The Southern Breeze Gallery Show!

Memorial Day weekend starts with a colorful splash as the Decatur Arts Festival opens Friday evening, May 24th. For many artists and illustrators in Southern Breeze, it's an opening for them, too, as the Southern Breeze Annual Gallery Show kicks off!

Featured artists include Laura Freeman, Bill Mayer, Tom Gonzalez, Shanda McCloskey, Ebony Glenn, Art Roche, Amy-Schimler-Safford, and Jill Dubin. Come out and join us for art talk and children's books at the reception, starting at 7 PM Friday, May 24th!

P.S. The Gallery show lasts all month long, so if you're in Decatur in June, come by the Decatur library and see what illustrators are up to in the Southern Breeze neighborhood!

Contact Southern Breeze Illustrator Coordinator TeMika Grooms for more information.

Non-Fiction Rocks! With Jennifer Swanson

What's all the excitement about non-fiction? It's getting published every day! And one of Southern Breeze's rock star authors getting published every day is Jennifer Swanson. She's coming to Savannah, Georgia for a whole-day workshop to help you get your non-fiction ready to send out in the world. On Saturday, July 13th, join Breezers at this jam-packed workshop:

In this hands-on workshop, writers will learn how to come up with intriguing nonfiction topics, dive into research, and get tips on where to find agents and editors. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of how to craft a well-written, fascinating biography, history, or science book for readers from ages 6 to 60. There will be a special session on photo permissions and how to work with experts. Bring works-in-progress, finished manuscripts or proposals– from picture books to YA–or just ideas for this very interactive boot camp.

Morning Session: STEAMing into Nonfiction

LUNCH

Afternoon Sessions: Nuts and Bolts of Writing Proposals

                                 Photo Research

                                 Working with Experts

And here's the 4-1-1 on Jennifer Swanson:

She is the award-winning author of over 35 nonfiction books for children.  Jennifer’s passion for science resonates in all her books but especially, her Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact which received a Florid Book Award, a Eureka California Reading Association Gold Award and an NSTA BEST STEM book award.  She has presented at multiple SCBWI conferences, National NSTA conferences, the Highlights Foundation, the World Science Festival and the Atlanta Science Festival. 

Want to rock along with Jennifer Swanson? Sign up for Non-Fiction Rocks at the Southern Breeze website. Registration is open now!

SHOW-MO Time!

If you've read the Breezers in Your Neighborhood post for May, then you already know the Show-Mo's are coming!

Yep, the Southern Breeze Writing Contest is right aroun--what? You don't know what a Show-Mo is? Goodness! Here's Southern Breeze Critique Coordinator, T.K. Read, with all the details:

So… June 2017 was our first SHOW-MO! You came, you showed, you read; we came, we read and we responded, and… it was such a great success, in 2018, we expanded it to include the month of May! 

This year we’re back and we’re hoping to reach more of our members and other writers. We want you to show us your best work – your first ten pages of your manuscript - and use feedback from other writers to let you submit your polished-up, dazzling, publish-ready work for Southern Breeze’s writing contest (submission deadline June 30th, 2019). Submission to the contest is free for Southern Breeze members and you can read more details at the Southern Breeze Writing Contest on our website.

So, you say, TK, that sounds a little ambitious. My response: Consider this my personal challenge to you to pick one Show-Mo from our line-up and go, just go. Find out for yourself why 55 of us attended in 2017 and even more in 2018. 

You have no excuses. Show-Mo's are a free, no-strings-attached way to get fresh eyes to give you honest feedback on your pages. We, the serious, professional writers of Southern Breeze, know that such feedback is crucial to insuring we submit our best work. So, I challenge you to take three to four hours of your time during May or June and improve your writing while helping others improve theirs.

Here are some participants’ feedback from past SHOW-MOs: 

 "Was great!" "Very helpful." “WONDERFUL SCBWI SHOW-MO today at Starbucks! Productive critique group! Loved the diversity!” And, my favorite: "Can we do this again?" 

See your pages real soon! Best, TK.


Thanks, TK! And later this month, we'll be announcing the judges for our Southern Breeze Writing Contest, so come back to the Southern Breeze blog to get more info. And more Show-Mo's are added all the time so be sure to check if one's coming to your neighborhood!

Breezers In Your Neighborhood: MAY!

Start polishing those manuscripts, Breezers, the SCBWI Southern Breeze Writing Contest is coming! And that means we'll see those Show-Mo events popping up all over the region. So come back often and check if Breezers have added a Show-Mo in your neighborhood.

Meanwhile, we have Breezers who have all-polished-up books and awesome art:


Sunday, May 5

Come out and lasso Sheri Dillard's debut picture book, Cowhide and Seek! Join in the fun and games with the farmer and Bessie the cow!

Where: Little Shop of Stories
             133A East Court Square
             Decatur, GA

When:   2 PM

Sheri will be launching her book as well as reading Cowhide and Seek for the Sunday Storytime program. As always, this event is free and fun for kids big and little!



Friday, May 17

It's Show-Mo Time so let the writing (and revisions!) begin!

Claire Datnow will be hosting the first Show-Mo event, from 7:30 - 9:30 PM.  If you're in the Birmingham area and interested in participating, please RSVP to emmafox16@gmail.com.


Saturday, May 18

Candice Conner is hosting a Show-Mo at the Haunted Book Shop, 109 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL. It's from 10-12 and that's probably AM not PM. But wouldn't it be cool if you were writing at midnight in The Haunted Book Shop? Contact: cmconner10@gmail.com


Wednesday, May 22

Tresha Render will host a Show-Mo in the Montgomery area (Prattville) from 6- 8 PM at the EL Lowder Branch Library at 2590 Bell Road, Montgomery, AL. Contact: tresharender@gmail.com


Thursday, May 23


Join Breezer Sonja R. Scott, author of Ikio Learns to Fish, for Books and Blankets!

Friday, May 24

Join us in Decatur, GA for this annual event co-sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. The illustrations on display will be accompanied by a copy of the book or publication in which the art appears. It's free and fun, come join us!


Saturday, May 25

Melissa Miles will sponsor a Show-Mo in the Savannah area from 11 - 2 PM at the Southwest Children's Library, Savannah, GA. Contact: melissajmiles1@gmail.com


Wednesday, May 29

Suzanne Purvis is hosting a Show-Mo in NW Florida from 9 AM to 5 PM at 803 Turnberry Way, Niceville, Florida. That's a lot of writing (but there will be lunch)!
Contact: spurvis500@embarqmail.com