Website & Newsletter
Use any subscription form on the site (for example on the home page or at the end of most pages on this website!). Enter your first name, last name, and email, then submit. You'll get a confirmation on screen and a welcome email soon after.
Expect occasional updates - typically when new posts go live, when chapter previews are released, or when there's meaningful progress on the book. No spam, and you can unsubscribe anytime via the link in any email.
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The Book: Lighthouse in the Desert
It's a first person memoir chronicling my journey through a very difficult period in my own personal life as well as others affected by my predicament; relying heavily on faith, family and forming unlikely friendships in a foreign country. Filled with honest reflections, harsh realities, private insights, desert imagery, and practical hope. A story that you wouldn't believe possible unless it happened to you.
The book is actively being developed. Estimated 140-150K words. The editing process is slated to begin in February 2026. I'll be sharing behind-the-scenes updates, early chapter previews among many others through the newsletter, Social Media and on my 'Desert Reflections Blog'.
First and foremost, subscribe to the newsletter. Help spread the word by sharing the blog and social media posts within your social circle and beyond. Keep an eye out for pre-orders and launch details. If you're part of a church or book club, consider inviting me to share my journey, my testimony. Secondly, I'm trying to raise funds to help with the costs of editing, publishing and printing. I have created a 'Give, Send, Go' crowdfunding campaign which can be accessed from any page on this website. Anything and everything helps. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, please pray for this project, that it might have a reach far and wide and be an encouragement to others.
A firm date will be announced once the manuscript and production timeline are locked. A projected date of August 1, 2026 is the current goal. The newsletter is the best way to hear first.
Lighthouse in the Desert explores a wide range of themes and sub-themes: father-son relationships, life & death, travel, culture-shock, freedom & captivity, despair & hope, darkness & light, faith & reason, sorrow & joy, defeat & triumph, the power of prayer, obedience, reconciliation & repentance, endurance, and the surprising ways God shepherds us—often when our plans fall apart.
That's the aim. Depending on interest, there may also be an audiobook. Details will follow closer to launch.
No. I have been encouraged to keep it in my own words which I firmly believe in as a first time writer. I have been encouraged by industry experts to use AI in the editing process, specifically for checking simple grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting and duplication errors. This will help save money from the formal editing process which can be quite expensive and this should remove a significant burden on the editor so that they can focus on the story itself.
About Dubai & the Desert
Firstly, it's the physical setting of the story, Dubai. Built on and surrounded by a vast desert. Furthermore, as it relates to Scripture, the desert is a place of testing and formation, where God meets people with clarity, correction, and provision. It's a fitting backdrop for a memoir about growth and guidance.
Yes, at times. The city and surrounding landscapes show up in stories as imagery; also, on a very personal level as the places, people and events I encountered while living there. Every element I present of Dubai is factual and real as I recall and based on my journals. But the themes are meant to resonate anywhere.
No. It's a memoir. The vast majority of the story takes place while I was in Dubai and I've tried to paint an accurate picture of what my life was like while I was there. Dubai is a very big, very diverse and multicultural metropolis. I attempt to recall in as vivid detail as possible the sights, scenes, sounds and smells of Dubai. There will plenty of Dubai imagery in the story and the blog occasionally shares more local color and context that may be of interest to those who are curious.
Very likely, Yes. Select photos will defenitely appear on this website and in blog and social media posts. For the book, visuals will depend on format and production decisions as well as the cost.
Research, research, research! Not just tourist destinations but familiarize yourself with local laws, customs and holidays. Know your rights! This may come as a shock but in the Middle East what may seem a trivial, minor and harmless transgression to you and I may be considered a very serious offense. Trust me, I have first-hand knowledge; I have experienced many accounts of unsuspecting or ignorant tourists and locals getting into trouble; unforseen and unpredictable scenarios and situations, some downright ridiculous that can land you in prison; things taken for granted in Western Culture do not necessarily translate well in the Middle East. You are ALWAYS presumed guilty. Your local embassy will NOT help you if you are in a legal jam - you are 100% at the mercy of the lawmakers.
Otherwise, the standard recommendations, beware the heat and large crowds! Use public transit, the system in Dubai is afforadable and quite efficient. Leave space to wander beyond the obvious highlights, deserts reward unhurried attention. Immerse yourself in the cutlture of people that live there. Dubai is so much more than Gold laced fabrics, huge shopping malls and tall buildings.
Otherwise, the standard recommendations, beware the heat and large crowds! Use public transit, the system in Dubai is afforadable and quite efficient. Leave space to wander beyond the obvious highlights, deserts reward unhurried attention. Immerse yourself in the cutlture of people that live there. Dubai is so much more than Gold laced fabrics, huge shopping malls and tall buildings.
Speaking & Media
Yes. Sharing my testimony, book signings, Q&A, conferences, retreats, book-themed sessions and many others. Use the 'Contact' page to start the conversation. Dates and times of events will be made available via the newsletter as well as on Social Media platforms and here on the website.
I'm an open book. Faith in hard seasons, father-son relationshsips, the power of prayer, on being 'chosen', imprisonment and navigating a foreign legal system, silence and surrender, lonliness, despair and hope. Writing a memoir, the creative and practical processes - the how to's - and to a lesser degree Dubai as a travel destination
If you need bios, headshots, or talking points, visit the 'Contact' page and mention this in your message and I'll send a simple media kit for now. I'm in the process of preparing a formal kit as well as a 'Media Kit' page.
Absolutely. WhatsApp / Zoom / Google Meet work well for Q&A, meetings, discussions, interviews and podcasts across time zones.
Date/time, audience size, format (in-person/virtual), location, and the theme you have in mind.
Oui, je suis également disponible en français. J'espère aussi que mon histoire sera traduire en français bientôt!
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