Welcome! Since this is the inaugural issue of my newsletter, I’ll tell you a little about me and why I chose to do a newsletter. First, I’m a full-time, stay-at-home writer, working mostly on novels, but with a healthy hobby of writing short stories. I have a wonderful husband, Tim, and a dog and a cat – Bee and Oscar respectively. I’ve been writing for my whole life, but it wasn’t until two years ago that I left a paying job to pursue my dream of being an author. Check out more of my story here!

In the research and work I’ve put into making a real go of this dream, I’ve learned a lot. I mean A LOT. One of the most common pieces of advice that is out there is to gather a following and stay on people’s radar. Hence, this newsletter. And Facebook. And Twitter. And that’s before you have anything published, or even in the works.

I knew this newsletter would be the most enjoyable way for me to keep in contact with all of you. But I didn’t want it to just be me telling you all the ways everything is going right in my life. Because it’s not. Nor did I want it to be a confessional wherein I describe all the ways things are going wrong in my life. Because things aren’t going wrong either. But I do want this newsletter to be an honest reflection of the pursuit of my goals. Sometimes thing will be great, sometimes they’ll be challenging. And I want you to be a part of it all.

So, without further ado, here’s what’s going on.

My latest short story, Serving Size, has been entered in the Round 1 of NYC Midnight’s Short Story Competition. I won’t hear results or feedback on that until late March or early April, so stay tuned to find out if I make it to the next round. You can read it and leave feedback here.

I have started work on a new novel, a paranormal thriller titled The Prison Library. My goal is to have the first draft completed by May 1, 2019. There, I’ve said it. Check in with me on Twitter @KristineDonahu7 to hold me to it!

I’ve also started doing book reviews! They are posted in two places online: first, at my website, under the now revamped blog Kristine’s BRF (Book Review Forum! Get it?). Second, I have reviews posted over at Online Book Club (check out my OBC reviews here!). The more you check it out at OBC the higher my reviewer score!

If you have a book you’d like to me read and review, please feel free to reach out on Twitter or Facebook, or contact me via my website! I'd love to hear from you!

This month’s peer highlight is someone who I’ve known for a very long time, and someone who continues to inspire me. In my peer circle, I consider her the original dream chaser, having accomplished a dream she’s had since childhood. I’m so happy to introduce Kristin Vilardi, owner of D.A.N.C.E. by Kristin dance studio in Collinsville, Connecticut.

Known to her students and their parents as Miss Kristin, Kristin opened D.A.N.C.E. by Kristin in 2010 and ran it as a side business while still working full-time as a nutritionist for W.I.C. Five years later, she had grown her studio to over 100 students and was able to leave her full-time position and teach dance as her main profession.

With students ranging from three years old to adulthood, Kristin offers a wide variety of classes for all experience levels and all levels of interest, from hobbyists looking for a different way to get in some exercise to serious dancers looking to compete. In fact, students have routinely brought home top prizes from local and state competitions.

A life-long dancer herself, Kristin started at age four and danced her way through college, competing on the University of Connecticut Tap Team, which brought in awards at regional competitions and routinely collaborated with other campus dance groups. Upon graduation, she took her position at WIC, never losing sight of the dream she had her whole life.

In 2018, Kristin won the Choreography Award from TCDC Bridgeport in Connecticut. Her studio was also voted HulaFrogs Most Loved Dance Studio, 2018 and was awarded Best Dance School, 2018 by The Valley PRESS.

For more about D.A.N.C.E. by Kristin please go to www.dancebykristin.com.

Know someone you'd like featured in the Peer Highlight? Send me a recommendation by clicking here!

Today’s good news story comes from the New York tri-state area. A woman named Sarah Porter has joined the animal rescue effort in a most unique way: she rescues hermit crabs. In a story written by Danielle Barker and reported by USA Today on January 7, 2019, what started as a one-time reply to a Craigslist ad has turned into a 55-gallon rescue effort traversing three statets, proving that it’s not just dogs and cats that need rescuing. For the full story click here.

If you have a good news story you’d like me to feature, I’d love to hear about it! Click here to send me a story!