30 min TABATA cardio strength circuits with floor work

Posted on June 22, 2022 by EmpowerMoms

**This video was originally posted as a facebook live “Moderate Fit” workout for the Botetourt Family YMCA. Some parts may be edited out.**

Join me for a 35 min TABATA style 20 sec work/10 sec rest. Alternating between cardio and strength training.
Warm up and cool down included.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
*set of dumbbells
*yoga mat or towel

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and never miss a workout again.

🔹 Rachel is a certified group fitness instructor and has been teaching group fitness classes , helping all ages and levels of fitness since 2015. 🔹

Follow me here:
📸 Instagram: @EmpowerMoms
👍 Facebook: @WalkStrongRoanoke
🐦 Twitter: @Rdevaughn4
Blog: http://empowermoms.net/
Private challenge walking group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/290296024792860

D I S C L A I M E R:
Not all workouts on this channel may be suited for you. Please consult your doctor if you have any medical issues, and before beginning a training or nutrition program. By performing any fitness exercises, you are performing them at your own risk.
Rachel DeVaughn, Walk Strong Roanoke, EmpowerMoms will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of her online fitness videos or information shared on her channel. By using her online workouts you are accepting all the terms of this disclaimer notice.

Posted in Fitness | 5 Comments

“Among the Innocent” by Mary Alford

Posted on June 21, 2022 by EmpowerMoms

I have read other love inspired suspense amish books by this author and I was aware of the book description and content this book was about. However, I wasn’t prepared for reading chapters on the serial killer point of view which was really disturbing and more graphic that I thought a Christian fiction book would be. (This book is classified as a Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance Book on amazon) I definitely think this book should come with a warning due to the nature and killer POV being included. This book upset me for days after I finished it.

With that being said; I did read the book cover to cover because of the steady suspense and engaging main characters. I had to know how it was going to end! I always underestimate how evil someone can be, especially if mental illness is involved. It made me sad that innocent Amish women were targeted in this book, hence the title.

Leah and Dalton, the main characters, are trying to find the serial killer lose in the Amish community who had ties to Leah 10 year earlier and who they thought had died. I figured out the end beforehand, but it wasn’t predictable and had a couple twists and surprises.

Not something I would read again, but if you aren’t a sensitive reader like me, you would probably enjoy this Amish suspense book! I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
When Leah Miller’s entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life. Since then, Leah left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after another Amish woman is found murdered with the same MO, it becomes clear that the wrong man may have been blamed for her family’s deaths.

As Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper, work long hours struggling to fit the pieces together in order to catch the killer, they can’t help but grow closer. When secrets from both of their pasts begin to surface, an unexpected connection between them is revealed. But this is only the beginning. Could it be that the former police chief framed an innocent man to keep the biggest secret of all buried? And what will it mean for Leah–and Dalton–when the full truth comes to light?

USA Today bestselling author Mary Alford keeps you guessing as two determined souls plumb the dark depths of the past in order to forge a brighter future–together.

About the Author
Mary Alford is a USA Today bestselling author who loves giving her readers the unexpected, combining unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots that result in stories the reader can’t put down. Her titles have been finalists for several awards, including the Daphne Du Maurier, the Beverly, the Maggie, and the Selah. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two cats and one dog. Learn more at www.maryalford.net.

Posted in Book Reviews | 1 Comment

30 min TOTAL BODY cardio and strength circuits

Posted on June 20, 2022 by EmpowerMoms

**This video was originally posted as a facebook live “Moderate Fit” workout for the Botetourt Family YMCA. Some parts may be edited out.**

Join me for a 32 min TOTAL BODY cardio and strength circuit training workout.
Warm up and cool down included.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
*set of dumbbells

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and never miss a workout again.

🔹 Rachel is a certified group fitness instructor and has been teaching group fitness classes , helping all ages and levels of fitness since 2015. 🔹

Posted in Fitness | Comments Off

Week 4 of “The Great Walk 100 day Summer Challenge” video suggestions

Posted on June 19, 2022 by EmpowerMoms

Welcome to week 4 of “The Great Walk 100 day Summer Challenge” from 6/19 – 6/25.

Remember: Our goal is to be consistent so even if you can’t do 100 days of walking in a row, do the best you can and listen to your body.

If you CAN do a walk every day, it is VERY important that you mix it up by doing gentle walks, longer walks, shorter walks, indoor walks, outdoor walks, etc.

Here are some week 4 workout video suggestions from my YouTube channel:

Comment below and let me know what walks you did this week and how you are feeling! I love to hear from you!

Don’t forget to come back here to my blog EVERY Sunday morning to get weekly walking workout suggestions and to stay accountable to this challenge. Our challenge is from 5/29/22 – 9/5/22!!

Posted in Fitness, Walk Strong Roanoke Fitness, Walk15: walk aerobics class | 16 Comments

“Undercover Assignment” by Dana Mentink REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

Posted on June 16, 2022 by EmpowerMoms

About the Book

Book: Undercover Assignment

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Suspense

Release date: June 28, 2022

This K-9 will stop at nothing to keep a child safe.

When a little boy is threatened, Officer Daniella Vargas and K-9 partner, Zara, are assigned to pose as his nanny to uncover the culprit’s identity. Suspecting one of the guests in his inn, widower Sam Kavanaugh’s only option is to begrudgingly trust Daniella and Zara to help. But can they solve the case and its mysterious connection to Sam’s late wife before it’s too late?

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

I have read several love inspired suspense books by this author and have enjoyed every single one! I am especially excited about this news Rocky Mountain K-9 unit!

This awesome K9 story involved Sam and his son Oliver, Daniella and her dog Zara. They were all likeable characters, especially the little boy and dog.

Daniella and her working dog go undercover as Oliver’s nanny so they can figure out why someone keeps breaking into Sam’s B&B and why mysterious, life harrowing, things keep happening. As the story progresses, it becomes a guest “who dun it” mystery which kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Steady action and suspense all throughout-I loved it! I highly recommend this fun, love inspired clean suspense book.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. She’s written more than forty mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. She is honored to have received two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Please visit her on the web at www.danamentink.com to sign up for her newsletter, or find her on Twitter, Facebook and Bookbub.

More from Dana

What a joy to participate in a series with seven other talented authors! A continuity series is a set of books, each written by a different author, and each with its own suspense plot along with an overarching series plot and characters. It’s a very complicated project to complete, but the fantastic part is chatting, collaborating, and sometimes commiserating with other writers. What a rare treat, since most of our work is done alone in dark rooms with computer screens and bottomless cups of coffee! This series was especially fun to write because of the whole wilderness lodge setting which is my favorite type of story. Picture it! Ancient cliff dwellings, a freak electrical storm, twenty-four hours with no power and a killer on the loose! That’s my kind of suspense novel. I hope you will enjoy this multi author series as much as we enjoyed creating it!