Despite brief out-of-state interludes for college, grad school, and a stint as a ski bum, Hilary Nangle has never been able to resist the lure of her home state. She grew up on Maine’s coast, spending much of each winter skiing in the western mountains. Her sense of wanderlust was ignited when she became a whitewater-rafting guide on the Kennebec River, which gave her a chance to explore the central and northern regions of the state. When she tired of her parents asking when she was going to get a real job, she drew on her writing skills and began seeking out editorial work. She started out editing pro ski tour publications, and then became a managing editor for a food trade publication and a features editor for a daily newspaper. She currently works as a freelance writer and editor.

Hilary never tires of exploring Maine, always seeking out the offbeat and quirky, and rarely resisting the invitation of a backroad. To her husband’s dismay, she inherited her grandmother’s shopping gene and can’t pass a used-book store, artisans’ gallery, or antiques shop without browsing. She’s equally curious about food and has never met a lobster she didn’t like. Hilary still divides her year between the coast and the mountains, residing with her husband, photographer Tom Nangle, and two oversized dogs, all of whom share her passions for long walks and Maine-made ice cream.