my testimony, and the beginning of a brand new journey for the lord!

I submit, Oh Lord!

What's the best way to kick off this wild ride? By starting at the very beginning, of course! Hi there, I'm Brandie Kester. Once upon a time, I was a romance author with 28 best-selling, award-winning books under my belt and even made a cameo on the NY Times Best Seller's list. I was raking in awards and cruising toward a bona fide career... until it all vanished faster than socks in a dryer. I became a partner in the publishing biz, dabbling in everything from graphics to ghostwriting. But then, plot twist! I discovered some fishy files. Turns out, someone was pilfering from us authors, including yours truly. So, I took my detective hat to the DEA, and she was nabbed for a smorgasbord of felonies. And just like that, poof, my career was toast. It took eons to reclaim my book rights, and by then, my numbers had ghosted me... along with my muse and dreams.

This is my testimony. There are so many things that the Lord has delivered me from, and the road I've taken to get where I am today is more of the dirt road that requires four wheel drive and a lift on your truck to get through the crap life tends to pile on, but thankfully, I figured out to reach up and grab the Lord's hand, and he'd hoist me over his shoulder and walk through it all for me.

Fast forward a decade, and my eldest son hit me with a curveball: "When are you writing again?" I had zero plans to pick up the pen, but I told him if a Mac laptop magically appeared, I'd consider it. Cue the jaw drop when a Mac Pro landed on my doorstep for my birthday! I called him, flabbergasted, and thanked him a gazillion times for the fancy gift. So, I dropped to my knees and prayed. I was getting all buddy-buddy with the Lord, even studying to minister. During that prayer, the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge, and the Lord spoke. He said I'd minister through writing books. Naturally, I doubted, feeling like a blessing imposter, but the Lord, with a celestial eye roll, started downloading ideas into my brain faster than I could jot them down. From toddlers to seniors, boys, girls, couples, and everyone in between, I was flooded with book ideas for all ages and situations. Fun, serious, educational—you name it! All with a side of God's lessons to make us better Christians. I've got a stack of kids' picture books waiting for illustrations and am knee-deep in chapter books for older kids, breaking down the Bible in a fun, interactive way. Characters morph and embark on epic adventures, sometimes watching biblical tales unfold and other times stepping into the sandals of the characters themselves. Teens, I'm cooking up something for you as we speak. How you navigate today's world is beyond me—props to you! Men, God sees your Herculean efforts. You don't have to shoulder the world alone! Grab your Bible, kneel, and let God do the heavy lifting. Ladies, oh lovely ladies. We've been the glue holding everything together since forever. But remember, we're more like Scotch tape—God's the real superglue. Couples, just being together is a feat these days. The devil despises love and happiness, trying to sow discord. Fight back by praying together, as a power couple, donning the full armor of God. Tell the devil to skedaddle back to where he came from. You've got the upper hand through the mighty blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

As you can see, I've got a heavenly heap of words to share, so stick around and make yourself comfy. Head over to the groups, mingle, or fill out a prayer request form—I'll pray for you or with you! Check out the latest projects and updates. Swag and merchandise are on the horizon, including plushies of your favorite book characters! I'm thrilled to embark on this new adventure with you. So stay awhile, invite friends, and let's chat about the Lord! Maybe a Bible study later? Let me know what tickles your fancy. I want to hear your testimony! Comment below, email, send a form submission, smoke signals, you get the idea! I want to hear how God is working in your life! Every testimony is a miracle God has perflrmed in your life. We can go live on TikTok, Facebook, do a podcast, or just have a Google Meet chat. Whatever floats your boat! I hope you'll stick around. Have an awesome day, and remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!

"Happy are the people who know that they need God very much. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that." Mathew 5:3