It had never occurred to her to write about lost pirate treasure, curses and the supernatural. Now, she loves it.

“She” is Bangor native Patricia Hughes, and the book that started it all, “Lost Loot: New England Ghostly Treasure Tales” will be featured at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library's April 11 Literary Luncheon at the Boothbay Harbor Town Office.

Hughes has always been interested in history, and cultures and travel. When she became the New England correspondent for the Oklahoma publication, Lost Treasure Magazine, over 20 years ago, those interests would become intertwined with her livelihood. Her assignment: research and write about lost pirate treasure in New England.

Hughes combined new and traditional methods of collecting research. Some could be done online, particularly primary documents, but the rest took place in dark, dusty archival rooms in libraries, while wearing white gloves. And Hughes was OK with that. For her, the treasure was in the details.

She verifies information in a few different ways: through the logs of the French, English and Spanish ships following the pirates (because they wanted the loot, too) and in existing records in the towns or sites involved.

“A log might say, 'Spotted Blackbeard near Pond Island,'” Hughes said. “Then, when you visit Pond Island, you find there is a story about Blackbeard's buried treasure.”

Although she maintains her books are not about ghost stories, she discovered there is a connection between the stories and the supernatural.

“Either the treasure is cursed or some supernatural thing is going on; the location is haunted or there's a ghost is guarding it,” Hughes said in a March 28 phone interview. “There are some theories about why that is. One of them is that the pirates didn't want their treasure found, so it was told a spirit or ghost was watching over the loot. And coming from Puritan stock, back when these things happened in the 1500s and 1600s, people were terrified of the supernatural.”

Hughes included the supernatural lore because “there's always an element of truth in the myth,” and while some people may still be terrified of the what goes bump in the night, they are inexplicably drawn to it.

“I give the different scenarios to the reader. These pirates did roam these waters,” Hughes said, noting treasure has been found.

In 1984, underwater archeological explorer Barry Clifford found the Whydah, a galley ship of the pirate known as “Black Sam” Bellamy, off Cape Cod. The Whydah was a slave ship captured by Bellamy in 1717, sunk by a storm that same year. As of 2013, Clifford had documented 200,000 plus artifacts including gold and guns.

Discoveries such as Clifford's, along with others, makes it all plausible. So, too, does the lay of the land in New England, particularly Maine.

“They hid loot up here because this area wasn't over-populated,” Hughes said. “And there are so many inlets, islands and coves to hide treasure in. They always intended to go back, but from what we all know of the pirate's life, it often didn't end well and few were able to return for the treasure.”

The first book contains stories from Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire; the second, “More Lost Loot, Ghostly New England Treasure Tales” covers Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Hughes said she travels to the locations of the tales to experience the areas for herself. Whether that leads her up Mount Washington where, yes indeed, people died from looking for the treasure, and where even today, employees will tell you there's always the feeling that you're never alone.

One of her most extraordinary experiences occurred due to her work with Lost Treasure Magazine: The discovery of a lost town near Old Town, Maine known as Riceville.

The Bangor-based paranormal investigative group, Bangor Ghost Hunters Association, contacted Lost Treasures Magazine saying they believed they had found a lost town. The group was looking for someone to write about the find — and its history.

“I met them in July (of 2008) up there up behind the Old Town Canoe Snowmobile trail A86. I figured they found a lost homestead,” Hughes said. “They came across the old tannery town of Riceville along the Buffalo River that was abandoned in 1902 from the cholera epidemic. We couldn't find the tannery itself, but we did find an old house and buildings.”

The story goes that one day, while some folks were delivering a wagon load of buffalo hide to Riceville, they discovered everyone was dead. According to Hughes’ story, they dumped the hides and got out of there. The only survivor was a two-year-old girl found wandering in the woods. She was taken to Old Town.

“How often do you find a lost town in Maine? It was an incredible find,” Hughes said. “I was there looking for treasure (and I did find a few $5 coins) and they were looking for ghosts. Again, the two were connected.”

The author said the “coolest thing” that happened afterward was being contacted by the Maine Historical Society, which was interested in paintings. Reps asked Hughes if she came across any of the Little Buffalo Stream in Riceville.

After she thought about it, she realized the only one she'd ever seen was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Met refused to send a copy to the historical society, until a year or so ago.

About a year or so ago, the Maine Historical Society called Hughes to say the Met agreed to let Maine have a copy — which now hangs in the State House.

Hughes' “loot” books are very popular. Some readers have told her they use her books to go island-treasure hopping!

Fans of Hughes' “Lost Loot” series may find themselves renewing their passports. Her publisher, Schiffer Publishing out of Lancaster, Penn., has has requested Hughes write an international version, which will take her to such destinations as London, England; Canada, Mexico and South America.

And, “Lost Loot” volume three, covering the southern New England states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, has become part of the Library of Congress collection in Washington, D.C.

Hughes will have all three of the “Lost Loot” books, as well as her book “Maine Waterfalls,” available for purchase and autographing at the event.

The April Literary Luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Town Office is located at 11 Howard Street in Boothbay Harbor. Red Cup Coffeehouse is providing a bag lunch for $10. Please register by signing up and prepaying by Thursday, April 10, at the library’s temporary Meadow Mall location.

For more information, call the library at 207-633-3112 or email Barb at barbh@bmpl.lib.me.us.

Learn more about Hughes at www.patriciahughes.net.