Mollie Cox Bryan

Baths, Anyone? By Chrystle Fiedler

Mollie Cox Bryan — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:10:01 +0000

A big thank you to Mollie Cox Bryan for allowing me to visit her blog today to talk about my new book Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery! Death Drops features Willow McQuade, ND, a naturopathic doctor who specializes in natural cures. When her aunt Claire is murdered, Willow takes over her health food store Nature’s Way Market & Cafe and sets out to solve the crime with a hunky ex-cop. Death Drops also features over two dozen natural remedies you can try at home.

Baths are a great natural remedy. I also find I get my best writing ideas in the tub! Baths can also be a way to rest, renew and heal your body. Here are several baths you can try that will make you feel good!

Baking Soda Bath: This alkalinizing and detoxifying bath can help calm allergic reactions, chicken pox, eczema, hives, itchy skin, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn, and fungal infections. Baking soda baths also aid weight loss. Use one pound per bath.

Cold and Flu Bath: Try these bath additions when you want to soothe deep muscle aches that often accompany viral infections. Epsom salts, ginger root, marjoram, mustard seed powder, pine needles, and thyme leaves.

Detox Bath: Consider these cleansing herbs in the bath, when you know its time to change your lifestyle to help the body get rid of environmental pollutants, internal toxins and cleanse the lymphatics. Apple cider vinegar, cypress essential oil, Epsom salts, ginger root, grapefruit, juniper, lavender flowers, lemon peel, rosemary leaves, sage leaves, seaweed (Can be bought dried in natural food stores unless you live close to the ocean), and tea tree essential oil.

Dry Skin Bath: Herbs can have a soothing lubricating effect from the outside. Moisturize with calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, comfrey leaves, elder flowers, fennel seed, jasmine flowers, lavender flowers, oatmeal, rose buds, and violet leaves.

Epsom Salts Bath: This method is lymphatic cleansing, relaxing for sore muscles, softening to the skin, and detoxifying after bodywork. Epsom salts help to get drugs, chemicals and pollutants out of body. Those with diabetes, hypertension or heart disease should rinse off after the bath.

Flower Power Bath: Float fresh flowers, orange or lemon peels into the bath water. Flower suggestions include lilac, dandelion, daisies, honeysuckle, jasmine, camellia, or lavender. Trim your aromatic leaves (mint, lemon balm, etc.) and put the excess in to the bath.

If you have any medical conditions and are not sure if you should try any of these baths, please see your health practitioner. This is in no way meant to be medical advice.

About Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery:

Dr. Willow McQuade, N.D., a twenty-eight-year-old naturopathic doctor specializing in natural remedies, has decided to take sabbatical and visit her Aunt Claire, the owner of Nature’s Way Market and Cafe in idyllic Greenport, Long Island. But the idea of rest and relaxation is quickly forgotten when Willow arrives from a morning meditative walk to discover her Aunt Claire dead in the store, a strange almond-like smell emanating from her mouth and a bottle of flower essences by her side.

Despite her Zen nature and penchant for yoga, Aunt Claire had a knack for getting into confrontations with folks. An activist, she held weekly meetings for different causes every week in the store. The police want to believe the death is accidental—but Willow thinks she may have been poisoned.

Things get worse when Aunt Claire’s valuable recipe for a new natural age-defying formula, Fresh Face, is stolen during a store break-in, and an attempt is made on Willow’s life. Desperate for a way out of the mess, she turns to a handsome young cop Jackson Spade. Together the two set about solving the case the natural way—through a combination of hard work, common sense, and a dose of luck.

Praise for Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery

“With a terrific premise and an interesting topic, Fiedler’s debut shows promise.” – Library Journal

Death Drops is a gem! Entertaining, informative, and with a mystery that had me completely baffled! – Gayle Trent, author of Killer Sweet Tooth

“Fiedler’s absorbing mystery is an entertaining debut, featuring a likeable menagerie of characters, filled with natural remedies, with all of it unfolding on Long Island’s idyllic East End.” Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, author of the national bestseller Liberating Paris.

“An engaging investigative thriller…an enjoyable whodunit.” The Mystery Gazette

Chrystle Fiedler is also the author of the non-fiction title THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO NATURAL REMEDIES (Alpha, 2009), co-author of BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! (Fairwinds Press, 2010), currently in its fourth printing, the BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! COOKBOOK (Fairwinds Press, 2012) and THE COUNTRY ALMANAC OF HOME REMEDIES (Fairwinds, 2011). Chrystle’s magazine articles featuring natural remedies have appeared in such national publications as Better Homes and Gardens, Natural Health, Vegetarian Times and Remedy. She is a native of the North Fork on Long Island. Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.

Five things I thought about during my morning run:

Mollie Cox Bryan — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:18:48 +0000

1. Okay. I’d hadn’t planned to run today. But when I took the dog for her walk this morning, I was blown away. The morning is so gorgeous. Perfect for a run.
2. So I’m squeezing it in before I get ready for my signing today. ( B &N Harrisonburg.)
3. I’m trying not to obsess too much about SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS, but I can’t help checking the rankings and such a few times a day.
4. Oh. Isn’t obsess a great word?
5. I’m guest posting today on Karen Elliott’s blog here. Check it out.

Country Girls Want Red Shoes, too

Mollie Cox Bryan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:11:34 +0000

As you all know, my know my first book is out. (Yay!) SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS has gotten some great reviews—one from the Library Journal. It also was chosen by Jules, the B & N Mystery expert as one of his favorite mysteries for the Nook. Very cool.
As for me, I’m gearing up to visit the Harrisonburg B & N to sign books on Saturday at 2:00. Last weekend, we held a book launch party at a local independent book store, Stone Soup Books, Waynesboro, Va.
At one point, I decided I wanted to wear red shoes with my new dress for the launch party. I thought the shoes would add just the right pizzazz, with a little intrigue. Good for a mystery author, right?
Thus began my search. The online store where I found my favorites didn’t have my size, so I thought I’d look around here. No luck in my town of Waynesboro—the only red shoes I could find were very high. (I wanted to look good, not kill myself in them!) I sent my husband to a neighboring town’s shoe store. He works in Staunton and could pop over there at lunch time—just to see if they had red heels that he thought I’d like. He called me back later that afternoon. “They don’t have red shoes. The sales clerk said they never have red shoes because Staunton is labeled an agricultural district by the headquarters.”
Um, WHAT?
Who are these people that think because women live in a rural area they wouldn’t wear red shoes? I despise them in the same way I despise people who think all New Yorkers are rude, all Southerners are sweet, or people that think all women should be tall and thin to be considered beautiful, or that smart people aren’t sexy, or well, you get the point.
But really—red shoes? Why red and not pink, or yellow, or purple? What is it about red that has some buyer in New York say “No, I don’t think farm girls will buy red shoes.” What is this 1959? Are we really in the United States of America? Shouldn’t I at least have a choice about this at my local shoe store?
Well, in actuality I do. We all do. The choice is take our business elsewhere. I found my shoes at another on-line store. This is one of the best things about the Internet—it’s evened the score a bit for those of us that don’t live in the big cities and are at the mercy of some man behind the desk in New York City that doesn’t know the first thing about us. We don’t fit into your little mind’s preconceived notions for us. We are smart, we are strong, short, tall, round and thin and yes, country girls and women want red shoes, too.

Five things I thought about during my morning run:

Mollie Cox Bryan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:07:52 +0000

1. I’m not sure I can make it for the complete 30 minutes. I feel terrible.
2. But sometimes if I push myself, I can sweat it out.
3. You’ve just got to hand to these older folks trudging along on the track. I hope I’m still moving when I’m their age.
4. Need to finish my restaurant review.
5. The thing about freelancing is you’ve got to stick to your deadlines and can’t take a sick day. Even. When. You. Need. One.

Parties, Giveaways, and Accolades!

Mollie Cox Bryan — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:14:19 +0000

Today, Jen on the Edge wrote a blog post about SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS is doing a little giveaway. Speaking of giveaways, my publisher, Kensington Books, is giving away an actual scrapbook page designed by me, plus a $25.00 scrapbooking gift card.

Other news:
The mystery expert on B & N has selected SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS as one of the best new e-book mysteries! Woot! I’m so excited about this.

I had a fabulous launch party on Saturday at Stone Soup Books, here in Waynesboro, and my friend Christy Majors took some great pictures. Check them out here. And more on the party later.

You may have noticed that I’m blogging once a week at Killer Hobbies with other mystery authors who have craft themes in their books. Tomorrow evening at 9 p.m., we are having a Valentine’s Day bash and giving away chocolates. We are having the party on Joanna Campbell Slan’s FB author page. The last time she had a party there, it was so much fun. I hope you can join us. I’ll be there!

Five things I thought about during my morning run, PLUS:

Mollie Cox Bryan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:58:55 +0000

1. Interesting, sparkling, bright sun patterns on the track.
2. That woman that keeps passing me is totally ripped.
3. Switching from Alison Kraus to Ricki Lee Jones. I love them both, but sometimes changing the music helps keep my mind off the running.
4. The gym has been packed recently. There was barely any space at last night’s Zumba class.
5. My guest posts and giveaways.

I am blogging as Annie Chamovitz here.
I am blogging as myself here and here. heh.
Of course, I’m blogging at Killer Hobbies, today, as is my usual. Enjoy and enter those contests!

More chances to win a copy of Scrapbook of Secrets!

Mollie Cox Bryan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:35:45 +0000

The theme this week seems to be GIVEAWAY. My publisher has generously donated a few books for the bloggers on my “tour” to offer folks as prizes. I hope you will take advantage of it. Then, of course, please help spread the word if you like the book. Today, I’m also hosting a little Love Poem contest on my Facebook author page. I’ll give away copies of the book and little Valentine’s Card Making kits. Please join me.

Here are the blogs I’m on today. Check out both of these wonderful writers while you’re there.

http://blog.joannross.com/

http://www.monicabhide.com/once-upon-a-story

My “Honey” e-Book Free, This Week ONLY

Mollie Cox Bryan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:15:43 +0000

As a part of my launch for “Scrapbook of Secrets: A Cumberland Creek Mystery,” I’m offering my e-book for free this week only. “Honey, I’m Sorry I Killed Your Aquasaurs (and other short essay on the parenting life) is a compilation of my now-defunct newspaper column. Please download and let me know what you think.

Next Stop Today: Clare O’Donohue’s Blog!

Mollie Cox Bryan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:48:29 +0000

Here’s another chance to win a copy of SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS. Comment on Clare O’Donohue’s blog and you’re entered to win. If you don’t know Clare’s books, check them out when you are on her blog. They are fabulous.

And tonight there will be more giveaways at my Twitter book launch party, 7-8, EST, hashtag #scrapbookofsecrets. Be there or be square!

Five things I thought about during my morning run:

Mollie Cox Bryan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:34:01 +0000

1. Dolly Parton. What a gorgeous voice. I could listen to her all day.
2. My book is officially OUT today! Woot!
3. I’m on TWO blogs today. http://ryderislington.wordpress.com/ and http://www.emilierichards.com/blog/ Check them out!
4. And there are already Amazon reviews up. That’s amazing.
4. Daughter, daughter. She keeps texting me because she forgot her binder. I guess a trip to school is next.