Teaser from "Paradise Found"

Teaser from the book "Paradise Found"

They strolled down the length of the shore hand in hand. It was evening and the air was cool and crisp. The sun reflected off the water as the waves rolled in and out of the shoreline. A few clouds hovered overhead in the distance.

            He had not told her exactly where they were going, just said he wanted to surprise her. She hadn’t questioned it much further; she was beginning to trust him more. She actually enjoyed the spontaneity and not knowing exactly what was in store for her.

            All her life it seemed everything had always been scheduled or planned for her. Everything from her classes, to her dinner dates had been planned out. With him she enjoyed just being able to do things on a whim. Even their last minute adventures had turned out enjoyable.

            They approached a small resort area and she followed him curiously. The building was a small two story building painted light blues that seemed to match the sky. Palm trees dotted the area and tropical flowers grew in many areas around the grounds.

            They continued up the stairs and under a large arc way held by fabulous columns. Upon entering the terrace a large pool of sparkling water took up most the area. Several waterfalls poured down gliding over the rocks and emptying into the large pool of water. The sight was a spectacular feast for her eyes.

            She glanced at him and realized he was watching her intently with a satisfied smile on his face. “I thought you might like it” he told her.

            “Like it? I love it!” She exclaimed.

            “Want to get in?” He smirked to her. She watched him curiously as they approached the water’s edge. “It’s OK I do work here.” He assured her.

            She was full of excitement and quickly removed her wrap and discarded it on one of the nearby chairs. She scanned the area and realized it was rather desolate at their location. She wondered if being alone with this gorgeous man would be a good idea for her. She seemed to not be able to resist his charm.

            She slipped her small hand into his and let him lead her into the water. The water was cold on her skin but he pulled her close to him which instantly warmed her up. The water rippled as they moved though it and the sounds of the waterfall flowing near them intensified the experience. They could see the emerald waters and sugar white sand in the distance.

            “This truly is paradise” she said taking in the experience. With that he put his lips upon hers and let them linger before he let his tongue invade her mouth. She loved the way he kissed her with such intensity and passion. She was overcome with emotion for this man and gladly accepted his kiss and embrace. As he pulled away he looked deeply in her eyes making her heart swell with passion.

            “That is paradise, my dear.” He whispered to her. She couldn’t help but smile at him as his eyes pierced the depths of her soul. She was falling for this man and her feelings for him were becoming stronger every day. She knew she was in trouble now.

            He pulled her closer towards the waterfall. She could already feel the mist of the water splashing off the pool onto her skin. As they approached the waterfall he slid his hand over her check, gently caressing the side of her face.

 She allowed him to push her up against the side of the waterfall. She could feel the water flowing over her shoulders and down her back. He watched her expressions and pulled her towards him again devouring her in another ravishing kiss. He ran his hand through her hair and wrapped his arm around her waist. The feeling was overwhelming.

She leaned back and let the water from the waterfall splash down into her hair as lightly kissed her check and the length of her neck. She wondered how this man could have such an effect on her. With him she was able to let herself go and let all her normal control go.  She opened her eyes and looked at him.

He was so gorgeous gazing at her with those deep blue eyes. His hair wet and messy fell in sandy locks against his face. He wore an amused smile. She ran her hands over his muscular shoulders and over his chiseled chest. She could feel his heart beating a little faster. She wondered if she had the same effect on him as he had on her. Wondered if he felt the same passion she did.

He parted his lips as if to tell her something but then stopped. She cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. He simply looked away towards the ocean.

“Come with me. I have something you may enjoy.” He said simply.

“There’s more?” she teased. At this moment she felt she would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked.

Roll with the Tides

When I first moved to the beach I asked a friend about rip currents because I wasn't educated on how they work and how to avoid them. After he explained to me that they are basically currents in the ocean that keep pulling you back from reaching shore, he told me "The best way to get out of one is to swim with the current, instead of against it". He explained to me that if you swim against the current it will just continue pushing you further back. However, if you swim with it you will be exhausted but you will eventually be able to free yourself from it.

Now, I would like to put that thought into everyday life. We all go through struggles throughout our life. Every one of us has something that may not go exactly as planned. Even the economy can factor into this and the universe as a whole. Sometimes pushing harder against something will not get you the outcome you desire. Suggestion... "go with the flow". Sometimes in the mist of whatever you struggle with, it may be a good idea to swim with what is going on, and see how you can turn it into an opportunity. So next time your stressed out just remember.. swim with it.

Rose Colored Glasses

                     Here's an exert from my newest book "Little Black Breakup Book" by Tori Bradley :

Now it is time to take off the rose colored glasses or beer goggles. After a breakup people tend to reminisce on all the good memories. You may look back at all the good times and wish you were still together with your ex.

It is time to stop glamorizing the past. Sure there were some good times and they are worth remembering but don’t forget the bad things too. There is a reason the breakup happened in the first place.

After the dust has settled its human nature to look back and want all the good things back from a relationship. Is it really worth all the bad you went through though?  You have to learn to remember the good and the bad and stop sugar coating a relationship that was not working.

I recall a time in my past when I was dating an individual and laying in bed thinking to myself “Is this it?”. Even after all the lying, cheating, and disrespect I still glamorized the relationship after the breakup. Of course I took my rose colored glasses off and trashed them. I realized I had a lot of fun but at the end of the day I was not happy. Now I think to myself “No that is not it... there is so much better out there for me!”

You may even be thinking “you don’t know what you have until you lose it”. Well let me tell you from personal experience, you don’t realize what you are missing until you find it! Until you let go of what you can’t have you cannot discover what you want.

“If you’re still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a new dream to grow today.” ~Joyce Chapman

 

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Black-Breakup-Book-Handbook/dp/1490373551/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373385361&sr=8-1&keywords=little+black+breakup+book+by+tori+Bradley

 

Don't Take The Easy Path

Routines become so much a part of our daily life. This creates habits and keeps us in our comfort zone. I have realized stepping out of your comfort zone can be pretty scary at times. However, you never know what to expect and you don't know what is out there that you may find. Life has so many opportunities and things to experience. You are the only one who can limit yourself. Take a step, even a small one to try something new.

You may find you have struggles on your journey. You may even create excuses for your self that keep you from venturing out and discovering something you are passionate about. It's not always an easy journey. Some days you may be down right ill or feel hopeless in your situation. Although, it is so liberating to travel down your own path even if it isn't the same path everyone else follows. Enjoy your journey and see what you can discover!

Story of your Life

The most profound moment you can find is when you stop thinking "wow I wish I could do/have that" and start thinking "I will do/have that". That's when you clear your mind and open yourself to take action. Start making the necessary steps towards making your dreams a reality. I know it sounds so cliche but the moment you stop wanting and waiting is the moment you start doing and making things happen.

Life is full of changes. Some are good, some are bad. However no matter what change occurs in your life it is your own unique experience. Whatever happens in life is your story. This is something you keep with you the duration of your life. You have the choice to embrace it or let it hold you back. I choose to embrace it.

Why do I write? Why  do I tell my stories? Its not about simply putting words on paper or vocabulary in your mouth. It is about sharing a piece of your world, a piece of your mind, and a part of your journey with the rest of the world.

Take the time to start seeing your dreams as reality, embrace the changes and share your story with the world.

The Bigger Picture

If you woke you this morning.... CONGRATULATIONS!! Life is the most precious gift you will ever receive. Take full advantage of it. Be the person you want to be and pursue your dreams. Don't let fear hold you back from living your life to the fullest and breathing in everything beautiful in this life. Stop complaining about what you don't have and focus on what you do have. We all have problems and stress but that does pass. Even the pain we experience does heal. Stop complaining about how others live their life..it is exactly that.. their life. Start focusing on your own life and enjoy it. Start Really Living. Because at the end of the day if your still breathing you made it!

Prepare to Buy Your Dream Home!

Now is the time everyone is getting ready to purchase a house. As an assistant for a real estate agent and homeowner, I have seen firsthand what is involved in getting everything in order to buy the home of your dreams. It takes some preparation to get everything in order for the adventure.

First of all always make sure your credit is in order before you can even begin the search. I would suggest speaking with a loan consultant. They can assist you with finding out if your credit is good enough to get a loan or what steps can be taken to get your credit up to par. The consultation is completely free and confidential.

Next you may want to consider what loan is best for you. Most loans require a percentage of money down. However, there are some that are 100% loans that you do not need to have any money down. Find which one works best for you and determine the amount of money you will need to set aside. Another thing I would suggest is to put enough money aside for moving expenses, earnest money, inspection costs, etc. I have always done well with putting a budget together and sticking to it.

What happens if your credit is not quite good enough to purchase a home? In this economy there are options! There are many owner finance options available including rent to own. With the owner finance situations they usually require more money down. Therefore, start saving now and start looking for what other options are available.

Do your research on the houses you are interested in and find out what their down payment is and what loans the houses qualify for. This will save you time in the long run to filter the homes that will not fit your needs. It will also give you an idea of what money you will need to put aside for the purchase.

Buying a home is an exciting adventure. To avoid speed bumps in the process make sure you get your finances in order, do your research and find what works for you. Then the search is on for your dream home.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Great sexy finger food


What you will need:

 1 (12oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips 
 1 package fresh strawberries


What you will do:


1. In one pot fill halfway with water, bring to a boil and reduce heat.

2. In second pot add chocolate chips. Place the pot with chocolate chips over the pot with hot water. This will create a double boiler and prevent the chocolate from burning. Heat the chocolate stirring continually until melted.

3. While chocolate is warm dip strawberries one by one holding from the stem. Make sure strawberries are dry to prevent them from sticking.

4. Place on platter lined with wax paper. Continue dipping all strawberries until you have coated them all with the warm chocolate.

5. Place in fridge and let chocolate set. Enjoy with champagne and your favorite person.

"House Hunter" the show vs Reality of House Hunting

If you have even seen the show “House Hunters” it makes the house buying scenario look exciting. You get to view three houses that fit your price range and criteria. It seems almost like a lamp you rub, three houses magically appear and you can choose from one. Seems pretty simple and fun right?

As a personal assistant for a successful real estate agent, I can assure you this is not always the case. The buyer has several choices to make before the final decision is made. “House Hunters” shows the three as only options.

On the television the agent shows the three properties with ease and the final decision is made. From working in the field that would be a great reality. However, many times the agent shows several properties and the buyer still hasn’t found something that satisfies their needs. The show doesn’t tell you about the cost of gas and time spent on viewing all these properties.

Another aspect to keep in mind is financing. House Hunters does not show you the process you must complete before purchasing a home. If the buyers financing is not established before hand or they cannot qualify for a loan the buyers won’t be able to get a house no matter how many properties they view. House Hunters does not bring this point up.

House Hunters always has an easy happy ending. The reality of it is at the end of the day if the buyer has not found the house of their dreams the search continues. Some agents spend time and money showing all these properties and their clients simply walk away and decide not to buy. This is a sad ending because the agent doesn’t get paid by simply showing property. They get paid by actually selling the property.

The concept of the show House Hunters is a wonderful concept. Sure we all want to find our dream home easy and with three great choices to choose from. The buyer goes home at the end of the day with keys in their hand and looking forward to their new life. The agent has done their job of enhancing someone’s new life and even got paid for it. It’s a great show!

However when starting the house hunting process in real life do not base it on the reality show. You may have great luck and find your dream property in one easy try. Keep in mind you may go through trials as a buyer. As an agent the three house hunter rule may not work for your client. Just enjoy the show for what it is… entertainment.

Gender Bias Entertainment

I recently read an article in Cosmo magazine implying the only time females should watch the Superbowl is for the half time show. I was actually quite astonished this coming from a highly respected female magazine. Sure it isn't every girls big dream to sit down and watch a Superbowl game but why should it be limited to the male species alone?

On the flip side I even heard negative comments about how females shouldn't even preform during half time at a Superbowl game because its a "man's sport". What exactly defines a "mans sport" anyways? I know many respectable adult males that do not enjoy the game of football. That is not my place to judge how "manly" this makes them.

I realize we have certain stereotypes and gender roles that are usually followed in today's society. As a female I sure wouldn't want several guys twice or three times my size chasing me down a football field..  it would be physically impossible for me to tackle most of them. However I do enjoy watching a good game of football and seeing a good football performance as an individual.

So where do people get across drawing a line between what is female/male entertainment only? Should ladies now be banned from action movies and males banned from romantic "chick flicks" (even though I'm sure some would not mind)?

Now, I'm not saying men should go around painting their nails bright pink and women should start learning to urinate standing up (unless that's your thing, best of luck). I'm stating that just because an individual enjoys something that is not the norm for that gender it shouldn't be a judgement. So where do we draw the ten yard line between what is acceptable female/male entertainment?

Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life

 

Don't just get a job; Build a career

Don't just make a living; Make a life

Don't just have a relationship; Fall in love

Don't just talk to someone; Build a connection

Don't just give advice; Inspire Someone

Don't just eat; Enjoy a meal

Don't just write a book; Tell a story

Don't just make a schedule; Pursue a goal

Don't just judge; Understand

Don't just read; Gain knowledge

Don't just go to school; Become Educated

Don't just travel; Experience a new place

Don't just hang out with someone; Enjoy Someones Company

Don't just live; Experience Life

 

 

 

 

Game on Salsa

Looking for a easy yummy Recipe for Playoffs or Superbowl? Enjoy!! From my book "Good Cooking for Bad Girls".

Game On Salsa

Everyone will be your biggest fan when you serve this!

 

What you will need:

·         1 16 oz Mexican queso dip

·         1 10 oz can of rotel well drained

·         1 lb ground beef

·         1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

·         Pepper to taste

What you will do:

1.       Brown Ground Beef with cilantro. Drain

2.       Microwave queso dip in 30 sec intervals stirring until liquidity.

3.       Combine ground beef, queso dip, and drained rotel in large bowl.

4.       Season to taste and serve with tortilla chips.

Cheating tips:

·         Use different types of rotel to add flavor. Some rotel are mild, spicy or include different spices.

·         In a hurry? Use a jar of queso dip therefore there is no melting the cheese dip required.

 

Find this and more recipes in "Good Cooking For Bad Girls" by Tori Bradley, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, Omega bookstore

Mutual Facebook Page.. YES OR NO?

I think its wonderful when you find someone who truly enhances your life and you fall head over heels in love with. That feeling of knowing you have found someone who you want in your life forever and have such a wonderful connection with is what most of us are striving for. We all want to be loved and appreciated and have someone to build a wonderful life with.

Now logically I have to say that I am absolutely blown away with the new concept of mutual facebook pages. Where has the individuality gone? Now you are no longer your own person but just a part of someone else? This may offend many and I truly congratulate you for your success. Success is different for many people and by all means, if changing your relationship status and becoming a "whole" by being with someone else is your equivalent of success, then be my guest. I am no better than anyone else and do not claim to be... My ideas of success may be very different than others and I do not choose to live by others standards.

"Why wouldn't you want to have a mutual page together with the love of your life and no matter what storm you will weather it together?" I ask myself. Look at society, we as women have become so socialized to believe that marriage is a must and sign of success. A huge celebration is thrown in honor of a bride; who must get the most elaborate dress, the most sparkling expensive ring and brag to all her friends of how she has finally settled down with the man of her dreams and this will be the happiest day of her life. It appears as showing off a trophy that you finally convinced one of the better male species to commit to your desires to live happily ever after.

So what happens when the honey moon stay wears off? When bills come in, reality sets in and the gloss comes off the finish? Is happily ever after really having him taking over your bathroom in the morning (because of last night’s taco bell) when you need to prep for work? Does happily ever after consist of doing their dirty laundry with a smile after working all day and putting a gourmet dinner on the table? Sometimes you take the good with the bad, sure I can accept that.

However this idealistic idea of romance somehow fizzles with time. Sure you will enjoy their company and the person will still bring butterflies to your stomach (in good and bad ways) and give you that happiness you desire with someone. There will be times when you will disagree. This happens with anyone. It can occur in daily life with friends, family, lovers, etc. What happens when that occurs? You have now invested all your energy into one person and have no one to vent to.

So you go on your facebook page to vent or get advice and NOPE- sorry you have one page together. The instant you email a friend to tell them your predicament you have just stirred up a whole new problem. Consider if something tragic happens and gosh forbid things don't work out (of course you already know it will) then what do you do? You have lost your independence and are solely dependent on someone to complete you... How will you go on?

I feel like as a couple you should both have something to bring to the table. The idea of a relationship should be to enhance each other’s life, not own it. When all is said and done, you are your own person with your own ideas and values. Sure your mate may share many of these but there may be some variations of disagreements along the way. I tell you as an individual... Do not lose yourself along the way.

 

Critics

As a writer I have discovered there are a lot of critics in the world. I don't think anyone really wants to be criticized. Sure we all want to hear "Wow that was perfect! Good job!". However it does not always seem to work out that way. Sometimes we roll our eyes and ignore the criticism completely or we over analzye it to the point we feel we are unworthy.

I have realized there is a fine line between criticism and judgement. Criticism stems from someone looking at your work (or whatever it is your doing) and making an announcement of how it could be done better. Judging is someone elses (sometimes bias) opinion of how things should be done.

As individuals we have to choose what criticism to accept and consider. We are all only human and we all make mistakes. If we listen to the criticism, and consider it as something that would help we are opening ourselves up for improvement. However if we disregard every opinion we have closed our minds to any improvements that could benefit us.

Knowing the difference between criticism and judgement can be difficult  at times to distinguish. However if someone is saying "that is wrong" or "that is bad" its usually judgement that should be disregarded. Ignore the negative comments and disrespect. However if someone is telling you "what to do to improve" its probley worth putting some consideration in.

In the long run we know what works best for us. Don't dwell on the negative but look forward to each positive improvement to make yourself the best YOU!

Be Perfectly You

After the New Year  many of us have made New Year Resolutions. Often we reflect back on the past to see what we did wrong or could have done better. This year you may have decided to do several things to better your life. So many of us resolve to do certain things to make us live a healthier and happier life. It is great to set the goals and really pursue them every day.

However not only do we set our goals but we look at standards society has set. Now more than ever it seems the pressure is on for us to start succeeding at our goals. Now much of the marketing we see is targeted to keeping your new years resolutions on track. We see all this advertising convincing us to join the gym, eat healthier, go back to school, get rid of bad habits, etc. Now we have packed all this into our daily lives on top of everything else going on.

This can become overwhelming and you almost want to throw in the towel at some point. We get so caught up in trying to be perfect.

"Strive for excellence, not perfection. Being excellent is being true to who you are, being your best. Perfection is fitting another ideal."

There is no reason to fit someone else's idea of perfection. It is up to you to be the perfect YOU. Find out what makes you excellent and how you want to achieve that. Each small step you take towards your goal will eventually lead you to that goal. Each journey you take starts with one small step not a leap towards the finish line. Therefore pursue your goals patiently and do not expect to be anything but the perfect version of yourself.