'Stories are vital': Exeter LitFest puts reading and writers in spotlight

EXETER — Who (figuratively speaking) killed Dan Chartrand, owner of Water Street Bookstore?

Turns out it was Lara Bricker, a local author Chartrand was about to "expose for plagiarism."

It was all for fun.

Chartrand and Bricker were participating in Death by Chocolate, a downtown murder mystery and chocolate crawl. The fundraising event was held Friday to kick off Exeter LitFest, a celebration of books.

Participants in the roving event got to visit the town's three chocolatiers — Enna Chocolate, La Cascade du Chocolat and The Chocolatier — where they sought clues and chocolate samples, before ending up at the Exeter Inn for more fun and the unmasking of the "killer."

"I killed him because he was about to expose me," Bricker said, describing her actions in the game. "I had stolen a story from someone, and he recognized that, being one of my beta readers. I had to do it."

Local authors, Exeter restaurants and shops and people who love to read gathered in town over the weekend for the celebration.

Local restaurants had literary themed specials. Ambrose had the Lord of the Mai Tais, Cornicello had a Dante’s Divine Comedy themed menu, and Vino e Vivo had Edgar Allen Po’ Boy and Ravenna wine.

Exeter and surrounding towns have a plethora of authors. Many, like J.D. Barker, Brendan Dubois, Kathy Bailey, Michael Cameron Ward and Joe Pace spoke or were on hand with copies of their books. It was a book lover's dream.

"I love that a town like Exeter has an event like LitFest," said author Joe Pace. "Exeter, so rich in history and culture, is the perfect place for an event like this, and I find it enormously humbling to be included."

Authors collaborate

Barker and Dubois have both written many novels but also have worked as co-authors with famed author James Patterson. They talked about their personal writing processes and about what it was like working with the prolific Patterson.

Both authors said they loved working with Patterson, learning a lot from him. Still they say there is something special about publishing their own work, too.

"I was contacted by James Patterson who said he enjoyed my novels," said Dubois. "He asked if I would be interested in working with him. He said he would give me a week or two to think about it. I said, no, I'm good to say yes now."

Dubois has worked on several collaborations with Patterson, with their latest, "Blowback" set to be released in September.

Barker and Dubois said Patterson sold him on the outline process of writing.

"He gives a lot of feedback," said Barker. "He's almost always right. I really enjoyed working with him."

The love of reading endures

Stefanie Schmidt, manager of Waterstreet Bookstore, said reading remains popular, even in today's fast-paced, digital world. There has been an increase in reading during the coronavirus pandemic, she said.

"We've found that so many people have picked up reading during the pandemic as a hobby and a way to connect with the world without leaving home," she said. "Young families, retired folks, millennials and Gen Z. We're seeing it all. It's been really wonderful, and the LitFest is a great to celebrate that, so we're happy to be bringing it back to Exeter this year. Stories are vital."

Chartrand said everyone reads something; it's how they read that differs. He said when the pandemic began and everything shut down, they were determined to keep bringing books to their customers.

"We put in three steps to keep getting our books out to people who wanted them," he said. "We started offering free shipping within the continental U.S. We offered curbside pickup, and then we started offering a delivery service in areas like from Durham to Kingston, to Hampton Falls and Kittery, and the areas in between. The methods we put in place were so popular we are still doing it."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: LitFest in Exeter NH celebrates books and authors