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Sunset photo by Kay Smith-Blum Historical Fiction and evnviornmental thriller Author

KAY SMITH-BLUM

The Author Redefining Historical Fiction

Writing is a conversation. Join me

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See the full trade reviews at In the News

Available at your favorite bookstores via bookshop.org

and at

Amazon     Barnes and Noble   Black Rose Writing

Please support HOANW at hanfordcleanup.org

A Suspense-Filled
Cold War 
Historical
Environmental Thriller

A quietly fierce secretary, a brash young scientist,

a small town cloaked in secrecy...and

an entire region under threat.

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Books

Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling author of

The Tracy Crosswhite Series

“In a well-crafted debut,
Smith-Blum provides the reader a ringside seat to the
birth of the nuclear age…a beautifully written, important story…much like A Civil Action - Tangles packs a punch and hits close to home.”

James Anderson,

Award-winning author of

The Never-Open Desert Diner

"At once labyrinthine and simply and deeply human…in stunning and engrossing multiple narratives, Smith-Blum reminds us about the lasting costs of love, loyalty and freedom and, above all, the enduring solace of nature and family.” 

Kevin O'Brien, New York Times Bestselling author of 

The Enemy at Home

"In her knockout debut novel, Kay Smith-Blum sheds new light on Hanford…skillfully blending historical details and nail-biting suspense, she delivers two complex protagonists you can really root for…”

Cam Torrens,

Award-winning author of

The Tyler Zahn novel

"Kay Smith-Blum’s voice radiates, with Annie Proulx-like dialogue and descriptive prose reminiscent of Guterson, KSB explores America’s Northwest at the dawn of the nuclear age!
A genre-defying novel that is impossible to set aside."

Joshua Frank, Award-winning journalist and author of

Atomic Days

"Tangles is a brilliant, captivating ride through a very dark period in America's nuclear history. Although  fiction, Smith-Blum reveals many truths about our radioactive legacy."

Michelle Gerber, PhD, author of On the Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site

"Tangles is a fascinating read…set against the backdrop of an important time and little-known place in American history, Smith-Blum keeps the reader guessing.
I couldn’t put it down.” 

Steve Olson, Award-winning author of

The Apocalypse Factory

"Smith-Blum has gorgeously re-created an obscure time and place that were critical to the future of the planet. Her story speaks to us all."

Morris Hoffman, author of 

         Pinch Hitting         

"...a triumphant artistic reconstruction of the radiation horrors at the Hanford, Washington plutonium processing facility...an ode to the irrepressibility of caring in the face of uncaring dangers. Tangles is 
first-rate literature." 

Joseph Lewis, Author of 

Blaze In, Blaze Out,
Fan Mail

other Evans Family tales

"A master storyteller, Kay Smith-Blum

is now 

on my "go to" list 

of authors to read...

she should be

for you, too! 

Gut-wrenching and heart-warming... characters as memorable as the setting...Tangles is 

  a 5-Star, Must Read!" 

Chris Riley, Author of 

Went Missing

"Smith-Blum delivers

a powerful novel

about a time

in history we should

never forget. A story of

hope and loss, regret,

and love... keep the tissues handy,

as it comes with

an ending that will

shed the tears." 

Gary Gerlacher,

Author of the

AJ Docker Thriller series 

"Themes of love, betrayal, and deception resonate throughout the story as...Luke and Mary personalize the Hanford disaster for the audience in the same way that Rose and Jack personalized the Titanic tragedy. A smart story you won’t want to put down."

Carole T. Beers, Author    of Fire Girl and other       New West Mysteries       with heart        

"Kay Smith-Blum offers up a trenchant tale of hope, fear and longing that penetrates the heart. ...intensely personal, occasionally light,
sometimes hurtful and yet readers cannot turn away.
Smith-Blum
makes us care.

MEET THE AUTHOR 

Redefining Historical Fiction 

Kay Smith-Blum Author Historical Fiction and Enviornmental Thriller and humorous essayist
Photo credit Marc Von Borstel

An Austin, Texas transplant, Kay Smith-Blum is a recovering retailer who is redefining the historical fiction genre from her bayside perch in Seattle. Named Woman Business Owner (NWWA) of 2013, her wit, humor, and resourcefulness helped her high-end retail fashion business endure multiple economic shifts in a decades-long career. She and her husband sold their company in 2016, allowing KSB to write full-time.

Winner of the 2023 Black Fox Lit short story contest, Smith-Blum is a member of the WFWA (serving on the Scholarship committee), the HistFic Affinity Group, a member of the Feisty Deeds Anthology editorial committee (see Short Works for more on Feisty Deeds), Ravenna Writers Circle, CommuterLit Writers Group, the Authors Guild, PNWA, NIWA and AWP. She has been published in over a dozen literary journals and her debut novel, TANGLES, will be published on December 3, 2024 (available for pre-order now; all preorders benefit the Heart of America NW/HanfordCleanup.org)

As a publicly elected official (President of the Seattle School Board 2012) KSB led multiple initiatives on behalf of the students of Seattle. As a private citizen, Smith-Blum raised millions of dollars for education, the arts, and medical research. She established the first greenhouse and urban gardening program in Seattle Public Schools. She has served on numerous charitable boards in the Pacific Northwest. 

​A graduate of the University of Texas, Smith-Blum chaired Downtown Seattle’s first marketing campaign and published a seasonal magazine for 10 years. She co-authored the “Every Man, Every Woman” inspirational series of cards and posters, published by Schurman Fine Papers, Portal Publications, and Sawdust City. Smith-Blum is a dynamic speaker and experienced producer of large and small events that leverage both traditional and social media. An active member of the downtown Seattle community, she is currently advocating for a park in the last green space in the urban core, made available by the demolition of the Highway 99 viaduct. An avid gardener, Smith-Blum works out her writer's block in her three sons' gardens and the nearest lap pool.

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CONTACT

Media or event inquiries, please contact:

Catherine Kennedy cat@ckpublicity.com

Book club inquiries, contact KSB: kaysmithblum@gmail.com

Library speaking inquiries contact KSB: kaysmithblum@gmail.com

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