EmpowerMoms

Drawing Fire (Cold Case Justice #1) by Janice Cantore

Homicide Detective Abby helps people find answers and closure after their loved ones are killed. Unfortunately Abby has never gotten answers or closure on a 25 year old cold case involving the murders of her parents. Unofficially she begins working on her parents case again with the help of a private investigator named Luke. Everyone keeps telling her to “let it go” and that the “truth will prevail” but Abby feels like she would be giving up if she didn’t try to find out her parent’s killers. The cold case has haunted her for years and made her the Detective she is. As they get closer to finding answers, more people get hurt and more questions arise.

“Drawing Fire” has alot of suspense and mystery! I really enjoyed this fast paced, intriguing story. I liked both of the main characters and I especially liked Abby’s determination and drive with her job and helping others. I thought Abby and Luke would have a romantic interest in this book, but Abby was already engaged and there was no romance in this story.

There is no bad language or inappropriate love scenes; but because of the content and murders mentioned, this would not be appropriate for a younger reader. The main characters are christian but there is very little talk about beliefs and faith.

I would highly recommend this clean, suspenseful book! I can’t wait to read Cold Case Justice book #2 next year.

I received a copy of this book complimentary from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
One case from her past defines homicide detective Abby Hart.

With a possible serial killer stalking elderly women in Long Beach, California, Abby’s best lead is Luke Murphy, an irritating private investigator who saw a suspect flee the scene of the latest homicide. When Abby discovers that the most recent victim is related to the governor, she’s anxious to talk to him about a cold case that’s personal to her―one Luke is interested in as well.

As she learns more about the restaurant fire that took her parents’ lives years ago, Abby discovers why Luke is so invested in finding the ones responsible. The more they uncover, though, the more questions they have. Can Abby find peace without having all the answers?

Biography
A retired Long Beach California police officer of 22 years (16 in uniform and 6 as a non-career officer), Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, patrol, administration, juvenile investigations and training. During the course of her career in uniform Janice found that faith was indispensable to every aspect of the job and published articles on faith at work, one for a quarterly newspaper called “Cop and Christ”, and another for the monthly magazine “Today’s Christian Woman”.

With retirement Janice began to write longer pieces and several novels were born. Janice is excited and honored to now be a part of the Tyndale Publishing House family. Accused, the first installment in her new suspense offering, The Pacific Coast Justice Series, was released February 1, 2012 and kicked off a brand new chapter in her writing career. In addition to suspense and action, her books feature strong female leads. Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep you engrossed and leave you inspired.

You can buy a copy of the book here:

This was our workout yesterday as a family! 🙂

What do you like to do to stay active as a family? (sorry for the grumpy boy)

This Leslie Sansone “Mix and Match Walk Blasters” DVD was released last year. I love it because each workout is in 10 minute segments. I love to use the “Light Walk” for a warm up before doing other workouts; and I love to use the “Flexibility” walk as my cool down and stretch after other workouts.

The workout we are doing in this video is called “Walk, Kick + Jab”.

Do you have this DVD? Which segment is your favorite?

You can buy it from Amazon here:

Product Description:
Got 10 minutes? Then you have time to get started on your health goals! If you want to lose weight, increase energy, slim legs, tone arms, trim waistline, manage stress, improve heart health you name it, Fitness Walking can help! And, Leslie’s Mini Walk Blasters fit into even the busiest schedule. If you have just 10 minutes some days, 20 minutes other days or sometimes even 30+ minutes a day to exercise, you can choose from the 10 different Mini Walks to create a custom walking session that works for you.

Leslie packed so much into this program! You’ll love the NEW ways to WALK… sweat… tone… Kick… punch… even DANCE really! We do it the walkers way.

Mix + Match Minis = MORE benefit in LESS time!
Here’s the Mini Walk lineup:

Light Walk!
Brisk + Steady!
Interval Walk!
Short + Sweaty!
Walk, Kick + Jab!
Dance Walk!
Tummy Trimmer!
Lower Body Blast!
Upper Body Blast!
Flexibility Walk!

Plus, in each 10-minute Mini Walk, Leslie offers one tip from her Top 10 Healthy Life list.

You can mix + match any way you like. The easy-to-use DVD menu allows you to plan your own workout combinations. Plus, Leslie offers you three pre-planned workouts made up of her favorite combinations. With so many options, you can’t help but STAY MOTIVATED!

Minutes a day… not hours a day… can be the secret that turns your fitness around!

Veils and Vengeance (Wedding Planner Mysteries) (Volume 2) by Rachelle J Christensen

Adri-a wedding planner-is in Hawaii in preparation for a client’s wedding. She meets the handsome brother of the groom, discovers the body of a dead woman in the ocean, gets harassed at the hotel, and many other dreadful things during her stay in the beautiful Hawaii. Will Adri stay alive long enough to direct the wedding? Who was the woman killed? Can Adri trust another man with her heart?

I really enjoyed this story between Adri and the Bride-to-be family during their stay in Hawaii. The author was very descriptive with the scenery and sites in Hawaii-I felt like I was there with them. It sounded beautiful! I liked all the characters and their struggle with love-it was very personable. The mystery of the killed woman in the ocean and all the “accidents” and attempts on Adri’s life kept my interest throughout the book. I read this book in one sitting because I wanted to know who was trying to hurt Adri and who she was going to pick as her romantic interest.

This was a clean, romance book with some drama and mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media. All opinions are my own.

About the Book
When wedding planner Adrielle Pyper orchestrates a destination ceremony in Hawaii, she’s prepared for anything—except murder.
After the trauma of her last event, the beautiful isle of Kauai is the perfect place for Adri to unwind and do what she does best – plan. She even lets herself indulge in the attention of the groom’s handsome brother. But just when everything seems to be perfect, an afternoon snorkeling trip turns deadly when Adri discovers the body of a young woman.
Shaken, but unable to let go, Adri’s sleuthing leads her into more danger than she bargained for. When a number of “accidents” threaten her own life, it soon becomes apparent that someone will do anything to keep Adri from interfering with their vengeance.
For great craft tips, visit Adri’s website, www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.

Biography
Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology.
She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband, five cute kids, three cats, and five chickens.

Visit www.rachellechristensen.com to learn more about upcoming books.

You can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon here:

Jessica Smith TV posts free, full length, video’s on her YouTube channel and this is her newest one!

As you know I love fitness walking, so I can’t wait to do this one tomorrow. Enjoy!

I have read other books by author Irene Hannon and have enjoyed them, but I had a hard time getting into the story line of this book. I kept picking it up and putting it down and eventually only read half of it.

There are over 100 great reviews on goodreads and amazon for this book, so if you are familiar with this author, you may enjoy this book as well. “Hope Harbor” is a christian romance book.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books, a division of of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book
Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life–and love–altered her plans. When tragedy strikes and changes her plans yet again, she finds herself back in her hometown with a floundering farm to run and a heartbreaking secret. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter’s. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help save a struggling charitable organization, the winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives–including their own.

Fan favorite Irene Hannon brings a whole new cast of characters to life in a charming Oregon seaside village. Emotional and heartwarming, this story invites readers to come home to Hope Harbor, where love and hope bloom–and hearts heal.

About the Author
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than forty-five novels, including That Certain Summer, One Perfect Spring, and the Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, three HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, two Reviewers’ Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers’ Choice Award, a Booksellers’ Best Award, and a National Readers’ Choice Award. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its “Top 10 Inspirational Fiction” list for 2011. She lives in Missouri. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.

You can buy a copy here: