About Us: Elaine’s Literary Salon

Welcome to Elaine’s Literary Salon, hosted by bestselling thriller novelist and restaurateur Jeffrey James Higgins: By day, Jeff manages Elaine’s, the award-winning Alexandria, VA restaurant he opened with his wife Cynthia in 2022.

A retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays, Jeff has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times have interviewed him, and he’s appeared on CNN Declassified, National Geographic’s Narco Wars, and ABC News. He has a BS in Journalism and an MS in Criminal Justice.

Jeff is a #1 Amazon bestselling author who’s won the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of the Year, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal. His debut novel, Furious, is Black Rose Writing’s bestselling thriller, and The Forever Game was selected as one of the best medical thrillers of the 21st century. In 2025, Severn River Publishing launched The Havana Syndrome and The Khorasan Retribution, the first two books in the Nathan Burke international espionage thriller series.

Jeffrey owns Elaine’s Literary Salon in Alexandria, VA, where he counsels writers, interviews authors, and hosts a podcast. He’s an Authors Guild ambassador for the DC area and a frequent panelist at conferences and book festivals. Jeffrey’s an active member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, The Northern Virginia Writers Club, and the Royal Writers Secret Society. Discover his writing: JeffreyJamesHiggins.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon has partnered with Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co.: Founded in 2008 by award-winning journalist, nonfiction author, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs, Inkandescent is proud to be collaborating with Jeffrey and Elaine’s to feature the work of authors of all genres.

“From promoting their events at Elaine’s on Eventbrite and in our newsletter to bring in more guests to the Salon, to producing the amazing one-hour interview the author has with Jeff, it’s an honor and pleasure to share with the world the stories, ideas, and imagination of writers from around the world,” says Hope, who is the author of PR Rules: The Playbook, and the love story series Why Divorce: 5 Reasons to Leave, Why Marry: 5 Reasons to Say Yes, Why Remarry: 5 Reasons to Do it Again: WhyDivorce.us.

Since joining forces with Jeff in 2025, Hope and her Inkandescent team have featured dozens of authors on the Inkandescent channels:

On Inkandescent Radio: Listen to Elaine’s Literary Salon podcast show
- The podcasts are also blasted out on Spotify, Apple, and iHeart Radio
On Inkandescent TV: Elaine’s Literary Salon video show
Find all of the episodes on Jeff’s column: BeInkandescent Health & Wellness business magazine

She has built websites and podcast/video shows for authors who have been featured at the Salon, including:

Bestselling noir writer and Marvel author Christopher Chambers: ChrisChambersNoir.com
Award-winning IP attorney and author of 7 books, Timothy Trainer: TimothyTrainer.com

Hope also publishes books for her clients, including the most recent:

Click here to learn more: Inkandescent.us.

About Elaine’s: Elaine’s modern Mediterranean cuisine is based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt. The unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is located at 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The 1880 building, the previous home of Bilbo Baggins for 38 years, has been completely renovated with a new look and feel. The restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River. Founders Park, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront are only blocks away. Elaine’s is named after the owner’s grandmother. When the owner was twelve years old in Cairo, Egypt, she promised her grandmother that one day she would own a restaurant and name it after her. The owner is proud to share her family’s recipes with the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.