Meet Dawn Burns | Children’s Book Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dawn Burns and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dawn, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I love reading my books and sharing about the writing process to students at local schools. I hope that I can encourage them in their writing and illustrating journeys! They all have a unique story to tell and I want to help plant the seed at an early age!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up wanting to be a teacher. As the oldest child in my family, I was constantly playing “school” with my siblings and cousins. With this, I also always loved children’s books and began collecting them at an early age.
After graduation, I worked in the nonprofit for a few years before jumping into the education world. I then taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades as well as Math and Reading Intervention.
Once I had children, our family moved to Nashville, TN. Here, I decided to stretch my creative skills a bit and took over a local website focused on kid-friendly activities, events and more in Nashville.
After a few years of sharing about my favorite places in Nashville, I decided to combine my love of the city and children’s books into one! The dream of writing a children’s book was planted and the rest is history!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Charleston is the best place to visit and it’s no surprise that it tops the “best of” lists every year! Charleston’s charm expands to history, culture, shopping, the food scenes, beach and so much more! Here are a few of my favorite recommendations in the Lowcountry.

Start the day with a specialty coffee at Mercato and then stroll along the historic homes along the Battery. You can then meander to the shops along King Street. A few that always draw me in are Etu Home, Hillhouse, Preservation Shop, Lake Pajamas, Jcrew (I worked here after college). If you need to rest for a bit, enjoy the gorgeous Charleston Place.

After a morning in downtown, I would drive across the bridge for the Post House in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant for lunch. This quaint spot will make you feel like you’ve transported in The Notebook movie set. After lunch, walk down to the Pitt Street Bridge for the most scenic views of Charleston. You’ve earned a treat for all of your walking, so don’t miss the old fashioned milkshakes at Pitt Street Pharmacy!

And to end the day, a beach walk is a must! Stroll along the shores of Sullivan’s Island. Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan’s Seafood and Bar or Poe’s are all fabulous dinner choices.

Charleston is magical at every turn! No matter what you do, you will find the beauty!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have had the amazing opportunity to be a part of a few uplighting networking groups over the years. The Southern Coterie has been the best network of women entrepreneurs for me over the years. This group spans across the US in a variety of business ventures and are very supportive of one another. Another mentor, Lydia Menzies and her “Supper Club” are always so encouraging, creative and willing to help each other out! Very thankful for these groups and how they’ve been in my corner!

Website: https://the-nashville-mom.myshopify.com/

Instagram: @southofsullivans

Image Credits
Kim Graham Photo
Lele Fain Photo