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INTERVIEW: Kay Smith-Blum, Authenticity in Every Line
- Christina Boyd
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
CHRISTINA: One of the highlights of attending writers' conferences is meeting the diverse array of interesting authors at various stages of their careers. I met Kay Smith-Blum at the Chanticleer Writers Conference on the back deck of the Bellingham Yacht Club before the awards banquet. She and I had a great long chat about all the bookish things and didn't even realize we were in the same award category (Somerset for Contemporary and Literary Fiction) until after they announced our names during the awards segment.
When did you first think you had a book to write, and how did you start?
KAY: When I found my birth mother and consequent birth family in the mid-1990s, I discovered she had a wild and wooly story that screamed “movie.” When we sold our business in 2016, that allowed me to be writing full time, and I wrote that story six-ways from Sunday, as we say in Texas – and the manuscript is “still in a drawer.” Someday I’ll get that story right.
CHRISTINA: Well, you know that's what Jane Austen did with Pride & Prejudice. Put First Impressions in a drawer for years until she was ready to revise and publish the masterpiece we now know. And look how that turned out.
What is your current project or latest release?
KAY: I’m rewriting my second manuscript, a Texas story about an iconic female jurist, and it’s proving to be a better story with a new entry point to the tale. I’m feeling like this WIP is going to be something special and also the pressure to hit the high bar that Tangles has in terms of resonating with the reader. Stay tuned!
CHRISTINA: Ooh, that sounds promising!
What do you think makes a good story?
KAY: Authenticity in every line, aka you gotta do the research. Eight months of research, including reviews of classified materials that were released in the late 80s, reading a dozen non-fiction books published on Hanford between 1992 and 2012, and having conversations with over 20 experts in the nuclear and history of science fields, created the basis for the novel. Getting the language and the facts right involved vetting by numerous scientists, historians, nuclear engineers, medical researchers, park rangers, and former Tri-Cities residents that spanned over a year. It was during this period that the storyline emerged and what I consider to be a new style of writing historical fiction, different from the traditional historical fiction books I’d read.
Is there a time period you would like to set a future story?
KAY: My writing focuses on debunking a lot of tropes of the mid-20th century. Women were still quite restricted in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, and I hope to educate (about the 50s in particular) – in a non-teachy way – young women about how recent our freedoms are. Fathers abandoning their first wives – and their children in the process- is still prevalent in our society, but no one created alternative TV shows to the Ozzie and Harriet series until decades later. Offering up stories of the realities of our culture that counter the ‘male breadwinner’ trope, or the ‘happy housewife’ trope, is an important element in my writing, our social history too often ignored in fiction. So many women and children have suffered these narratives, and I wanted to honor their stories.
CHRISTINA: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
KAY: I’ve already been them – a fashionista who traveled the world on the company’s nickel; a mother of sons who are terrific humans; a lifelong public school advocate who served as the President of the Seattle School Board in 2013 (four years as a director); and an advocate for the environment, which thankfully, I can also support through my novels.
CHRISTINA: Favorite contemporary author:
KAY: Emily Henry.
CHRISTINA: Dreamcast your most recent book.
KAY: Glen Powell as Luke, Molly Gordon as Mary, Mark Ruffalo as Harry, Julia Roberts as Helen Hinson, Chris Cooper as Ralph Hinson, Tatanka Means as Walker
CHRISTINA: You had me at Glen Powell.
Do you listen to music while writing?
KAY: Absolutely, can’t write without a soundtrack.
CHRISTINA: Ha! Not me. I need it to be quiet to think. I like playlists, though.
Do you make up Playlists for your books?
KAY: Yes, and the Tangles playlist has gotten a lot of “play” media-wise and event-wise…filled with great songs of the late 40s (think lots of Glen Miller and female jazz vocalists) and early 60s (think Dylan, who syncs so well with Luke, my protagonist’s mindset.)
CHRISTINA: Now that's a playlist! It has all the vibes.
Best advice for new writers.
KAY: Home your craft. Work every day on every word you put to paper. Seek out reactions to your work. Above all, don’t be defensive. Every critique is valuable in crafting a better story. The literary landscape is crowded, and the only way to stand out is a well-written story, and that is not easy to do without honest feedback.
CHRISTINA: Great advice. You are either writing for yourself or for readers, and critiques are crucial for feedback if you are serious about getting your work out there.
If you could tell your 21-year-old self anything, what would you share?
KAY: Start writing earlier in life.
CHRISTINA: Indeed. But did we have enough stories to tell then?
So far, what is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?
KAY: My debut novel Tangles has been a joy ride after years of hard work. I am so fortunate to have garnered numerous accolades, including Book of the Year by the Literary Global Book Awards, Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards 2024, Best Regional Fiction West of 2025 by the Nat'l Indie Excellence Awards, and Best Historical Mystery/Suspense by the American Fiction Awards Book Fest 2025.
CHRISTINA: Wow! That's quite a list of validation. Well done, you.
What are you reading now?
KAY: I’m reading The Accommodation by Jim Schutz, fascinating Dallas history, and Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult, one of hers I realized I had not read.
CHRISTINA: Many thanks for your time for this interview. I hope to meet up with you again, maybe at another conference or even a book signing. Best wishes on the next project.
ABOUT 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 in the 2024 Literary Global Book Awards, Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards for 2024, Best Historical Mystery/Suspense for 2025 by the American Fiction Awards Book Fest, and 2025 Best Regional Fiction/West by the National Indie Excellence Awards. It 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. You can connect with Kay via her website.
Congrats on the awards and recognition your writing has received! (Thanks also to Christina for the interview -- and congrats to you, as well, for your recent awards!)