Kristina was born in Ohio in the middle of the worst fashion decade of the modern era. (You guessed it: the seventies.) Until the space shuttle Challenger perished, she hitched her wagon to the stars, hoping to be an astronaut.

Soon after, she landed on her other love, writing. She’s been doing it since, covering everything from education to women’s issues to 9/11. Her first book—When Postpartum Packs a Punch—delves into the issue of new parents’ mental health. 

She earned graduate and undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University, in journalism and speech. A former full-time journalist based in D.C., she used to chase stories on Capitol Hill and across the country. Now a married mom and freelancer in Chicagoland, she chases stories with more forgiving deadlines—along with her kids, cats, and English cream retriever. Catch up with her at her website, kristinacowan.com, or through her Instagram feed, @authorkristinacowan.