Author Joan Livingston reads form her latest book, “Northern Comfort, during an appearance at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven on 10/18/23. Photo by Beth David.
By Beth David, Editor
A great turnout of about 30 people filled the meeting room at the Millicent Library to greet mystery writer Joan Liviingston at her hometown library for a reading and some fun stories on Wednesday, 10/18/23. The author of the Isabel Long Mystery Series, Ms. Livingston is from Fairhaven, the daughter of well known Fairhavenites, Antone “Hawk” Medeiros and Algerina.
Ms. Livingston’s very successful mystery series features Maria Ferreira as Isabel Long’s mother and her “Watson,” a role Ms. Livingston says was inspired by her mother.
At Wednesday’s talk Ms. Livingston told a few Fairhaven stories, read from her new novel, Northern Comfort, and gave a little tease about the latest Isabel Long mystery that will be released soon. But mostly, she answered questions about her creative process and how she promotes her books.
Ms. Livingston said she has a small publisher for the Isabel Long books, so she has to do most of her own promotion. She gave a few tips to some authors and aspiring authors in the room.
“There’s writing, and there’s the business of writing,” said Ms. Livingston.
Author Joan Livingston gestures as she speaks to the crowd during an appearance at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven on 10/18/23. Photo by Beth David.
She said her former career in journalism helps her with the character, a retired journalist turned private investigator, who uses her skills as a reporter to solve cases.
She said she loves her characters, and knows them well. They live in her head, she said, so she does not have to have a list or cheat sheet of who they are, what they do for work, etc.
“I was the biggest daydreamer in the world as a kid,” said Ms. Livingston, adding she can see her characters in her mind. “They are so embedded in my brain.”
Ms. Livingston said when she was “a kid,” she wanted to read the library’s entire Wizard of Oz series (there are 14). Local historian Christopher Richard told her at the end of her talk that he had bought that series when the library sold it during one of its sales of old books.
“It was interesting,” said Bob Demanche, co-author of The Last of the Fairhaven Coasters: The Story of Captain Claude S. Tucker and the Schooner Coral, that he wrote with Donald Tucker and Caroline Tucker. “I love to hear an author, especially a local author.”
He said he was hoping to learn about how he might approach future projects and how to get the word out.
Author Joan Livingston signs a print-out of a blog post she wrote last year featuring her former ninth-grade history teacher, Dennis Duval, after a talk and reading she gave at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven on 10/18/23. Photo by Beth David.
Dennis Duval, Ms. Livingston’s ninth grade history teacher, was holding a print-out of a blog she wrote last summer. In it, she recounts how she saw him at the nursing home where Algerina was living.
Ms. Livingston greeted Mr. Duval with a big hug, and signed his copy of the blog post.
Ms. Long writes a blog twice a week, and has an active presence on social media. Find her at www. joanlivingston.net. Her books are available to borrow from the Millicent Library.
The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Millicent Library. Learn more about them and upcoming events at https://www.friendsofmillicentlibrary.com
Author Joan Livingston shares a laugh with a reader during an appearance at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven on 10/18/23. Photo by Beth David.
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