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My Prayer for New Staff

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Heavenly Father, I come before You now — not in anxiety, but in faith — trusting that You command me to bring every concern to You. I receive your invitation with gratitude.

Thank You for Niki — for the gifts You placed in her, for the work You have already begun in her life, and for the clients You have entrusted to her care. Thank You that You are already at work on her behalf before I have even spoken her name.

Lord, I ask You to grant Niki Your favor. Open doors before her in the area of book promotion — doors that no person can shut. Impart to her the knowledge to understand the industry, the understanding to apply that knowledge skillfully, and the wisdom to serve her clients with excellence. Let the books she champions find their readers and fulfill the purpose for which they were written. Provide for Niki and her family — their needs, their peace, and their flourishing.

Father, where my words fall short and my understanding is limited, Your Spirit intercedes with groanings that words cannot express. What is lacking in this petition, You already know. I trust You to receive the fullness of what my heart intends.

Now, Lord, I receive the peace that surpasses understanding — the peace You promised to those who bring their requests to You with thanksgiving. Guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus, and guard Niki’s as well. Let this prayer not end in worry, but in rest.

On angel wings, through your small voice, through circumstances you ordain, return your answer and instructions.

Amen and so be it.

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Philippians 4:6–7 — A Prayer for Your Books

Heavenly Father, I come before You on behalf of the work You placed in my hands — not in worry over sales figures or rankings, but in faith that You authored the calling before I wrote the first word. You did not give me these stories to see them die in obscurity. This is kingdom work that glorifies you, so I trust what You started will bear fruit for today and years to come.

Thank You for the Selah Awards, the INSPY Award, the Moonbeam Award — confirmation that these books have already found favor with You and with others. Thank You for the inmates whose lives have been touched, for the way your message of repentance and hope in Jesus brings life and light into darkness.

I thank you for every young reader who picked up a Caden Chronicles book and discovered that truth about monsters — both imagined and real.

I thank You for the humor You wove into my voice, the sailing life that gave me Hard Aground series, and the imagination that built the Caribbean Chronicles in a pirate series that reaches over the horizon to sailors and lubbers alike.

These gifts were Yours first. I return them to You with gratitude.

Lord, You gave Nick Caden a mission: debunk the myth, uncover the truth. That is the gospel in a middle-grade mystery. I ask You to lead every boy and girl who seeks the truth of life and life to come to these books. Put the Caden Chronicles in the hands of teachers, librarians, parents, and youth pastors. Let the awards open doors that dollars cannot buy. Raise up readers, reviewers, and champions who will carry the word.

Father, the Caribbean Chronicles carries a young teen through time and adventure toward something eternal: where past mistakes are corrected and futures are shaped with love and curiosity. I ask You to steer this series into the hands of young readers who feel unmoored — who need to know that even a boy with a medical affliction can change the today and tomorrow by anchoring to something greater than himself. Make these books a lighthouse for young adults navigating stormy waters. Expand their reach beyond what I can chart on my own.

Lord, these are the stories I lived — the boats that broke, the shoals I hit, the grace You hid inside every misadventure. Hard Aground was never just about sailing; it was always about a navigationally challenged man finding that You are the only reliable skipper. I ask You to place these books in the hands of sailors, yes — but also in the hands of all who feel stuck, spiritually hard aground, who need to laugh and then look up. Let the humor be the on-ramp, and let Your name be waiting at the end of the dock.

Father, You are already moving toward. I surrender the outcome. Supply whatever is lacking in this prayer and in this author. You know the readers these books were written for before they were born. Blow wind in their sails and lead them home.

Now I receive the peace that passes understanding — not the peace of strong sales numbers, but the peace that comes when we place our work in Your hands. Guard my heart and mind from the anxiety of comparison, checking sales and statistics, and the worry that I haven’t done it all correctly. I know I have not. But I also know the One who is perfect in all He does.

You are the Skipper. Your Son is my brother, King, Lord, and Savior. I follow Your lead.

In the name of Jesus Christ — Amen.

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Find Your Amazon Reviews in 2026

This Hack Shows All Your Amazon Reviews

Amazon built much of its reputation and success on the foundation of customer reviews — they were a revolutionary feature when Amazon introduced them. Reviews remain one of the main reasons people shop there. Yet finding your own reviews as a customer is now a frustrating maze.

Amazon has shifted its focus toward seller-facing tools and monetization. For this reason, customer-facing profile features like all your reviews on one page have been relegated to lower priority and quietly buried. Reviews still appear on a product’s page.

But finding all your Amazon reviews from within your Amazon account is now almost impossible.

Amazon probably benefits more from you browsing and buying than from you managing old reviews, so there’s not much business incentive to make that easy.

It’s a common complaint.

To find your Amazon reviews, do this:

  1. Search for a product you know you’ve reviewed
  2. Find your review on that product page
  3. Click your name on the review
  4. That takes you to your reviewer profile page
  5. Bookmark that page for future use!
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3 Functions of Dialogue

Reality Coaching for Writers

3 Functions of Dialogue

3 Functions of Dialogue… Dialogue sets the rhythm and pattern of natural speech. If characters talk but say nothing, the story falls flat.

Dialogue defines characters. The way they address one another—answering a question with a question, trading banter, giving guarded answers, or firing off sharp remarks—shows who they are. This builds tension and adds conflict.

Dialogue lets the reader eavesdrop and observe what happens without explanation. It can slow or increase the pace, but it draws the reader closer to the action and places them in the scene.

Dialogue must do three things: advance the plot, change the pace, and define character. It must pull the reader toward the story’s resolution.

Ask these questions of your scene’s dialogue:

  • Does each passage define or strengthen character?
    • Does it energize the scene?
    • Does it add mood and immediacy?
    • Does it shift the pace?
    • Does it move the plot forward?
    • Does it, as John Gardner says, create the fictional dream that lets the reader hear and see what happens without explanation?

If not, tweak until you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the moment.

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