Beth McHugh grew up in Helena, MT. She moved to Missoula in 2002 to pursue a bachelor's degree in English. She stayed on at UM for another twelve years, earning an M.F.A in Creative Writing (2009), an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction (2015), and teaching writing courses at the Missoula College and Bitterroot College. She lives in Hamilton, MT. The Actor will be released in October with Riverbend Publishing, and is her first novel.