top of page
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

Cover 4 with Background (4).png
Tangles+AWA+LGBA+RC Badges-2.jpeg

"Tangles doesn't feel like the historical fiction I've been reading lately...it feels like so much more."  
                               
-The San Francisco Book Review

Signed copies available at

Queen Anne Book Company,

Griffin Bay Bookstore & Cafe, and Harbor Books

 TANGLES may be purchased at your local bookstore via

bookshop.org​         or

Amazon     Barnes and Noble   Black Rose Writing


A Cold War 
Love Story
Wrapped Inside
an
Environmental Thriller

A quietly fierce secretary, a brash young scientist,

a small town cloaked in secrecy...and

an entire region under threat.

"Original, exceptional, emotionally engaging, and raised by its author to an impressive level of literary excellence, TANGLES is
unreservedly recommended."
-- The Midwest Book Review

All pre-orders supported

Heart of America NW

For more info see

 hanfordcleanup.org

Books

"A beautifully written, important story, Tangles packs a punch and hits close to home." -Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling author of The Tracy Crosswhite Series

"At once labyrinthine and simply and deeply human...in stunning narratives, Smith-Blum reminds us of the lasting costs of freedom and the solace of nature and family."
                  -James Anderson, Award-winning author of The Never-Open Desert Diner
"In her knockout debut, Kay Smith-blum skillfully blends historical details with nail-biting suspense." - Kevin O'Brien, New York Times Bestselling author of The Enemy at Home
"A brilliant, captivating ride that reveals much about our radioactive legacy."
                        -Joshua Frank, Award-winning journalist and author of Atomic Days
"Smith-Blum's voice radiates...with descriptive prose reminiscent of Guterson. Impossible to set aside." -Cam Torrens, Award-winning author of The Tyler Zahn Novels
"Gorgeously recreated, Smith-Blum's story speaks to us all."
     -Steve Olson, Award-winning author of The Apocalypse Factory
"A master storyteller. Characters as memorable as the setting...Smith-Blum is on my go-to author list."
                -Joseph Lewis, Author of The Evans Family Tales
 "A trenchant tale of hope and longing...               Readers cannot turn away."
-Carole T. Beers, author of New West Mysteries with Heart
"I couldn't put it down..." -Michelle Gerber, PhD, author of
On the Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site
"A triumphant artistic reconstruction...and an ode to the irrepressibility of caring in the face of uncaring dangers. Tangles is first-rate literature."
                          -
Morris Hoffman, author of Pinch Hitting
"A smart story you won't want to put down."    -Gary Gerlacher, Award-winning author of the                                  AJ Docker Thriller series
"Keep the tissues handy. Tangles comes with an ending that will shed tears."
                                     -Chris Riley, Author of Went Missing

KSB LIVE WITH CULTURE CLUB HTX

Screen Shot 2025-01-24 at 12.45.23 PM.png
 SAVE THE DATE
TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH
5:30PM

for
NUCLEAR REVELATIONS
with
CULTURECLUBHTX
at

SHESPACE HOUSTON
 
Shespace logo J.jpg
Be a part of it all
blue-willow-logo.png
Copies of TANGLES
 will be available for purchase courtesy of Blue Willow Bookshop
KSB gets on the down-low about
the birth of the nuclear age
with  
HOUSTON'S HOTTEST TASTEMAKERS,
Leisa Holland-Nelson and
Shavonnah R. Schreiber

The secrets, the coverups,
the true events...that inspired
Smith-Blum's debut novel,
TANGLES,
a genre-defying must-read
00021510.jpg
Kay Smith-Blum Author Historical Fiction and Enviornmental Thriller and humorous essayist

MEET THE AUTHOR 

Redefining Historical Fiction 

Kay Smith-Blum, a former fashionista and Seattle School Board President, spends her days debunking the tropes of the mid-20th-century history. An odd dream and the recent upheaval over leaking radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear site compelled her to write, TANGLES, named 2024 Book of the Year by the Literary Global Book Awards and Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards 2024. Smith-Blum, a sunrise writer, has lived in Seattle for four decades. She works out her writer’s block in her sons’ gardens (which she designed) and the nearest lap pool.  (For full Bio, see CV)

Photo credit Marc Von Borstel

Follow on Instagram

CONTACT

Media or event inquiries, please contact:

Erin Kelly Blum  erin [dot] blum [at] gpcommsconsulting.com

Book club inquiries, contact KSB: kaysmithblum[at]gmail[dot]com

Library inquiries contact Erin Kelly Blum:erin [dot] blum [at] gpcommsconsulting.com

Sign Up for News, Events & Much More!

Thanks for submitting!

Follow KSB:

  • Instagram
  • Black Facebook Icon
  • Black Twitter Icon
  • Black LinkedIn Icon
  • TikTok
Contact
© 2024-2025 The author retains the rights to all publications on this site.
bottom of page