With International Women’s Day having just passed, the timing of rookie magazine publisher Patricia Smuga’s latest venture is timely.

"Freya" is a new magazine is specifically for women of the Kootenay, and written by women of the Kootenay. It is being billed as "a true celebration of womanhood in all of its phases.”

This is a daunting time to be jumping into the media sector, but the mom of three — once a doctor in training, and a professional chess player — is working on the second issue of the new magazine that premiered in southeast BC in December.