Misty Zaugg's Blog - Posts Tagged "extract"

Hi friends,

First a big thanks to everyone for helping our book 2, Deadly Escape get a fancy #1 New Release banner in the Infectious Disease category.

And special thanks to the eight people who gave us the crucial reviews a brand-new book needs, like:

Scott: "The intensity is ramped up in this entry, as the non-stop action makes for one exciting story. All while building up the suspense as the plots continue to unfold. With the authors doing a great job on the characters (both good and bad) as well. I can’t wait for the finale to hit."



Deadly Escape: Book 2 in Escaping the Virus

But what about my broken toe? And how am I fixing it?

I gotta say that comfrey is one of my top ten favorite herbs. Nicknamed 'Knitbone' for it's ability to heal broken bones, it contains allantoin, a substance that supercharges the healing process so injuries can heal much faster - and it can even help minimize scarring.

It grows via root propagation and if you can get a start, it's hardy enough to come back year after year.

The root is medicinally stronger than the leaf, but either works. Both fresh and dried can be used.

So, how do you use it for an injury?

Simple: Make tea. Soak the owie. :D

Here are a few pics and a bit more explanation:

Step 1: Broken Toe (hint - the purple one next to the pinkie)



Step 2: Chop up a bunch of prickly comfrey leaves (root works well, too):



Step 3: Cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 10-20 mins or just leave to steep and cool on its own if you're not in a hurry.



Step 4: Strain off the 'tea' or extract. Keep refrigerated and heat a portion when it's time to soak



Step 5: Soak the injury 2 - 4 times a day and watch how fast you heal. It's amazing! For hard to soak injuries like a rib or shoulder, warm the extract, dip a cloth or paper towel and drape over the injury. You can reuse the clothes by bagging them and refrigerating them for next time.


This is my foot right now as I'm sitting at my desk typing this up. :D

Note: Comfrey has been painted as dangerous for internal use (still fine for external) because of a substance that can damage the liver. But the data is questionable, ie. isolating the dangerous substance instead of using the whole herb, rat studies, using excessive quantities, etc. Check out the studies and decide for yourself. (Or compare the number of deaths due to liver damage by correctly prescribed Tylenol vs comfrey.)

Have any of you ever used comfrey? I'd love to hear your experiences.

And thanks for the well wishes for my trip - we're driving cross country and will be visiting family and friends for the next few weeks. Road Trip!! :D

Thanks again for all your support!
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Misty's Writing Update:

Here's a sample of what I've been doing this week:
• Changing the oil and rotating tires on the van
• mountains of laundry
• buying lots of snacks - healthy and not-so-healthy
• loading phones and tablets with audiobooks, ebooks and movies
• buying new shoes for a teen boy who insisted just 2 weeks ago that his were "perfectly fine!"
• buying shorts for a different teen boy who found only one pair when it came time to pack.
• repacking the suitcase the 6-year-old girl packed 2 months ago when she found out about the road trip. It was full of clothes that didn't fit and others she didn't like. LOL. But, hey, at least she tried.

Yep, we’re going on a big road trip. Two days of driving out West to visit family and friends and then the same drive back two weeks later.

So, not much writing going on here, I know (except for this newsletter). But this is the last big trip of the summer, and then my son (the third child) will be leaving to serve a two-year mission for our church. With him leaving the nest, only three will still be living at home when fall comes.

Such a happy and sad moment. When they're adults stepping out on their own with confidence, but you still miss them.

Wish us luck on our two-day drive out West! The middle teen will be helping with some of the driving to get hours before he tests for his license in the fall. Eeek!!

If you don't hear from me after this, it was nice knowing all of you! :D

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Hi friends,

First thing - you have one more day to grab Deadly Lockdown for 99c if you were excited about the deal, but forgot about it, like I often do:



And second, check out the awesome #1 best-seller tags! Even Deadly Rescue got one, thanks to all of you!

Even better, we got a few great reviews like this one from Scott:

"Fantastic Read! Deadly Rescue was an exciting end to this series. The twists and suspense all built to a thrilling finale; the story being so hard to put down I read it in one day.

From strong character work to action to science, this series is easy to recommend. I can say the same for the authors’ other works as well. Well done!"

And this one from Lanfear - our awesome UK fan:

"A must read! This book has everything from action and adventure to love and loss and much more. Fast paced with a great story line that delves into every facet of what it is too be human from the very worst, to the very best. It has two great female leads who've grown in themselves as the series progressed, facing their past head on. This can be read as a stand alone but far better as part of the series."

Keep them coming! You guys are awesome!

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Ginger isn't just a spice - Herbal Tip #2



If you like spicy, but not the long-lasting burn of cayenne, you might already enjoy the tingling flavor of ginger in recipes.

It also had two really awesome medicinal effects you might not know about:

1. Anti-nausea: Going on a plane or boat ride? Know someone with morning sickness? Ginger is an excellent remedy for mild nausea, and it's tasty too!
2. Anti-inflammatory: Instead of reaching for the ibuprofen, try a cup of ginger tea instead. Studies on osteoarthritis show a reduction in pain and inflammation and you can even use it topically on the swollen joint.

How to use it:
1. Ginger chews or crystallized ginger: These are sugary pieces of ginger candy that are easy to keep in a purse, which makes them great for nausea sufferers.
2. Ginger capsules: To control your dose and try to replicate the amounts used in studies, these are readily available where herbal capsules are sold.
3. Ginger tea: Fresh is always awesome. Grab some ginger root at the store, peel and chop, and then bring to a simmer before putting a lid on it and letting it steep. Yummy! You can also dip a cloth in warm ginger tea and use as a compress to wrap around painful joints. Or simply dunk the hurting finger or toe into a container of tea.

How about you? Do you use ginger medicinally and have a story to share?

I'd love to hear about it.
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Misty's Writing Update:

So my husband, an engineer and avid sci-fi reader, is my best sounding board as I'm designing a story and hammering out the plot.

I had rewritten the first two chapters of this new book multiple times and finally had him give it a read through . . .

. . . and he said I should just cut off the first half of chapter 1 because I'd packed too much info into the start and made it a slow read.

Sure enough, when I looked at it again, I realized that during the rewriting, I'd kept shoving more and more information about the world and the characters into every paragraph . . . over and over again until it was bursting with information and not enough of the fun action. LOL.

So, lesson for me: stick to one draft and one rewrite and then move on. Or force myself to chop out some stuff as I edit instead of keep stuffing more in. :D

Enjoy reading this week and I'd love to hear what you think about Deadly Rescue if you have a chance to read it!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Hi friends,

So Covid finally hit us, but thankfully only a mild version!

While I was in Utah, my teenage son had two friends over for his birthday, only to find out that one boy's father felt bad that evening and eventually both the father, the son and then one of my sons tested positive.

Thankfully, my 13-year-old only had a mild fever, cough, sore throat and a few sniffles. So, if we hadn't know it was covid, we'd have thought it was a mild cold.

And since I'm planning on going to this awesome author's conference: 20Books Vegas next week, I decided to cancel my flight home and go directly to Vegas on Monday.

I'm pretty bummed not to get a few days with my family, since this is the longest I've ever been away from them - 4 1/2 weeks by the time I get home, but I definitely wouldn't want to take a chance with covid before going to a large conference like that.

So, I'm at my brother's house for a couple of days instead, catching up on my sleep and missing my little granddaughter resting on my chest.
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Herbal Tip #3
Lemon Balm heals Cold Sores!

Cold sores aren't a major illness, but for anyone who's had them, they can be a big annoyance - painful, unsightly and slow to heal.

The good news is that there is an effective herb that can speed that process up: lemon balm.

Lemon balm is in the mint family, which means it is super easy to grow, so much so that it will spread out into your yard and garden if you let it. But it gives off a fresh lemony scent when mowed down, so it's all good. :)

How to use it? Don't worry, it's super easy.

This is a fresh herb extract, since making lemon balm tincture from dried herb isn't as effective. (With the extra water being pulled out of the fresh herb, stronger alcohol is better)

1. Cut fresh lemon balm, rinse and let air dry before chopping coarsely - just enough to make it easy to put into a jar.
2. Pack it tightly to fill an 8 oz. or pint glass jar, depending on how much you have.
3. Buy the cheapest 100 proof Vodka (50% alcohol) or if you want stronger but pricier, Everclear is 190 proof (95% alcohol).
4. Pour alcohol over the fresh cut herb. Fill right up to the top and put on a lid, trying to leave as little air in the jar as possible.
5. Put in a dark cupboard and shake as often as you remember for the next six weeks - daily is awesome, but don't worry if you forget. (You can use it earlier if needed)
6. Dab a little on your cold sore throughout the day, starting as soon as you feel it emerging and it can heal in half the time.

That's it! Not much harder than making a cup of tea. :)

I like to keep some in a glass, brown dropper bottle in the bathroom or any container with some Q-tips will also work. Seeing it in the bathroom helps me remember to place a drop or two on my finger and then dab on the cold sore throughout the day. (fyi - it works for all types of herpes sores).

Here's the jar of tincture I just helped my sister-in-law make (it's missing a bit at the top, because we poured some off today):



I'd love to hear how it goes if you try making some. :)
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I hope all of you and your families are safe and doing well!
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Misty's Writing Update:

I finally had to make some decisions on the game mechanics in my new litrpg book.

I've been running through the world-building in my mind for a while, but I finally got to a chapter where Pax is involved in a battle with a huge lava lizard that he helps kill.

Now what?

For those of you who like playing fantasy-based games, you know that killing monsters is a big part of advancing in levels, acquiring loot and increasing your skills and abilities.

I had to decide what kind of rewards Pax and the other characters in my new world would get from killing a monster.

I decided to go with a more natural game logic - the skills, spells and attributes like strength and intelligence increase when they are used, with increased gains from extra practice or using them in new and more difficult situations.

And my characters will get 'loot' from killing monsters, but more in the form of valuable parts that can be harvested/butchered from the monsters themselves, instead of a fancy new sword suddenly appearing above the corpse.

For example, skin from a lava monster can be crafted into fire-resistant leather armor, or feathers from an air-based monster can add a speed or decreased weight bonus to a crafted item. And the biggest form of loot is the monster's core containing elemental magic that can be used to power magical devices in the fantasy world.

It's definitely a fun exercise that is stretching both my creativity and logic - because it still has to make sense, right? :)

If you're an avid gamer, feel free to offer suggestions!

And enjoy your reading this week.

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website