KAY SMITH-BLUM
The Author Redefining Historical Fiction
MEET THE AUTHOR
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 by the Literary Global Book Awards, Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards, Best Historical Mystery/Suspense by the American Fiction Awards 2025 Book Fest, and Best Regional Fiction/West in 2025 by the National Indie Excellence Awards.. TANGLES was also awarded the bronze medal in the Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Adult Book 2024. 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.
Photo credit Marc Von Borstel
Unique Perspective
My perspective is shaped by decades of community involvement, as both a business woman and public official, my love of history and, of course, books books books.
Inspiration
I’m endlessly drawn to nature’s underlying themes.
My shelves are full of historical fiction and literary mysteries. I continually explore the depths of language, new ways of communicating old themes for a modern world.
Off the page
When I’m not writing or editing, you’ll find me in a garden, in a lap pool or with a treasured grandchild on a neighborhood “adventure.”
What I’m Exploring Now
The strong women of the mid-20th century inspire me, and I constantly ask: how did these glass-ceiling breakers find the courage to take on the oppressive societal and legal dictates of the time?
