‘It Might As Well Be Me’

Holly Kays lives and works in the Great Smoky Mountains region of Western North Carolina and holds a degree in creative writing from Virginia Tech, currently serving as lead writer for Smokies Life, a conservation nonprofit and boutique publisher. Previously, she spent over a decade in newspaper journalism. In addition to publishing award-winning news stories, features, and columns in multiple local and regional outlets, she is the author of two books: "Trailblazers & Traditionalists: Modern-Day Smoky Mountain People," a compilation of stories profiling the diverse people who call these mountains home, and a novel, "Shadows of Flowers."