News
April 11: Get your books signed by the author at the Spy Museum — Meet award-winning thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins who will be signing his Nathan Burke bestselling books!
April 8: Cynthia Farahat is featured on the Fair Observer podcast show — “The Muslim Brotherhood Explained — Origins, Ideology and Global Influence”
Ep50: Celebrate the Book Launch for Jeffrey James Higgins 4-part Nathan Burke series as Jeff is interviewed by award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers
March 21 Writer’s Workshop: “Becoming a Master Writer,” with John DeDakis — Writing coach, and award-winning author, a former CNN Senior Copy Editor for the Emmy and Peabody-Award winning news program “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”
February 21 Writer’s Workshop: Book Writing Coach Karen Bacellar helps us “Find the Shape of Your Story: A Blueprint for Novel Planning”
Jan. 5: Writer’s Workshop with Join C.R. Rowenson, “The Thriller Writer’s Supernatural System — Designing Extraordinary Elements for Your Manuscript”
Jan. 22 New Year’s Event: The Alexandria Arts Alliance is celebrating its 2nd annual New Years gathering to celebrate artists in the area — at Elaine’s!
Dec. 6 Holiday Event: The Chantilly Writers celebrated their annual holiday event at Elaine’s! The authors shared their work, including the Club’s anthologies. Great holiday gifts!
Nov. 15 Art Event: Elaine’s celebrated “For the Love of Art,” when 6 Alexandria artists showed their work at this first regular event. Stay tuned for more!
Friends to Lovers bookstore presents, “Between Two Kings” book release party with Lindsay Straube on Nov. 11, 2025
Oct. 5 Reading, The Gift of Poetry: Five of our favorite area poets gathered to read their signature work. More poetry events are coming in 2026!
July’s Northern Virginia Writer’s Book Club Meeting at Elaine’s Literary Salon features celebrity author Jeffrey James Higgins and his new book, “The Havana Syndrome”
July 25, 2025 — Timothy Trainer’s newest novel, “The China Factor,” about China’s Information Theft, Makes Award List
Jeffrey James Higgins is featured on today’s episode of the Eastern Panhandle Talk show, co-hosted by John Gilstrap
Congratulations to Timothy Trainer’s “The China Factor” now #63 on Amazon’s Asian Literature list
Elaine's Writers Club
THIS WEEK AT ELAINE’S
ESPIONAGE + POLITICS is the topic for our brunch interview on Sunday, Sept. 6: Wolf Bahren is the pen name used by the writer Kristi Bahrenburg Janzen for her fiction. The Secessionist’s Wife is her third thriller.
A lover of spy stories since childhood, she published her first novel, Agents of Suzharia, in 2016, and then Source of Deceit in 2020. She teaches in the University Writing Program at GW, and began her writing career as a financial news journalist for AP-Dow Jones in New York, Germany, and Washington, DC.
Sign up for your free seat here: KristiJanzen.eventbrite.com
ELAINE’S WELCOMES ART IN EVERY SPACE
ELAINE’S LITERARY SALON IS IN THE NEWS
This week in The Zebra: J.D. Barker Shares Writing Secrets For A Bestseller at Elaine’s Literary Salon, by reporter Lisa-Helene Lawson
Many thanks to reporter Shirley Ruhe for her insightful article about Jeff Higgins’ celebrated career that took him from awarded DEA agent to besellling thriller novelist and restauranteur. She also shined a light on InkandescentKids.com, the project to teach kids to think critically like a reporter — founded by Elaine’s PR director, Hope Katz Gibbs. Check it out in the August 5 issue of the Alexandria Gazette Packet
Check out this fabulous article by reporter Lisa-Helene Lawsonabout Elaine’s Literary Salon in The Zebra
Thursday, September 17, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Michelle Cullen is launching her second book this year!Wednesday, September 23, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
David K. Wessel shares his new book, The Christmas Ship of ‘34, a work of narrative nonfiction and an exciting bit of maritime historyDavidWessel.Eventbrite.comThursday, September 24, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Writers Club members: Mark your calendar for our monthly write-in at Elaine’sSaturday, September 26, 2026In-person live event12-3pm
Kathleen Corcoran is bringing to Elaine’s her new book of essays, “Northern Notes”NorthernNotes.Eventbrite.comSunday, September 27, 2026In-person live event12-3pm
Tanya Stokes is bringing “The Woman I’m Becoming” to Elaine’s — Your transformation starts here!TanyaStokesSept27.eventbrite.comWednesday, September 30, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Happy Hour for Writers — the last Wednesday of the month: Join Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Northern Virginia Writer’s Club, Friends to Lovers Bookstore — and more!Thursday, October 01, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Join us Oct. 1 for an evening of Bubbles and Bordeaux: 3 courses + 4 wines = delicious!Tuesday, October 06, 2026Coming soon to the Elaine’s Literary Salon show
A.D. Metcalfe, VP of the Cape Cod Writers Center and producer for Books and the World, gives us Johnny Alvarez, a precocious young runaway, who knows decay and lawlessness offer camouflage and opportunityWednesday, October 07, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Zita Ballinger Fletcher, an award-winning author and military historian, bring us “Monty’s Flying Fortress”MontysFlyingFortress.Eventbrite.comSaturday, October 10, 2026In-person live event12-3pm
Tonya Poindexter gets real with her new book, “The Aftermath — What Nobody Tells Black Women About Life After Divorce”TonyaPoindexter.eventbrite.comSunday, October 11, 2026In-person live event10am to 4pm
Join us for the second annual Alexandria Book & Craft Festival: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026 • 10am to 4pmTuesday, October 13, 2026Coming soon to the Elaine’s Literary Salon show
Demystify the often-intimidating world of pro-se litigation with Towanda Brown’s “Empowering Pro-Se Litigants,” a groundbreaking guide that illuminates the path of self-representation in legal mattersThursday, October 15, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Author and former FBI Special Agent executive Katherine Schweit helps us learn how to Stop the Killing, talk to the dead, understand the second amendment, and talk about guns with anyonekatherineschweit.eventbrite.comThursday, October 15, 2026In-person live event11:30am to 1pm
Private Event: West Point Society of DC is bringing three authors to Elaine’s Literary SalonOct15WestPointSocietDC.eventbrite.comTuesday, October 20, 2026In-person live event4-7pm
Mayor Alyia Gaskins is celebrating Art in Every Space with a new Art Salon at Elaine’s — Join us for Opening Night!ArtInEverySpace.eventbrite.comMonday, October 26, 2026In-person live event9pm to midnight
Sold Out: ACOTAR 6 Midnight Release Party — Friends to Lovers bookstoreWednesday, October 28, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Happy Hour for Writers — the last Wednesday of the month: Join Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Northern Virginia Writer’s Club, Friends to Lovers Bookstore — and more!Thursday, October 29, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Save the Date: Join us for a Halloween to celebrate the new bookstore Hemlock & Hearth Thursday, November 05, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Coming in November: Join us for a flight of 5 reds paired with 3 dishes from Elaine’s award-winning menu. Please wear red!Nov5redwinedinner.eventbrite.comSunday, November 15, 2026In-person live event12-3pm
A native of Iceland, storyteller and teacher Solveig Eggerz brings us her latest novel, “Sweet Potato”Thursday, November 19, 2026In-person live event6-9pm
Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman strives to tell historical tales with new twists, including her latest title, “The God of Nazi-Land Part I”ElyseHoffman.eventbrite.com
Michelle Cullen is launching her second book this year!Wednesday, September 23, 2026In-person live event6-9pmDavid K. Wessel shares his new book, The Christmas Ship of ‘34, a work of narrative nonfiction and an exciting bit of maritime historyDavidWessel.Eventbrite.comThursday, September 24, 2026In-person live event6-9pmWriters Club members: Mark your calendar for our monthly write-in at Elaine’sSaturday, September 26, 2026In-person live event12-3pmKathleen Corcoran is bringing to Elaine’s her new book of essays, “Northern Notes”NorthernNotes.Eventbrite.comSunday, September 27, 2026In-person live event12-3pmTanya Stokes is bringing “The Woman I’m Becoming” to Elaine’s — Your transformation starts here!TanyaStokesSept27.eventbrite.comWednesday, September 30, 2026In-person live event6-9pmHappy Hour for Writers — the last Wednesday of the month: Join Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Northern Virginia Writer’s Club, Friends to Lovers Bookstore — and more!Thursday, October 01, 2026In-person live event6-9pmJoin us Oct. 1 for an evening of Bubbles and Bordeaux: 3 courses + 4 wines = delicious!Tuesday, October 06, 2026Coming soon to the Elaine’s Literary Salon showA.D. Metcalfe, VP of the Cape Cod Writers Center and producer for Books and the World, gives us Johnny Alvarez, a precocious young runaway, who knows decay and lawlessness offer camouflage and opportunityWednesday, October 07, 2026In-person live event6-9pmZita Ballinger Fletcher, an award-winning author and military historian, bring us “Monty’s Flying Fortress”MontysFlyingFortress.Eventbrite.comSaturday, October 10, 2026In-person live event12-3pmTonya Poindexter gets real with her new book, “The Aftermath — What Nobody Tells Black Women About Life After Divorce”TonyaPoindexter.eventbrite.comSunday, October 11, 2026In-person live event10am to 4pmJoin us for the second annual Alexandria Book & Craft Festival: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026 • 10am to 4pmTuesday, October 13, 2026Coming soon to the Elaine’s Literary Salon showDemystify the often-intimidating world of pro-se litigation with Towanda Brown’s “Empowering Pro-Se Litigants,” a groundbreaking guide that illuminates the path of self-representation in legal mattersThursday, October 15, 2026In-person live event6-9pmAuthor and former FBI Special Agent executive Katherine Schweit helps us learn how to Stop the Killing, talk to the dead, understand the second amendment, and talk about guns with anyonekatherineschweit.eventbrite.comThursday, October 15, 2026In-person live event11:30am to 1pmPrivate Event: West Point Society of DC is bringing three authors to Elaine’s Literary SalonOct15WestPointSocietDC.eventbrite.comTuesday, October 20, 2026In-person live event4-7pmMayor Alyia Gaskins is celebrating Art in Every Space with a new Art Salon at Elaine’s — Join us for Opening Night!ArtInEverySpace.eventbrite.comMonday, October 26, 2026In-person live event9pm to midnightSold Out: ACOTAR 6 Midnight Release Party — Friends to Lovers bookstoreWednesday, October 28, 2026In-person live event6-9pmHappy Hour for Writers — the last Wednesday of the month: Join Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Northern Virginia Writer’s Club, Friends to Lovers Bookstore — and more!Thursday, October 29, 2026In-person live event6-9pmSave the Date: Join us for a Halloween to celebrate the new bookstore Hemlock & Hearth Thursday, November 05, 2026In-person live event6-9pmComing in November: Join us for a flight of 5 reds paired with 3 dishes from Elaine’s award-winning menu. Please wear red!Nov5redwinedinner.eventbrite.comSunday, November 15, 2026In-person live event12-3pmA native of Iceland, storyteller and teacher Solveig Eggerz brings us her latest novel, “Sweet Potato”Thursday, November 19, 2026In-person live event6-9pmAward-winning author Elyse Hoffman strives to tell historical tales with new twists, including her latest title, “The God of Nazi-Land Part I”ElyseHoffman.eventbrite.com