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Kay Smith-Blum Author Talk

Kay Smith-Blum presents her writers journey and a dream-inspired path to her award- winning debut novel, TANGLES. Centered on the Cold War years, the tale crosses multiple genres.

Kay Smith-Blum, a former fashionista, chaired Seattle’s first marketing campaign as a downtown business owner. She served as Seattle School Board President, a publicly elected position, between 2009 and 2013. An avid gardener, Smith-Blum founded Environmental Endeavors, the first greenhouse program in Seattle Public Elementary Schools. A fan of mid-20th-century history, Smith-Blum has penned two other manuscripts set in Texas, but the recent upheaval over leaking waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear site compelled Smith-Blum, to write the little-known story in a way that would educate and entertain readers.

A meticulous researcher, she is redefining historical fiction with her debut novel, TANGLES, named Book of the Year in the 2024 Literary Global Book Awards, Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards for 2024, and Best Cross-Genre novel of 2024 by the Independent Press Awards. It was also awarded the bronze medal in the Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Adult Book 2024 and the Steinbeck Literary category at the Historical Fiction Company. Smith-Blum’s published short works may be found in multiple literary journals. A companion short story to TANGLES is included in the 2024 award-winning anthology, Feisty Deeds which Smith-Blum co-edited. Named the Western WA Woman Business Owner of 2013, Smith-Blum has lived in Washington State for four decades. A sunrise writer, she works out her writer’s block in her sons’ gardens and the nearest lap pool. For more info see https://www.kaysmith-blum.com