My Newest Novel!

Are you looking for a modern day fairy tale? One filled with heartache, redemption, love and magic?

You can now buy FADE INTO ME in print and for Kindle. 

Blurb: Caeden Frey doesn’t believe humans will evolve to see the magic, much less control it. Even so, he has two months to marry a human or face the wrath of the High Council. Bitter about a responsibility he thinks prevents him marrying for love, he figures any human girl will do. He’s ready to propose when his soul mate stumbles into—and right out of—his arms. Human, Ryanne Killian might be Caedan’s one shot at happiness while still fulfilling his duty. Unfortunately, she guards a dark secret. She’s determined to push Caedan away to protect him from her past. Caedan must convince her she’s worthy of his love before a rival family puts an end to his wedding plans. If she can see her own worth, she just might save herself and his people. Links: Buy it on Amazon Read the first 2 chapters Website Twitter Facebook Pinterest Idea Board for Fade Into Me Sign up to win a free signed copy on Goodreads!

A New Year is Coming Closer

I haven't posted anything on here in a long time. The truth is I had reached a good place in my quest for a healthier life. My husband and I joined Metabolic Research Center and lost a little over 20 lbs each in 2013.

It was wonderful. I've never felt so good. We were eating healthy and exercising. For the first time I LOVED running. Before I enjoyed it, but mostly I liked how I felt when I was finished. You know that sense of accomplishment. The knowledge that you did something hard and uncomfortable because it was good for you. But when I was 20 lbs. lighter I enjoyed the actual running. My body felt strong. I didn't have trouble breathing and the motion felt wonderful!

Then life slammed me again. I held on for almost a year, but last August I started the slow weight gain. Ounce by ounce, pound by pound I regained all that I had lost. Then I had one week where I was so depressed and frustrated that I gained another 10 pounds.

I didn't care.

Part of me wanted to eat myself to death.

Good news. I've gotten over that. In fact, over the week of Christmas I actually lost 2 lbs by simply drinking more water and paying attention to my portions. I still ate everything I wanted, but I did it sensibly.

This morning I woke up and put in 30 minutes on the treadmill. It felt good to be doing something for myself again. There is a journey ahead, but at least this time I know I can do it.

The trick will be staying where I want to be for the rest of my life.

Here's to New Year's resolutions!

Nanowrimo and My Newest Novel

Today is November 1st!

That means National Novel Writing Month (Nano for short) has started. Some of you may know that my first published novel, THE MAGIC WAKES, started as a Nano project in 2008. This year I'm continuing to edit the second novel in the series AND get the third one drafted for Nano. Wish me luck!

As if that wasn't enough to keep me busy, I'm actively working to get another novel ready for publication. I'm joining the ranks of Indie Publishers with my Urban Fantasy titled FADE INTO ME. This book also started with Nano.

Nanowrimo 2011 was the only year I didn't explore Talia's world. Instead I met a troubled girl named Ryanne. She had secrets I didn't want to uncover, but her desperate need to be loved in spite of her scars kept drawing me back to her. I finally finished her story in 2013. Early this year I dug into revisions with a drive I hadn't felt since THE MAGIC WAKES (WiDo Publishing, 2013).

I was on fire.

FIM has been through multiple beta readers and grown into something I never could have planned. Some people will love it. Others won't get it. It's about a co-dependent girl who protects those who hurt her and runs from those who can make her whole.  Her reactions and inner struggles are based on similar ones of many women I've met in my life. All of us had to learn we are worthy of love and embrace those who knew too.

This month I'm running a kickstarter to pay for a professional editor and typesetter. With any luck, I'll make my goal and this book will be available early next year. Please take a moment to watch my video about the project. The book trailer is at the end. Then think of it this way, a $12 pledge is like pre-ordering a signed print copy of FADE INTO ME. I will be selling the print copy for $12 on Amazon and other places when it's available, but it won't be signed!

Thanks in advance for any support you can give. Even if that's just tweeting, facebooking and telling your neighbors and family about the project.

Blurb:

Aliens live among us. Their purpose: to protect and nurture their greatest mistake—mankind.

Caedan Frey’s family has fulfilled this duty for thousands of years, but it doesn’t free him from his obligation as prince of the Reparation. Although he doesn't believe humans will evolve to see the magic, much less control it, he has two months to marry one or face the wrath of the High Council. Bitter about a responsibility he thinks prevents him from marrying for love, he figures any human girl will do. He's ready to propose when his soul mate stumbles into—and right out—of his arms.

Human, Ryanne Killian might be his one shot at happiness while still fulfilling his duty. Unfortunately, she guards a dark secret within her co-dependent personality, and she thinks the only way to protect Caedan is to push him away.

Caedan must convince her she’s worthy of his love before the men who hurt her before steal more than her virtue. If she can see her own worth, she just might save herself and his people.

What do you think? Does it sound like something you'd read?

Click HERE to read the first 2 chapters.

Early Praise for FIM--

Fade Into Me was a remarkable read. I couldn't put it down! Bradford writes the story with so much conviction, I wondered if she was trying to tell us all something about the human race. The book is clean and well written. The character building hooked me from page one. The author's imagination helps make the book come to life. I give the book a 5 out of 5 rating! Great read for all audiences! I can't wait for others to be able to discover this new Urban Fantasy!

~Alicia Rivoli - Author of The Enchantment Series

I love the glimpse into two different worlds and can't wait to see how they collide! I have a clear picture in my mind as I read, I can't help but visualize Caeden's world-not something I can usually do in the first chapter of a book. I'm only disappointed I can't read the rest yet!

~Trish

I survived 3 weeks of vacation!

Shortly after my last post I headed to TN for a two week vacation to visit family. Usually going home is easy because I still do the cooking. However, my mom had just moved homes and schools. This meant we were very busy helping her get things done and we often didn't have time to cook. Or go home between things. There was also a lot of fun stuff too, not just work. We shopped almost the entire two weeks and visited other friends and family.

My biggest fear was gaining a lot of weight from all the eating out. I did my best to make good choices--grilled chicken, salads, dressing on the side so I could use just a tiny bit, etc. However, I did eat the chips and salsa, had a fried cheese stick, ate the cherry chocolate chip cake with cream cheese frosting my sister made...and it was all so good! My goal was to enjoy the time with my family and just make sure I only ate "a little" of the yummy things that had added the pounds over the years.

I increased my water intake. Some days I was getting 120 oz in. My first weigh in home I had gained 3 lbs. I think some of it was still travel water retention. Who knows? Anyway, the next week home was our staycation. More travel, but more active fun as well. At the next weigh in I was back to my pre-travel weight.

Half a pound a way from my 20 lb loss goal.

I'm hitting it this week for my birthday. It's my gift to myself. The  new goal is to lose the last 8 lbs of my goal over the next month. That's 2 pounds a week. I know I can do it if I add the regular exercise and keep eating good foods.

Wish me luck! No, better yet, ask me if I've exercised.

Starting weight: 177
Current weight: 158

Mid-July 2013 Check In

I'm still computer-less and I wonder if that's helping me lose weight. As of today I'm 1/2 a pound from the 20 pound loss benchmark. That's two thirds of the way to my goal.

The exciting part is I'm feeling better, lighter, healthier. The other day I felt the NEED to go for a run. It wasn't "I should go for a run" it was "I want to go for a run". And I did. I ran two miles before stopping to walk and that was because I needed to catch my breath--not any aches or tiredness. It felt wonderful!

And, this may border on TMI, but I can pull my pants up and down without unbuttoning them! Oh, yes. For Christmas I want a shopping spree!

Starting weight in May--177lbs
Current weight--158

Emotional Eating

Wow! It's been a long time since I checked in. Hubby and I are still doing well with the weight loss program. I've started going to some of their connection classes and learning some fun things.

For example, we went to the emotional eating class last week. Now, even though we had a lot of laughs at some of the things, there were very helpful tips as well. Here's two we laughed at:

Don't eat alone. If you are going to splurge make sure someone is with you. (um, okay. Hubby let's go eat a pan of brownies and ice cream. It's okay because we are eating it together.

Tell yourself that if you Still want it in two days you can have it. (Get in the car, we're going for ice cream because I've been wanting it for a month!)

Helpful things to think about:

What do you crave? Different foods could mean you need different things emotionally.
Soft, sweet foods--love, comfort
Crunchy--you just need to break or "crunch" someone because of anger

Now, what can you do to relieve or fill those emotions that don't involve food (or killing anyone)?

• snuggle with a pet/spouse/stuffed animal
• go for a good hard run
• take a kick boxing class
• drive in your car and scream at the top of your lungs
• talk with the person you need to work out the issues with

I did appreciate that the instructor said, "Sometimes you want something just because it tastes good. There don't have to be any deep emotional issues to why you want it. Food is good."

The other really helpful tip was this. If you REALLY want it, eat 2 bites. Here's the trick. Eat it slow and savor each bite. Enjoy it. Don't just stuff it down in a guilty rampage. Make it last. 

Weight loss is now at 15lbs. I go in today to weigh again and maybe measurements. The last time we measured I had lost a total of 18 inches total body. That just means an inch here, half an inch there, etc all totally to 18 inches all over. 

Not too bad. I'm at 162.5, down from 177 at the beginning of May. 

18 Inches Lost!

I weighed in today at 164.5 and it was a measuring day. Since beginning the program at the beginning of May I've lost a total of 18.5 inches total body. And my body fat percentage has dropped 2%!

Heres another one of my meals from the past week.

3 oz Low sodium deli chicken
1/2oz cheddar cheese
Toasted on 1/2 a Flat Out wrap
Topped with lettuce, bell peppers and tomato
with
4 oz fresh green beans

June 1st Update

I almost forgot to check in! The allergy monster is still living in my head, but I managed to drop two more pounds putting me at 168. Now if I can only hold on and keep moving in the right direction. It's so hard when all I want is a comfort tub of peanut butter ice cream.

:)

Weekly Update

I almost forgot that it was Friday--report day.

Considering how crummy I've felt this week I didn't expect much. In fact, I thought I gained weight for sure. You see, I kind of cheated.

My sinuses have been really bad. Can't breathe, can't swallow, drowning in mucus. Yeah, not pretty. And I wanted comfort. Comfort in the form of something really yummy. So I ate a few little things that were not on my approved list. And I slept a lot.

When I went in today I was sure it would be bad news. However, I had maintained the same weight. 170.

I'll take that.

Now I've been to the doctor and hopefully I can knock this infection out and get back to losing weight.

Way more food than I can eat!

Hubby and I have been doing the MRC meal plans for 14 days now (that includes the first week that is just a  work you into it kind of thing). 8 days in we had both lost 6.5 pounds!

There have been days that I wanted to scream because I couldn't eat something I wanted. Something that my kids were eating right in front of me. What you might ask?

• Freezer waffles
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• sweet and salty granola bar
• ANYTHING that didn't include lettuce

However, the results prove that this is worth it. And, I'm not hungry. It's just those mental cravings for all the things I love but shouldn't eat as much of as I did. 

The following pictures are not great since my table is brown, but I'm posting them to show how much food I'm eating. It's a ton! Most of the time I have to sit and make myself finish because I'm just not hungry, but they say I need to eat it all to get the required nutrients. We also weigh everything now! 4 oz of meat is a lot of meat!

 Orange Beef and Broccoli (4 oz meat, 4 oz veg, 4 oz salad, 50 calories of starch)

(4 oz of turkey burger, 4 oz squash/zucchini, 4 oz salad)