Elaine's Literary Salon

Meet the Author: Tom Straw is an Emmy and Writers’ Guild of America-nominated writer-producer, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, and former Mystery Writers of America board member. Writing as Richard Castle, Tom originated the Nikki Heat series, all New York Times Bestsellers. Under his own name he published The Trigger Episode ,  Buzz Killer , and the USA Today best-selling spy th...

Meet the Author: Adam S. Lovinger serves as Vice President for Strategic Affairs at the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. In 2017, Adam was Senior Director for Strategic Assessments at the U.S. National Security Council (NSC). From 2006-2017 he provided direct support on long-term U.S. national security strategy to the Secretary of Defense from the Pent...

About bestselling author Puja Guha: International Development Consultant. Global Citizen. Author of seven novels and four published short stories. Born into a family of acclaimed Indian architects, Puja traveled with her parents as they worked on projects around the world. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Puja completed her Master’s degree in public policy at Sciences Po...

Meet the Author: Andrew Rubin is a filmmaker, writer, and cofounder of the mental health education company Symptom Media. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied Film Production and History, he has spent over a decade in the trenches of Hollywood development as a screenwriter. Andrew co-directed the inspirational documentary Ride with Larry, about Parkinson’s, inspired...

About the interview: Today’s video podcast led by Elaine’s Literary Salon Host Jeffrey James Higgins icludes Puja Guha, Zakariah Johnson, Curtis Ippolito, and Michael Downing. Meet Puja Guha on Sunday, Jan. 18 at Elaine’s Literary Salon where she will talk about the anthology and her other novels. Get your free ticket on Eventbrite ! More details can be found about Puja and this...

Meet the Author: Sean Hagerty is a retired Special Operations Soldier with over 25 years of experience. He spent his younger years training and conducting combat operations with the 1st of the 75th Ranger Regiment. After nine years, in 2005, he was selected for and assigned to a Special Operations unit at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. There he spent sixteen years and finished his military career, retiri...

Today on the Elaine’s Literary Salon show:  Meet author David W. DuBois, a retired U.S. Army soldier who served honorably for 21 years. He is a devoted husband and father of four. In 2022, David was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a life-altering moment that led him to write his debut book. David is a passionate advocate for ALS awarene...

Meet the Author: Brian Paone, a Massachusetts native displaced to Virginia, has been a published novelist since 2007 and has performed in bands since 1995. Cumulatively, Brian’s novels are primarily speculative fiction, ranging from thrillers to drama to horror to science fiction to fantasy and romance. His bands cover a wide range of different metal and industrial genres and styles. He is a...

Meet Matt Joseph Misetich: A Senior Executive and Partner at Pipeline Media Group , Matt oversees all divisions, including Script, Book, and Film, as well as the management of Pipeline Artists and the implementation of future Pipeline entities. His industry career started in 2002 as an intern for a talent manager, then as an intern in film development in 2003. And as an intern script reader throug...

Meet the Author: Fascinated by magic since he could imagine pine cones as fireballs, C. R. Rowenson is an award-winning author, blogger, and writing coach that studies magic-building like others study oil-painting. His prime directive is to help all kinds of storytellers craft and repair the magic systems in their stories. You can visit him at crrowenson.com to witness, fuel, or join in his obsess...

Meet the Author: Thomas Dann was born and bred in Memphis, Tennessee, five generations deep in a family fighting the entrenched political machine there. He has spent time variously on the East and Left Coasts, studying creative writing at Stanford, working for years as a felony defense investigator for the Washington, D.C. Public Defender, then lawyer, company builder, and writer, all the while wo...

Meet the Author: Brian Thiem is the author of “The Mudflats Murder Club,” the first book in the Mudflats Murder Club series, as well as “Red Line,” “Thrill Kill,” and “Shallow Grave.” In his previous life, he spent 25 years with the Oakland Police Department, much of it working Homicide, and retired as a lieutenant. He’s also an Iraq War veteran, ret...

Meet the Author: Carter Wilson is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers, known for their emotional intensity, tight pacing, and sinister twists. His work has received starred reviews from every major trade publication, has won multiple awards, and has been optioned for television and film. His 2025 release, Tell Me What You Did , was selected by Barn...

Meet the Author: Stacy Woodson is a US Army combat veteran. Memories of her time in the military are often a source of inspiration for her stories. She made her crime fiction debut in  Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s  Department of First Stories and won the 2018 Readers Award, the second time in the award’s history a debut took first place. Awards: Since then, she has placed over 40 short storie...

Meet the Author: Eric Grandy was born and raised in Baltimore City and graduated from City College. After graduating from Essex Community College, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played for six years with the team. He went on to a variety of jobs: photographer, lab manager, driver for DHL, and was a warehouse manager. After retirement, he decided to devote himself to writing, producing seve...

Meet the Author: Karen Marginot is an author and leadership coach who specializes in helping leaders integrate ancient wisdom with their professional authority. Drawing on her decades-long journey through corporate leadership at companies like Salesforce and Dell, Karen brings rare insight to the challenges women face as they approach the pinnacle of their careers and contemplate their enduring le...

Meet the Author — Dale says: I grew up outside Tampa, Florida and attended the University of Florida, where I graduated from the College of Journalism and Communications (Go Gators!). After graduation, I commissioned in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a logistics officer and war planner. After my military service, I worked in defense and tech before writing full time. I’ve had the opportunity to li...

Monisha Longacre is coming to Elaine’s Literary Salon in Alexandria, VA on Jan. 11. Join us for her interview with our podcast/video host Jeffrey James Higgins and enjoy a delicous brunch. Order Monisha’s Author’s Choice: French toast with a mimosa OR the Egyptian Omelet with a Bloody Mary , and receive a $5 coupon redeemable on your next visit to Elaine’s . Click here to g...

Check out our commercial (above) with author Jonathan Payne: A British-American writer based in New York City, Jonathan’s first novel, CITIZEN ORLOV, was named a Book of the Month by Apple Books. It won the 2024 IBPA Silver Medal for Mystery/Thriller and the 2024 IPPY Bronze Medal for Suspense/Thriller. Payne previously worked in national security for the British government. He holds a Maste...

About My Clavicle: And Other Massive Misalignments — On an international flight to a conference, the author Marta Sanz notices a tiny bump beneath her skin, just below her clavicle, near her breastbone. So begins an inquiry that is at turns a satirical detective story, a philosophical inquiry, a memoir, and pure poetry. In Spanish, the title is Clavícula, which refers to the collarbone, but also m...

Meet our guest: Be the change you wish to see is the mantra for author and HR exec Andrea Walton, MBA, Founder & CEO, The Concrete Rose Scholarship Foundation, Alexandria, VA & Cape Town, South Africa Who she is: Andrea Walton is a seasoned HR executive, published author, and purpose-driven philanthropist committed to building pathways to education for Black and Brown girls around the worl...

Meet the Author: Judy Murray is a real estate broker with a not-so-secret passion for deals, divas, and danger. Her passion for mysteries began with smart girls like Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, grew deeper with not-to-be-ignored women like Miss Marple and Nora Charles, and finally evolved into her own gutsy heroine – Helen Morrisey. Judy incorporates her extensive knowledge of all things r...

Meet the Author: Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the noir poet laureate in the  Huffington Post , Reed Farrel Coleman is the  New York Times- bestselling author of thirty-one novels—including the Nick Ryan series and six in  Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series —short stories, poetry, and essays. In addition to his acclaimed series characters,  Moe Prager  and  Gus Murphy...

Meet the Author: Mark Thielman writes primarily crime fiction and serves as a magistrate judge in Ft Worth, Texas. His debut novel, The Devil’s Kitchen , was released in April 2025. His second novel, The Hidden River, is scheduled for October 2025. Both books are part of the Johnson and Nance series, published by Severn River Publishing. Mark’s short fiction pieces have been named to the honor rol...

Meet the Author: Mike Slavin loves to write exciting and fast stories. It’s a new passion since he sold his oil and gas exploration company in 2024. A West Pointer and self-made millionaire, Mike has written seven award-winning business books, including One Million in the Bank: How To Make $1,000,000 With Your Own Business, Even If You Have No Money Or Experience . His fiction titles include Life...