Meet Dawn Burns, Local Charleston Children's Author

Meet Dawn Burns, a local children’s book author and mother to two! With a love of the Lowcountry lifestyle, Dawn wanted to create books that serve almost as a bucket list, giving families ideas of places to spend time around the city – whether you are in Charleston, or in Nashville, TN! She has always loved children’s books and sharing with friends about her favorite places – so she decided to combine her two passions in book form! You can check out her books here – or swing by her Ice Cream Social and Book Signing, tomorrow, April 16th at The Dolly Llama from 5:30pm – 7pm! Read more about Dawn and her life as an author and mother below!

Where are you originally from and how long have you been in Charleston, SC?

I’m originally from Greenville, SC. I lived in Charleston for a bit after college and recently moved back to the area after spending nine years in Nashville, TN.

Tell us about your family

I’m married to Seth, and I have two children (Owen 14 and Lily Caroline 11). We also have two pups (Beau and Gus) who rule the roost!

One thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I spent a day in a radio interview with Garth Brooks!

What’s your favorite thing about raising a family in Charleston?

We love the Lowcountry lifestyle of spending days on or near the water, eating fresh seafood and spending more time outside.

Tell us about your business as a children’s author and when and why you decided to start writing.

I’ve always loved children’s books and sharing with friends about my favorite places – so I decided to combine my two passions in book form!

You are a published children’s author of two books; ‘This is Charleston‘ and “This is Nashville‘, plus two incredible coloring guide books! What inspired you to write these books?

My family and I love exploring, especially southern cities! Charleston, Nashville and Fairhope are among my favorites so I wanted to share these magical places with others!

What do you think makes Charleston such an inspiring city to write about for children?

Charleston is such a fun city to get out and explore! My books serves almost as a bucket list, giving families ideas of places to spend time around the city.

What are your top 3 favorite places in Charleston to explore with your family?

Strolling the Old Village with a stop in Pitt Street Pharmacy for a float or bottled Coke is something we’ve been doing for years and never gets old! We love attending sports games and had the best time at College of Charleston basketball games this season. Magnolia Plantation is another place where we enjoy walking our dogs and spending the day wandering under the live oaks.

You are also ‘The Nashville Mom’! Tell us more about how that came about and what it’s like sharing life in The Music City!

When the previous owner of The Nashville Mom website decided to start a new business, I came on board seven years ago and the rest is history! I jumped in head first with sharing all the kid-friendly things to do in Nashville! Music City, like Charleston has a rich history and culture. It’s become such a booming town with so much to do, a vibrant food scene and I’ve basically become a travel agent for Nashville sharing all the best places to go and what to see!

Tell us more about your work/life balance within motherhood.

I think the motherhood work/life balance is always a juggle! I’ve learned over the years to really value our family time and that I just can’t do it all! As my kids are getting older, I now know more than ever, how fast time flies and I want to soak in these days with my children at home!

Who has most influenced you to be the mom that you are today?

I’ve had a few influential women in my life – My mom who battled breast cancer a few years ago and is thriving after going through such a battle! My grandmother, who in her 80s, still works at our family’s diner and is the hardest working person I know! I was also lucky enough to have two adoptive grandmothers – Polly and Millie who were the best of friends to me over the years. I miss them every day and often am reminded of a thoughtful gesture that gave or sweet words they’d say! More than anything, they just always made me feel so special.

What advice would you share with a new mom or other moms?

I heard somewhere that if you’re having a tough day with your kids, to envision that you’ve time traveled back to this day/time with your child…That’s given me a different perspective because my kids have grown at record speed and I would love to go back and snuggle their little tiny baby hands one more time. I try to soak in each season with them and to be their biggest fans!