older is my chance to find out who I am. To share what I know and love. And the best part? Becoming unabashedly myself.

2025 Survivor Memoirs and Author Interview

I read a lot in 2025, but survivor stories stand out for me. Below are three exceptional memoirs published this year.

Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

The gut-wrenching memoir of one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most vocal survivors brings us into a hidden world of money, power, and abuse, which felt strangely resonant to me.

What I learned: Reading a survivor’s story helps us understand what someone lived through, in their own words. Docuseries don’t offer the understanding.

If you needed a proof of memoir’s power, this is it.

Such a Pretty Picture by Andrea Leeb

This literary memoir tells the hardest of stories (the devastating effects of childhood incest) in a delicate yet powerful way.

What I learned: Choosing the right scenes, knowing where to end a story, and economy of writing can create a profound experience for the reader. Forgiveness is a deeply personal experience. It was a privilege to speak directly with the author about her book. Watch our interview on Elevating Voices.

The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi

If you’ve ever wondered how rational people become entangled in cults, read this memoir about how a vulnerable college student falls victim to a manipulative and disordered 60-something cult leader.

Although our stories take different turns, the inciting events mirror each other: We both met a wise older man from a different culture when we were vulnerable young adults. The author does a great job of unspooling the escalation of coercive control.

We need survivor stories.

No matter how much we tell ourselves it wasn’t our fault, we were young, our perpetrators were disordered, we can still feel alone in our experiences. Survivor stories give us a sense of community and bolster our courage.

Survivor memoirs can change lives.

Signed Copies of The Secret Practice

Signed paperbacks of The Secret Practice are available for purchase and can still be sent in time for Christmas if you order this week.

This recent review captures my reason for writing it—a writer’s dream!

Joelle’s story of her 18-year entanglement with her yoga guru is, I believe, a very important book for anyone considering traveling to India solo to explore yoga. I wish I had read this book before my own journey…I found The Secret Practice to be a tender, truthful, and brilliant book.