Join us tonight for Noir at the Bar — Halloween Short Story Readings, at Elaine’s Literary Salon: Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 6-9pm

About the Book: Sins of the Saviors Book 1: Escape from the Culling Box No one escaped from hell. Until David, who returns to a twisted shadow of the country and family he left decades ago. The 2028 election was our last – democracy traded for an AI-directed utopia. The network saved humanity from existential threats and curbed our violent tendencies, but it came with a heavy price. As a vestige soldier fleeing a forever war, David must rediscover who heClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Thursday, September 25, 2025 from 6-9pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Meet our guest: Be the change you wish to see: Meet 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 world. As Founder and CEO of The ConcreteClick here to listen to the podcast!

About The Mapmaker: Resistance operative Charlotte Denneau has critical targeting information for the Allies, and the Gestapo knows it. On the run across occupied France, she must prioritize her mission over the lives of the agents and civilians she needs to help her escape. Germans are taking down Resistance networks with disastrous results. Agents are being arrested, tortured, questioned, and turned. Charlotte never knows whom to trust. She communicates in coded radio calls to London, with the enemy always listening.Click here to listen to the podcast!

When: Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 6-9pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About Noir at the Bar: Elaine’s fills with writers and readers who love a great noir story. Reading from their books on All Hallows’ Eve, also known as Halloween, there’s not better way to prepare for All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Day). Join in as the authors share tales from their books that are sure to make you fear things that go bump on theClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Sunday, October 22, 2025 from 6-9pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About 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 Master of Arts degree in Novel Writing from MiddlesexClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 10am to 4pm At Made in ALX: 415 King Street, Alexandria VA About the Festival: Elaine’s Literary Salon is co-hosting the first Alexandria Book & Craft Festival, and I’d like to invite you to attend as a featured author. This is an invitation-only event for authors to meet readers and sell books. Elaine’s will set up tables and tents the square behind Made in ALX, 415 King Street, in the heart of Old TownClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Saturday, October 4, 2025 from noon to 3pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About The Most Dangerous Game: A short mystery fiction anthology Authors incude: Heather Graham, JD Allen, Shawn Reilly Simmons, LaToya Jovena, Alan Orloff, Daphne Silver, BV Lawson, P.M. Raymond, Maya Corrigan, Kerry Hammond, Shannon Taft, donalee Moulton, K.C. Selby, Stephen M. Pierce, Chris Chan, Sharyn Kolberg, Jane Limprecht, Bruce Kubec, Robert Lopresti, L.L. Kaplan, Rebecca Lugones, and Kirlagh James Click here to learnClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Sunday, Sunday, October 5, 2025 from noon to 3pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 The art of poetry writing is celebrated this afternoon when we’ll be joined for readings and interview with some of our favorite poets: John Smith, Rev. Robert Flanagan, and more! 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 TalibanClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Sunday, Sunday, September 28, 2025 from noon to 3pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 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 theClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 6:30-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Northern Virginia Writers Club: Established in November 2007, the Northern Virginia Writers Club is an affiliate of the Virginia Writers Club serving aspiring and published authors alike in the northern Virginia region. Currently, meetings are hybrid or entirely virtual, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of every month. The club offers workshops, panel discussions, and expert speakers designed to assist members in the artClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 6:30-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Northern Virginia Writers Club: Established in November 2007, the Northern Virginia Writers Club is an affiliate of the Virginia Writers Club serving aspiring and published authors alike in the northern Virginia region. Currently, meetings are hybrid or entirely virtual, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of every month. The club offers workshops, panel discussions, and expert speakers designed to assist members in the artClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Sunday, Sunday, September 21, 2025 from 6-9pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Meet the Author: Dr. Joan Naidorf is a board-certified emergency physician trained at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia. After growing up in Highland Park, NJ, she obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia. She practiced for nearly thirty years in the busy emergency departments of Inova Alexandria Hospital and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. As anClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Jan. 11, 2026 At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About Practical Productivity: A Guide to Surviving Life’s Juggling Act Feeling like you’re one dropped ball away from everything crashing down? No matter how skilled we are at managing our time, we inevitably face more demands than we can handle, each obligation yet another piece of an ever-expanding puzzle. Practical Productivity is your battle-tested guide to mastering life’s most challenging juggling act. From handling multiple executive roles andClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Thursday, August 17, 2025 • Noon to 2pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Meet the Author: Kenneth Dekleva is a practicing psychiatrist in Dallas, TX, who served as a physician-diplomat with the US government during 2002-2016, mostly overseas, including Moscow, Mexico City, New Delhi, Vienna, and London. He has traveled to over 70 countries worldwide, and speaks Spanish, Serbian, Slovene, Russian and German. Learn more here. About: The Russian Diplomat’s Wife The unlikely protagonists of thisClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 6:30-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Northern Virginia Writers Club: Established in November 2007, the Northern Virginia Writers Club is an affiliate of the Virginia Writers Club serving aspiring and published authors alike in the northern Virginia region. Currently, meetings are hybrid or entirely virtual, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of every month. The club offers workshops, panel discussions, and expert speakers designed to assist members in the artClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Aug. 9, 2025 from noon to 3pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Book-to-Film Seminar: Adapting Your Work for the Screen Have you always wanted to adapt your novel for the movies or TV?  What does it take to turn your story into a script that’s ready to be filmed?  And how do you reach the right people to make your Hollywood dreams a reality?  Learn more about how to adapt your work for the bigClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Sunday, August 3, 2025, 6-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Book: Dog’s Breakfast Click here to buy Dog’s Breakfast! takes the reader behind the scenes as intrigue erupts in a backwater U.S. Embassy when Andy Pulano the second-in-command becomes fed up with being treated with less respect than the ambassador’s prized Labrador. Craving career advancement Andy sets out to undermine his boss by instigating a series of crises in their host country of Vodania whichClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: August 1, 2025, noon to 3pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Sisters in Crime: The Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a chapter of the international organization Sisters in Crime, includes authors, readers, agents, editors, booksellers, and librarians sharing a love for the mystery genre and our support of women who write mysteries. This chapter covers Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC but we welcome all mystery lovers. Please join in for a meeting! LearnClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 6:30-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Northern Virginia Writers Club: Established in November 2007, the Northern Virginia Writers Club is an affiliate of the Virginia Writers Club serving aspiring and published authors alike in the northern Virginia region. Currently, meetings are hybrid or entirely virtual, usually on the third or fourth Saturday of every month. The club offers workshops, panel discussions, and expert speakers designed to assist members in the artClick here to listen to the podcast!

When: July 31, 2025, 6-9pm At Elaine’s: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About the Book: Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder Charming yet wickedly imaginative mystery ghostwriter Maeve Gardner finds herself at the center of a murder investigation with more twists and turns than any story she’s ever written, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman. Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has plannedClick here to listen to the podcast!