I’ve had a Twitter account for years (@AnnBrandtWrites) – and I’ve had little to no interaction, even though I’d amassed 800+ followers, most of them authors, like myself.
Six months ago, I joined a very special ARMY, when I became a BTS fan. I loved the content I was seeing on Twitter (I refuse to call it X) but could not fully connect on my actual Twitter account, because I use it for professional business, as well as sports, music, and fun.
I thought about creating a new account just for BTS-related tweets, then realized I have this giant dodo-sized egg of an account that was getting no traction. So, @AnnBrandtWrites turned into a BTS-related account. I kept the same handle and link to this website, in case there are romance readers among the ARMYs who have befriended me.
Recently, several ARMYs reached out to say they wanted to check out my website, so I thought I’d write a post to welcome them here.
Hello, fellow ARMYs!
Welcome to my humble website! I have not written much here, mostly because I’m so busy with my actual work website and Medium essays. I plan to dedicate this site to more OT7 posts, with a few posts sprinkled in updating any upcoming novels due to be published. It seems a fair trade off.
So, here’s an overview of my OT7 experience:
I’ve been ARMY since November 2023, when I saw the MV for Snooze. I loved the song – it spoke to me. I’d never heard of Agust D, so I googled him, while also buying an downloading his music. When I learned he was Suga from BTS, I was floored. His music was so gritty, his lyrics, raw and honest. I decided to give BTS a try. The first song I heard was Tear.
O.M.G. Such anger, such raw honesty and power.
I listened to more songs to see whether they were similar in content.
They were.
That’s when I joined ARMY and dove into all things BTS. I’ve watched seasons of Run BTS, all of In the Soop (BTS and Taehyung/Wooga squad), American Hustle Life, Rookie Kings, and many live performance videos and MVs. I learned what a “bias” is – and accepted that mine is Yoongi (Suga/Agust D), because I relate to his demeanor, writing, and life philosophy. However, the rest of the group: Jin, Hobi (J-Hope), Jimin, Taehyung (V), and Jungkook all have magical qualities that have captured my heart.
At first, I felt silly for becoming a fan so late. BTS has millions of fans around the world. What does it matter that a middle-aged, half-Korean woman from Washington State joined the ARMY ranks? I hadn’t been there for the guys since the beginning, when they faced and overcame challenge after challenge with ARMYs’ support. Some would say I jumped on the bandwagon long after I was actually needed.
Then, I read a quote from Yoongi that hit deeply:
“Don’t feel regretful that you weren’t there since our debut. Every moment feels ljust like when we first debuted. The day when you first met us, is the day we debuted.”
A friend told me we find BTS when we need them.
So, Hello! to all the ARMYs that have been here since the beginning. And Welcome! to all the ARMYs that join after me. We’re all united in our love for seven young men who embody the meaning of the word, “perseverance.”
They slayed dragons to reach the summit.
And we will help them remain there by supporting their work, collectively and solo projects.
Author Ann C. Brandt 