Both myself and Kim have been working for some time now on publishing the different things we create. For Kim that means things pertaining to fiber arts like embroidery and knitting as she presents on her blog String-or-Nothing. For me it means that ultimate time-wasting, mind-wearing, confusing, confounding and contrapting of pursuits: Science Fiction and Fantasy. I guess for the public at large that means at least the knitters and embroiderers of the world will have something to celebrate.

Now, blogs and social postings are all very well and good, but what we really want to make are books, and those need to be things onto themselves. We do want to attract a big audience – and maybe even break-even money-wise – and ebook platforms are a way to reach far more people than our blogs ever could. Enter, Wild Puma Media, our alter-ego in the world of publishing. We’re pretty close to our first offerings, both of which will be freebies. First will be The Temple of Beauty (and other stories) a somewhat eclectic collection of my SF and Fantasy.  Soon after we’ll release Ensamplario Atlantio, Kim’s compilation of historical patterns. Along the way Kim and myself will post commentary here about the process and experience of turning this stuff out.

So watch this space in the coming weeks for the first Wild Puma productions.  Meanwhile I’ll leave you with a short scene from The Temple of Beauty, as our heroes Pomfret and Jaerlic start out on their quest:

The march northwards from Bäsīnùõr had been mostly uneventful. On the second day they encountered a wandering peddler, who was accompanied by a dog of medium size. The peddler had no goods of interest, but as he stopped and shared a midday meal with Pomfret and Jaerlic – Pomfret tossing the dog a few scraps – he was able to allay their fears about bandits.

“The season is perfect for travelling,” he explained. “For the En’rany bandits, it is too hot; they withdraw to their lairs in cool caves, there to be fanned by slave-women of various sorts.”

“A civilized form of banditry,” Pomfret remarked.

“Then you see,” the peddler added, “for the Holoran bandits it is too cold. They retire to the high plateau, where the sun is unimpeded. Their own slaves are made to knit warming garments of coarse wool. For this reason, women of the region tend to travel in the colder months, that they may be enslaved by the En’rany, fanning being adjudged a less tedious fate than knitting.”

I promise, after this, I’ll leave the knitting commentary to Kim.

 

Fernando Salazar, May 17 2016
© 2016 Fernando Salazar