Well… here we go again. 

Noél and I are incredibly excited—and deeply humbled—to be releasing this new book into the world. What started as quiet moments in a prison cell, scribbled onto scraps of paper, has somehow turned into something we believe God is going to use in powerful ways.

So, with a full heart, I’d like to introduce you to Shatter Your Shame.

Trying to write a 200-page manuscript from federal prison is NOT easy. But the meticulous process is worth it.

Every story I write—with my dulled, institution-issued pencil—starts on random pieces of paper I collect from people around our concrete compound.

I’m sure that to you, a blank piece of 8×11 paper is easily accessible and affordable. To an inmate like me, however, scraps of half-used paper are scarce and more valuable than precious jars of peanut butter in prison. And I LOVE MY PEANUT BUTTER.

Never in a million years did I foresee myself becoming a “writer.” I especially did NOT anticipate starting my “writing career” as a federal inmate, behind razor-sharp barbed wire and an electrified fence.

BUT…

We serve a BIG GOD—one who weaves pain, shame, struggle, regret, brokenness, reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, and purpose into a merciful masterpiece. I won’t even pretend to understand ANY of God’s grand plans. All I know is that He took this broken man with a “past” and wove me back together into a purpose-driven person, writing stories to glorify His Kingdom.

My stories, letters, and manuscripts from federal prison all follow one simple theme:

“Our GREAT GOD can take any of our messes and turn them into healing miracles.”

I’m a man who was given the opportunity of a lifetime—and absolutely blew it. I made extremely poor business and leadership decisions that eventually put me in federal prison. I take full responsibility for the consequences and damage my shortsighted choices caused.

For years, I chose to surrender my dignity and integrity to the sinister shadow of shame, chaining myself, Noél, and our kids to my past. But our grace-filled God took the pain and shame of my past and transformed it into God-given purpose.

As a man with a “past,” I KNOW the pain of shame. But I also know that God uses our past to purify us into the person we were always meant to be. I am living proof of God’s goodness and grace—a federal prisoner who found his purpose while serving a lengthy federal prison sentence.

I chose to write Shatter Your Shame from my concrete prison cell because I know all too well the suffocating suffering that accompanies the worst decisions of our lives.

Over the last year, I’ve had the absolute privilege of walking alongside my barbed-wire brothers—“The Wolf,” “Mr. Chill,” “The Networker,” and “The Big Bearded Man.” By walking side by side with my fellow convicted criminals, I became their self-proclaimed “shame-slaying sherpa.”

Shatter Your Shame is my humble attempt to write and memorialize the healing miracles I’ve witnessed behind razor-sharp barbed wire wrapped in an electrified fence.

Like I said at the start of this letter, I don’t pretend to understand God’s grand plans, and I never expected to become a “writer” while being a federal inmate.

But one thing I know for certain is this: this book HAD to be born inside the pit of prison—on random pieces of scratch paper I collected around the concrete compound that incarcerates me.

God truly transformed the hot mess I created into a healing miracle.

Shatter Your Shame is proof of God’s abundant grace, goodness, and mercy.

Our “past” can ALWAYS build a path toward our God-given purpose because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

With a humble and thankful heart,
Brett
(A “writer” who begs for pieces of scratch paper from heavily tattooed men twice his size)

A Note From Noél

I LOVE MY HUSBAND and the fact that he collects random pieces of paper from other prisoners around their concrete compound. For some strange reason, I can 100% picture Brett as the quiet, slightly awkward, bearded inmate who walks cell to cell asking for scratch pieces of paper. Hahahahaha.

But behind that image is a man who is doing something incredibly brave—writing his way through pain, accountability, and redemption with nothing more than a dull pencil, scraps of paper, and unwavering faith.

Truthfully, none of us reading these letters will ever truly understand the obstacles Brett has had to overcome to handwrite his manuscripts from inside a federal prison cell. The physical limitations, the mental weight, the emotional exhaustion—yet he persists. My husband followed through on the promise he made to me on his last night as a free man and turned me into a PROUD PRISON WIFE. Not because this journey is easy or glamorous—but because he chose growth over bitterness and purpose over shame.

I’m not an idiot. I KNOW Brett is NOT perfect by any means. His past is real. The consequences are real. The damage was real. But what I admire most is not perfection—it’s ownership. Instead of pointing fingers or hiding behind excuses, Brett CHOSE to get on his knees and surrender his shame to Jesus Christ. That posture of humility changed everything. All of us flawed humans would be better off if we laid our pride down the way Brett has.

This man is INTENTIONALLY choosing to glorify God through his transparent—and always entertaining—prison stories. He isn’t writing to be impressive. He’s writing to be obedient. I am HONORED AND ECSTATIC to steward his words and transform his raw manuscript into a beautifully published book that reaches far beyond prison walls.

Shatter Your Shame is not just a book—it’s a declaration. A reminder that shame does not get the final word. It will help others slay The Sinister Shadow of Shame and prove that a person’s past does not disqualify them—it paves a path toward their God-given purpose.

Brett, I am so proud of you. I love you with all my heart.

The pain of your past has purified you into the man I ALWAYS knew you could be. Your obedience in this season is producing fruit that will outlive these walls.

If you want to read one-of-a-kind stories of how Brett and his barbed-wire brothers—“The Wolf,” “The Networker,” “Mr. Chill,” and “The Big Bearded Man”—are shattering shame while living inside a wild and wacky federal prison, I invite you to pre-order Shatter Your Shame today.

Every generous pre-order allows me to dedicate my late nights and early mornings to this sacred work—editing, refining, and preparing a message that I truly believe will bring healing to anyone weighed down by their past.

The Bartletts’ prison journey has been painful, and there are days when struggle attempts to suffocate me completely.

BUT…

God is clearly turning our massive mess into a healing miracle. And this book is part of that miracle.

With so much love,
Noél
(A pumped-up prison wife who believes redemption always wins)

PRE-ORDER TODAY

Text me at (714) 410-2191 if you’d like to order Shatter Your Shame as a special First Edition! 

Brett and I are so excited (and honestly still a little in awe) to officially announce the pre-order for our new book, Shatter Your Shame.

This book was written inside a federal prison—on random pieces of scratch paper, with a dull pencil, behind razor-sharp barbed wire and an electrified fence. What started as handwritten prison letters has turned into a powerful testimony of redemption, responsibility, faith, and purpose.

Shatter Your Shame is for anyone who carries the weight of their past, the burden of regret, or the quiet pain of shame—and is ready to see how God redeems what the world calls broken.

Brett writes with raw honesty about the worst decisions of his life, the consequences that followed, and the miraculous way God met him in the pit of prison and transformed his shame into purpose. These are one-of-a-kind prison stories that will help you heal, rise, and walk forward unchained.

Pre-order Shatter Your Shame today and be part of a story God is still writing.

PRE-ORDER DETAILS

📖 Shatter Your Shame (Paperback)
📦 Books will begin shipping around  End of April

PRE-ORDER PRICING

• 1 book: $25
• 3 or more books: $20 each

(Perfect for small groups, book clubs, churches, or gifting to someone who needs hope.)

Every pre-order directly supports the countless late nights and early mornings I dedicate to editing, refining, and preparing Brett’s raw prison manuscript into a finished, life-changing book.

This journey hasn’t been easy. Prison is heavy. Shame is heavy. But God is proving—once again—that He specializes in turning massive messes into healing miracles.

Thank you for believing in redemption.
Thank you for supporting our family.
Thank you for helping us share this message with the world.

With so much love,
Noél 

Text me at (714) 410-2191 if you’d like to order Shatter Your Shame Today!