Elaine's Literary Salon

About Author Tanya Stokes: A bestselling author, publisher, spoken word artist, and creative entrepreneur whose work inspires healing, personal growth, and purposeful living, Tanya is the founder of Compassionate Designs Publishing. Tanya has helped aspiring authors transform their stories into professionally published books while empowering them to embrace their voices with confidence. Through her writing, speaking, and workshops, she creates spaces where authenticity, faith, and resilience intersect.

Her latest book, The Woman I’m Becoming, is a powerful guide to self-discovery, healing, and transformation, encouraging women to release limiting beliefs, embrace their worth, and boldly step into the women they were created to become. Tanya is also the creator of the Praise & Paint experience, blending creativity, biblical encouragement, and reflection into unforgettable events that promote healing and connection.

When she’s not writing or mentoring new authors, Tanya serves her community through the ANT777 Motorcycle Foundation, an organization dedicated to motorcycle safety awareness and honoring the legacy of her son through education, advocacy, and service. Whether speaking from the stage, sharing poetry, or guiding readers through life’s transitions, Tanya’s message remains the same: your story matters, your healing is possible, and your becoming is worth embracing. Learn more: compassionate-designs.com

“The Woman I’m Becoming,” by Tanya Stokes

About the Book: The Woman I’m Becoming

Your transformation starts here.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unseen, or unworthy, The Woman I’m Becoming is your invitation to rewrite the story. This empowering self-help and personal growth book for women blends raw truth, relatable storytelling, and practical tools to help you reclaim your confidence, heal your heart, and step fully into the life you deserve.

Author and poet Tanya Stokes takes you on an intimate journey of self-discovery, sharing powerful life lessons on:

Each chapter includes reflection prompts, journaling exercises, and affirmations designed to help you apply the lessons to your own life—making this an interactive guide for women ready to evolve mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Whether you’re navigating heartbreak, healing from loss, stepping into a new season, or simply craving a deeper connection with yourself, The Woman I’m Becoming will give you the tools, encouragement, and unapologetic push you need to:

Stop waiting for permission and start living boldly.

If you enjoy books like Untamed by Glennon Doyle, Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab, or Believe Bigger by Marshawn Evans Daniels—you’ll love the honesty, empowerment, and life-changing insights in this book.

Step into the next chapter of your life. Meet the woman you were always meant to be.

Click here to buy The Woman I’m Becoming.

About Elaine’s Literary Salon Host Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Meet the Author: S.J. Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx and is proud of it. She spent over 20 years as an architect in New York City and is kind of proud of that, too. Now she writes and teaches. She’s done 15 books in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, two standalones, and two paranormals co-written with Carlos Dews under the name Sam Cabot. She’s also published eight dozen short stories and edited or co-edited three anthologies.

In 2024, with THE MURDER OF MR. MA, SJ launched a new series co-written with John Shen Yen Nee.

SJ’s work has won the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, Nero, and Macavity Awards, and she’s a recipient of the Japanese Maltese Falcon. She’s served on the National Boards of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and is a past President of the Private Eye Writers of America. She’s received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Private Eye Writers of America and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. SJ has been Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime, Toastmaster at Bouchercon, and an invited speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (2003). As if that weren’t enough, she has the key to the city of Fort Worth, Texas.

Pre-order her newest novel — coming November 10, 2026

A Warning to the Curious (A Dee and Lao Mystery Book 3): A missing shipment of weapons for China and the murder of an aspiring scientist kick-start a madcap dash through the world of seances, prizefighting, cutting-edge technology, Holmesian cameos, and many disguises.

London, 1924. Judge Cheng Gao Shang has been sent by Sun Yat Sen’s government to look into the death of Dee Ren Jie, the larger-than-life investigator who had kept the local Chinese community safe. But Dee isn’t dead; he’s hiding out with his friends Lao She and Sergeant Hoong while keeping a close eye on Cheng’s activities. Has Cheng actually come to London to track down a shipment of arms covertly sent from England, intended for Sun Yat Sen as he attempts to unify China?

Judge Cheng’s daughter, Irene, is also in London, and the intrepid, intellectually curious young woman quickly falls in with some very interesting associates. But tragedy soon strikes—or is it something more sinister? To find out, Dee Ren Jie will have to rise from the dead in this action-packed kung fu caper, the third installment of the Anthony Award–winning Dee and Lao Mystery Series.

Click here to buy all of S.J.’s books.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Today on Elaine’s Literary Salon: Meet violinist Joan Singer, the founder and director of QuinTango. Managing the group combines Joan’s flair for storytelling and weakness for glitz with her love of music and travel. Before founding QuinTango, she played at Inaugural Balls, backed up Aretha Franklin and was a tenured member of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra.

About QuinTango: For the last 28-years, performances have taken the group from a Command Performance at the White House to memorable concerts in 29 states and across 3 continents, at venues ranging from Stanford University and Lincoln Center Plaza to churches in Appalachia and Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston.

Meet the musicians of QuinTango (left to right): Hai Jin, Joan Singer, Emmanuel Trifilio, Regino Madrid, and Ali Cook

The ensemble has performed at international festivals in Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and the Amalfi Coast—and toured in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Argentina and Uruguay. In 2019, the group expanded its repertoire to include original tangos and vocals, both made possible by the addition of new personnel. QuinTango’s commitment to education, community engagement, and global partnerships, coupled with their personal performance style, has built a devoted community of fans worldwide. With 90+tangos on Spotify and 8 CDs, QuinTango’s music streams 20K times a week on six continents.  QuinTango’s next album, VIDA, will be released in 2027.

Get your tickets for the September 23 performance at Blues Alley for Argentinean Jazz Week: Blues Alley Hispanic Heritage Jazz Month

Quintango is previewing its new album at Blues Alley, the premier jazz supper club in the country, which today is called a “listening room”

Tickets are available at the Blues Alley website: InstantSeats, $35

Coming in 2027: Quintango’s new album features music by ensemble members Emmanuel Trifilio and Ali Cook. The guest artist on the album, Mariana Quinteros, is a Latin Grammy-nominated artist from Argentina now living in Miami

Bring QuinTango home: QuinTango’s music is available on all streaming platforms (Apple, Spotify, Pandora, etc) and can be purchased digitally at Bandcamp. Learn more about QuinTango andjoin its mailing list for alerts about new projects, overseas travel opportunities with the group, or upcoming concerts: quintango.com.

Meet QuinTango’s musicians:

Ali Cook, bass and vocals, is a multi-talented singer/songwriter, arranger, instrumentalist and teacher who is equally comfortable touring Europe as a bassist with the National Symphony or performing on 6th street in Austin with her band, Ali & the Wild Geese. She performs regularly with the Detroit Symphony and is on faculty at Opal Studio in Alexandria.

Hai Jin, piano, is an active concert pianist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist who has performed over 200 recitals throughout United States and Asia. Dr. Jin pursued her DMA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Piano Performance with a cognate area in Orchestral Conducting. She is on faculty at Peabody Conservatory in the Preparatory School.

Joan Singer, violin, founder and director of QuinTango, combines her flair for storytelling and weakness for glitz with her love of music and travel. Before founding QuinTango, she played at Inaugural Balls, backed up Aretha Franklin and was a tenured member of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra.

Regino Madrid, violin, is a member of the National symphony Orchestra, Sound Impact Collective and the Chiarina Chamber Players in DC, as well as concertmaster of The American Pops Orchestra. For twenty years he performed at the White House as a member of “The President’s Own,” the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra.

Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon, discovered a bandoneon in a second-hand shop in his native Argentina, launching his love affair with tango. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and with orchestras throughout the USA and Cuba. His “Tango Poesia,” the intimate sub-genre of tango created by Trifilio and championed by QuinTango, has been a source of inspiration for both fans and the band.

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Meet the Author: 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. Her fiction is a blend of espionage, political, international, and journalistic thriller genres.

She has been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. Currently, she teaches in the University Writing Program at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She began her writing career as a financial news journalist, including for AP-Dow Jones in New York, Germany, and Washington, DC, and then transitioned to freelance writing and editing while her children were growing up. She has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Cornell and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia. Closely tied to family in Kansas and New York State, she lives in Maryland with her husband and dogs. Learn more: wolfbahren.com

About The Secessionist’s Wife: For journalist Anna Jones of the New York Daily Journal, nothing is more important than finding the truth. So when Fort Riley, Kansas, suffers a terrorist attack, Anna jumps at the chance to see what’s happening at the base. She and her partner Viktor Simonson rush to the heartland to cover the events as they unfold. Once on the ground, they agree to divide and conquer—one will check out the damage at the military installation, the other will attend a press conference with Kansas Governor Marie Danielle Schreiber in the nearby college town of Manhattan. In no time, Anna realizes the attack may not be as cut-and-dried as it appears. She also loses track of Viktor.

Meanwhile, on a farm outside Junction City, housewife Theresa Walkermore is grappling with mysteries of her own. Between her husband Noah’s unexplained absences and middle-of-the-night activities, she’s sure he’s being unfaithful to her again. But as she’s drawn into his world, she fears he’s embroiled in something far worse than adultery. 

Sharing the same values and moral strength, Anna and Theresa realize that, together, they may be the only ones capable of stopping a plot that threatens not just Kansas, but the United States itself.

Click here to buy The Secessionist’s Wife.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Meet the Author: A policy expert and political operative for some of Washington’s most influential power brokers, Matthew Lavoie has spent his career evaluating the how and why of American political and cultural movements and observing some of the biggest shifts in American and geopolitical history. Main Street Fringe is his debut novel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. Learn more: MatthewPLavoie.com.

In our interview with Elaine’s Literary Salon host Jeffrey James Higgins, you’ll learn:

About Main Street Fringe: After a government vendetta destroys his career, a police detective goes undercover as himself, infiltrating a world of paranoia and radicalization — with no protection for the ones he loves most.

What critics are saying: 

“Main Street Fringe is a deep and thrilling dive into the dark heart of the current political climate — made all the more terrifying by Matthew Lavoie’s experience in Washington. This guy knows what he’s talking about. He knows where the bodies are buried, and that makes this a must-read.” — Rob Hart, USA Today bestselling author of “The Warehouse and the Assassins Anonymous” series.

“Matthew Lavoie’s writing carries an authentic, eye-witness feel for the movements and mindsets shaking the core of American life. Main Street Fringe is a phenomenal read.” — NYT bestsellling author Martha Grimes

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Meet the Author: Dr. C. Victor Herbin III (aka: Dr. Vic) is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, leadership advisor, and the founder of Organizational Arrogance — a leadership development brand built on more than two decades of service at the highest levels of government and the military. Through books, assessments, and keynote programs, Dr. Herbin helps leaders see how a sense of superiority within leadership shapes behavior, decision-making, and culture. His programs equip leaders to recognize, diagnose, and interrupt these patterns before they become systemic. Learn more: bookdrvic.com

About Organizational Arrogance: The most dangerous threat to your organization isn’t external. It’s cultural—and it already has a seat at your table.

A concern gets brushed aside. A dissenting view is labeled “resistance.” A mistake becomes a reason to discredit rather than develop. Over time, superiority quietly replaces curiosity, and the best ideas in the room never reach the table.

That culture has a name. Dr. C. Victor Herbin III gave it one.

Drawing on more than two decades of military leadership—including three combat deployments, Pentagon service, and battalion command—and years of rigorous doctoral research at Regent University, Dr. Herbin delivers the first empirically validated framework for identifying, measuring, and reversing the quiet cultural pattern dismantling promising organizations across government and industry: Organizational Arrogance.

Inside this field manual for modern leaders, you will discover:

This book will not tell you what you want to hear. It will tell you what your team already knows—and has stopped saying out loud.

For the senior executive wondering whether the metrics are masking something deeper. For the middle manager who can feel the energy in the room has changed. For the HR leader, executive coach, board member, or organizational development consultant who has watched arrogant cultures dismantle great organizations from the inside out—Organizational Arrogance is the diagnosis, the framework, and the roadmap home.

The only question is whether the leader holding this book is ready to do the work.

Click here to buy Organizational Arrogance.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Our agenda for tonight’s event:

Click here to get your free tickets: katherineschweit.eventbrite.com

Meet the Author: Katherine Schweit worked as an FBI Special Agent executive, a prosecutor, and a journalist before settling down as a full-time writer, professor, and security consultant.

During her career as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent, she helped jail bank robbers, kidnappers, and domestic terrorists while working daily with local police investigating and responding to mass casualty and active shooter incidents. A native of Detroit, Ms. Schweit earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She earned a law degree at DePaul University and joined the Cook County prosecutor’s office as an assistant state’s attorney.

She has published extensively, including opinion pieces in The New York Times and Chicago’s Daily Herald. As a journalist, Katherine earned state and national writing recognition, including a Peter Lisagor Award for her 1990 analysis of discipline meted out to judges and attorneys by the Illinois Supreme Court after one of the largest FBI public corruption investigations ever conducted. She lives in a home in Virginia that is too big for her, just west of Washington, D.C. Learn more: katherineschweit.com

About Katherine’s Books:

Women Who Talk to the Dead: The True Story of 200 Forgotten Murder Victims and the Relentless Pursuit of Justice by an FBI Agent and a Detroit Police Detective

A true story of the largest exhumation of murder victims ever undertaken by the FBI, seeking justice for 200 families

In the shadows of Detroit’s abandoned buildings and beneath the soil of county cemeteries lay hundreds of murder victims-buried anonymously, their killers uncharged, their families not knowing why they disappeared. For decades, only decaying police files hinted at what happened to these forgotten cold cases murders.

Until two women decided to listen to the dead.

Women Who Talk to the Dead chronicles the remarkable journey of Detroit Police Detective Shannon Jones and FBI Special Agent Leslie Larsen. Surrounded by skepticism and bureaucratic roadblocks, these women spearhead Operation UNITED—the largest coordinated exhumation of unidentified murder victims in FBI history.

Through rain-soaked cemetery digs, crumbling case files, and bone-filled body bags, Jones and Larsen assemble a team led by female forensic anthropologists, scientists, and investigators who methodically unearthed Detroit’s painful past. Their primary goal: to identify the nameless dead and bring closure to families who had spent decades wondering what happened to their loved ones. Their ultimate goal: solve 200 murder cases.

Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis

There are many books on the subject of safety, but paper cannot protect you from the next shooter. The 2nd Edition of Stop the Killing can help you transform the way you take control of your safety. This book provides you the keys to take action on what you can do to stop the mass shooting crisis in America.

The book is written by the nation’s leading mass shooting expert and creator of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program, Katherine Schweit. Stop The Killing shares an insider look at what we’ve learned and failed to learn about protecting our places of commerce, houses of worship, businesses, and schools. Furthermore, the book demystifies the language around active shooters, mass killings, threat assessment teams, and more.

The readers will gain knowledge on the current status of mass shootings in America and be given definitions, statistics, and ultimately, a guide on how to be a part of the solution. Are you ready to become a mini-expert and save lives? Because you can.

You will hear sober advice gathered from those who have survived and responded to shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Aurora theater, Los Angeles International Airport, and more.

Katherine includes a preface exploring the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, including the groundbreaking use of a domestic terrorism charge filed against the shooter and involuntary manslaughter charges filed against the shooter’s parents.

Do not be a victim of gun violence. Instead, be empowered with knowledge to replace your fear with actions you can take to keep you and your family safe.

A Simple Guide to the Second Amendment

Once dismissed as the “lost” Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Second Amendment now stands center stage in one of America’s most divisive issues, an increasing rate of firearms-related deaths. Claiming more than 45,000 lives annually, firearms-related deaths are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Rural America suffers most when more than 50% of firearms deaths annually are suicides. And in urban areas, where more than 80% of our population lives, firearms homicides persist.

Easy-to-read and politics free, this book is packed with facts to clear away confusion and mountains of misinformation. Curious beginners and seasoned experts will find details to help everyone calmly discuss the history behind the Second Amendment, U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions, and so many other firearms-related issues, including red flag laws, background checks, semi-automatic weapons, AR-15s, ghost guns, firearms training, mental health matters, and the role domestic violence plays.

Join the army of those ready to take back our safety and solve one of the most divisive issues facing our nation today. Solutions don’t come from silence. This book is packed with information about dozens of practical solutions under discussion to stop the killing. Empower yourself to play a role in reducing gun violence.

Learn the facts. Join the discussion. End the violence.

How To Talk About Guns with Anyone

Firearms-related incidents kill more than 45,000 people in the US every year and are the leading cause of death for US children and adolescents. But talking about guns doesn’t have to be scary or divisive. With this easy-to-read and politics-free guide, you can arm yourself with the facts and strategies to calmly discuss firearms laws, firearms ownership, court decisions, and the Founding Fathers’ thinking behind the Second Amendment.

Whether you’re a novice or a gun expert, this book offers valuable insights into red flag laws, background checks, semi-automatic weapons, AR-15s, video games, ghost guns, firearms training requirements, state laws, US Supreme Court decisions, and the role guns play in domestic violence and mental health matters. Rural America suffers most when more than 50% of firearms deaths annually are suicides. And in urban areas, where more than 80% of our population lives, firearms homicides persist.

But you don’t have to feel helpless or hopeless. Join the army of those ready to take back our safety and solve one of the most divisive issues facing our nation today. Gain the confidence to discuss practical solutions to stop the killing. Solutions don’t come from silence. This book is packed with information about dozens of solutions under consideration. What is your role in reducing gun violence? Find it here.

Click here to buy Katherine’s books!

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

The agenda for our brunch event:

Reserve your free ticket: TonyaPoindexter.eventbrite.com

Meet the Author: Tonya Poindexter is an author, strategist, and executive leader with a career spanning strategic communications, organizational leadership, business development, public service, and community engagement. Her work has focused on helping organizations and people navigate change, identify opportunities, and move ideas forward. Her writing is informed by her professional, educational, and lived experience, bringing a practical and honest perspective to conversations that are often difficult to have.

Her book, The Aftermath — What Nobody Tells Black Women About Life After Divorce, explores what happens after a marriage ends and the work of rebuilding finances, identity, relationships, confidence, peace, and the future. Written specifically with Black women in mind, The Aftermath combines candid reflection with practical guidance for women navigating what comes next. Learn more: writetouchpublishing.com

About her Book: The Aftermath — What Nobody Tells Black Women About Life After Divorce

A practical, conversational guide for Black women navigating life after divorce, this book focuses on what happens after the marriage ends: the changes to finances, identity, family, friendships, confidence, stability, peace, and future plans that can continue long after the legal process is over.

Drawing from her own experience of rebuilding, Tonya Poindexter offers honest reflection, practical guidance, and simple exercises to help women find their footing again, rebuild self-trust, navigate changed relationships, protect their peace, and create a life that feels like their own.

This is not a memoir about the details of a marriage or divorce. It is a guide for Black women who are rebuilding and want to know they are not alone in what comes next.

Click here to buy The Aftermath.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Meet the Author: Kirkus Star winner Beka Wueste is an author whose debut novel, “The Unsent Letters of Lucy Prior,” earned praise as a “deeply introspective and emotionally resonant novel” (Kirkus Reviews) and whose second novel, “Fireflies in a Jar,” was lauded as, “original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging” (Midwest Book Review). Her short story collection, “My Side of the Word and Other Tales of Death,” was described as ” lyrical and thoughtful… a moving, imaginative, and unforgettable exploration” (Readers Favorite Book Reviews).

The collection was named as a finalist for the 2025 Short Story Collections/Anthologies category of the Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards. Beka is also an award-winning visual artist who exhibits her work frequently in regional and national shows.

Born in Texas and raised in Virginia, Beka earned a B.A. in art history from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, and an M.A. in art history from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

An enthusiastic traveler, avid reader, nature lover, lifelong cinephile, and collector of music on vinyl, Beka lives with her husband and their rescue Shiba Inu in Northern Virginia. Learn more: www.bekawueste.com

“Human of the Year,” by Beka Wueste

About Beka’s newest book: Human of the Year

Released from a Maryland prison after nearly twenty years served for a crime he committed during high school, Matt is reunited with his younger sister, Jenny. Matt has to prove to his parole officer, his family, and himself, that he can survive as a free man for the first time in his adult life, while facing the challenges of re-entry into a world that drastically changed during his incarceration.

Knowing that reaching the first year without retuning to prison is critical to Matt’s long-term odds of staying out permanently, Jenny brings him to live with her husband Hector and young daughter Julia, neither of whom Matt has ever met.

Despite Jenny’s best efforts, she struggles to integrate her brother into the life she’s built, and to protect him from people who think he belongs back in prison—including their parents.

Realizing that they have grown up into strangers, the siblings seek support from their community of family, friends, and colleagues.

Kirkus Reviews

What reviewers are saying:

“A gripping tale about family dynamics, emotional survival, and second chances. Wueste is an excellent writer, and her main characters feel very real. We care deeply about Matt. We care deeply about Jenny and her endearing little family. We hope against hope that cold hearts will melt. Readers will surely enjoy this emotional ride, with all its twists and turns, hanging on until the very end.” — Midwest Book Review

“5 Stars | A highly affecting work of literary fiction… emotionally charged… the type of novel that will have a profound effect on its readership’s outlook… a transformative novel, teeming with flawed but root-worthy characters.” — Reader Views

“Readers who like literary fiction with moral weight and emotional restraint will find much to admire here. Human of the Year is compassionate, clear-eyed, and unwilling to lie about how hard it is to come home.” — Leah Tran, Manhattan Book Review

Click here to buy Human of the Year.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Meet the Author: I am an attorney with over thirty years of experience. My legal experience has varied from a start in criminal law to intellectual property, specifically trademarks, and now healthcare. I also pursued a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the George Washington University late in my career. It is an interesting field, and I have come to find that public health affects everyone.

I am a native of Washington, D.C., raised by a single mother who was both brilliant and resourceful. I attended boarding school at St. Timothy’s in Stevenson, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb, as my mother was concerned that the black students were not being well-educated in schools facing conflict from the new policy of busing. I want my mystery novels to express the beauty in diversity. Learn more about Paula here.

About the Book: Murder in La Galeria D’Arte — A Marco in Spain Mystery

Addison Mason had no enemies. Everyone loved him, yet he’s been murdered. Marco is again teamed with Detective Alberto Flores of the Malaga police. They are tasked with investigating the death of Addison, the owner of a new cultural museum in the city.

Addison is murdered on the museum’s opening night, when a famous painting from the fifteenth century was to be unveiled. Marco and Flores must determine whether there is a link between the murder of the curator and the valuable, famous painting, which had been lost since the Spanish Civil War. The search for answers takes them to Spain, the UK, and Morocco.

The Chief of Police, the Mayor, and the town dignitaries of Vivirrambla are relying on the unlikely pair to solve the case, or both their careers could be on the line.

Click here to buy the book.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: 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. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com

Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com.

Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA

About Elaine’s Restaurant:  A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.