Secrets, Fallout, and Fiction: Kay Smith-Blum on Writing Truth into Historical Lies

Uncorking a Story

“Nobody writes alone—and if they do, I don’t think they write well.”

In this riveting episode of Uncorking a Story, debut novelist and former fashion exec Kay Smith-Blum shares how a haunting dream, buried Cold War secrets, and a real-life radioactive whale led to her award-winning novel Tangles. We dig into her writing process, the staggering truth behind the Hanford nuclear site, and the twists in her own personal history—including finding her birth family and saving a sibling’s life. This is historical fiction reimagined—and a life story that reads like a novel.

Key Themes:

1. From Fashion to Fiction: Kay’s journey from Neiman Marcus exec to award-winning novelist proves it’s never too late to rewrite your story.
2. Uncovering Hanford’s Dirty Secrets: Tangles is based on chilling real events—radioactive whales, poisoned salmon, and decades of government cover-ups.
3. The Dream That Sparked a Novel: A single, surreal image—red hair floating in water—launched the story that would become Tangles.
4. A Family Found, and Saved: Kay’s discovery of her birth family led to a stunning twist—she was the perfect stem cell match for the brother her birth parents kept.
5. Redefining Historical Fiction: With a dual timeline and environmental thriller elements, Tangles challenges what the genre can be.
6. Persistence Pays Off: It wasn’t her first manuscript—or her second—that broke through. But when she found the right story, publishers noticed.
7. Writers Need a Village: Kay credits writing groups, critique partners, and deep craft study as the backbone of her success.

Buy Tangles

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jCejau

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781685135065

Connect with Kay

Website: https://www.kaysmith-blum.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.smithblum

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discerningksb/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-smith-blum-3877273/

X: https://x.com/kaysmithblum

Connect with Mike

Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/

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