Jan. 29: Sign up for this Magic System seminar by C.R. Rowensen: “The Hidden Tool Dean Koontz, Tana French, and Others Use to Bend Reality”

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 by his father’s battle against the disease. The film’s segment exploring Parkinson’s and medical marijuana received global attention, andClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 amazing event at elainesliterarysalon.com. About the anthology: Our world is changing dramatically before our eyes. Increased average global temperatures have wreakedClick here to listen to the podcast!

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, retiring as a Sergeant Major. He received several awards and decorations throughout his career includingClick here to listen to the podcast!

Join us for a free seminar at 8pm ET on Jan. 29: Elaine’s Literary Salon is proud to sponsor an educational, informative seminar hosted by one of our favorite authors, C.R. Rowensen. Get your Free ticket on Eventbrite • Meet us at 8pm ET on Zoom About the seminar: Why do some thrillers stay with readers long after the final page? What do authors like Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Tana French, and Blake Crouch do that others don’t? They useClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 awareness and research. Through his weekly blog, mentoring, and active participation on various ALS organizationClick here to listen to the podcast!

Course Description: A series of topic-specific workshops designed to drill deeper into the finer points of storytelling. Writing exercises will help you hone your skills and give you the confidence to take your writing to the next level. Deep Listening for Writers: A writer is an observer first, last, and always. This session is an invitation to consider every interaction as an opportunity to follow one’s curiosity about people of other genders, races, ages, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds with anClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 also a police detective in Maryland and has been working in law enforcement since 2002. He is aClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 through all of 2004. . . which ended in 2005—where had landed another prestigious unpaidClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 obsession. About Clark’s nonfiction and fiction books: The Magic System Blueprint: A Fiction Writer’s Guide toClick here to listen to the podcast!

This week at Elaine’s Literary Salon, we are excited to share our newest interview with critically acclaimed, bestselling author John Gilstrap. Today, he talks with Elaine’s Literary Salon host Jeffrey James Higgins about his new novels, writing process, and what makes his books so popular with readers. About the author and his books: When John Gilstrap’s first novel, Nathan’s Run, hit the market in 1996, it set the literary world on fire. Publication rights sold in 23 countries, the movieClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 wondering what he wants to do when he grows up.  He now lives in Maryland with hisClick here to listen to the podcast!

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, retiring from the Army as a lieutenant colonel after 28 years of active and reserve service. He holds anClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 Barnes & Noble as a national monthly pick. Carter is also the creator and host of Making ItClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 stories in various publications, three winning the Derringer award for excellence in shortClick here to listen to the podcast!

Meet the Author: Jennifer began her writing journey at the age of 10 when she started her own neighborhood newspaper, “The Santa Clara Times,” printed it herself, and walked up and down her street, passing it out to all the neighbors. She graduated from the School of Journalism, Mass Communications, and Public Relations at San Jose State University in Northern California, and went on to have a ten-year career as a journalist. Her works have appeared in countless print andClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 several short stories and Accidental Paradise, his debut novel. Eric lives in BaltimoreClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 legacy, both professionally and personally. Her story and authentic worldview connect with women in senior positions who worry that they’ve lost theirClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 live abroad and see a large part of the world, thanks to my timeClick here to listen to the podcast!

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 get your free ticket! Meet Monisha Longacre: A seasoned operations executive, entrepreneur, in  author of “Practical Productivity:Click here to listen to the podcast!

Meet the Author: Austin S. Camacho is the author of seven novels in the Hannibal Jones Mystery Series (including The Troubleshooter, Blood and Bone, Collateral Damage, Damaged Goods, Russian Roulette, Pyramid Deception and The Wrong Kind) five in the Stark and O’Brien adventure series (The Payback Assignment, The Orion Assignment, The Piranha Assignment, The Ice Woman Assignment and The Lost Art Assignment) and the detective novel Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in four anthologies from Wolfmont Press,Click here to listen to the podcast!