Elaine's Literary Salon

Most Recent Podcast

July 14 2026

Elaine's Literary Salon
Elaine's Literary Salon
Humans may "Hang 10" when they surf, but surf dogs always "Hang 20," insists law enforcement officer turned children's book author Kerri Hagerty. Check out her bestselling books!
Loading
/

Meet the Author: Kerri Hagerty is a dedicated law enforcement officer who has proudly served her community for over 20 years. Through roles ranging from patrol officer to detective, she has received several awards, including Officer of the Year, Officer of the Month, two Life Saving Awards, and numerous public commendations.

Beyond the badge, Kerri is also an accomplished children’s book author. Inspired by her real-life adventure dog, Olive, her stories chronicle their surfing and camping escapades. Through Olive’s journeys, Kerri teaches young readers valuable lessons about overcoming their fears and the power of friendship.

“The Adventures of Olive,” by Kerri Hagerty

When she isn’t in uniform or writing, Kerri is a true outdoor enthusiast. Whether she is catching waves, solo backpacking through remote wilderness, or exploring new corners of the globe, she finds her greatest inspiration in nature. Kerri lives the very lessons she writes about-continually seeking adventure, overcoming fear, and embracing the beauty of this world.

“Olive Goes Camping,” by Kerri Hagerty

About the Books: The author and the real-life Olive live in their very own version of Sandy Cove. They actually surf, hike, camp and go on an assortment of adventures together. The Adventures of Olive and the Very Best Day Ever series was inspired by the timid little puppy who grew up to become the ultimate adventure dog and woman’s very best friend. Olive’s joy and zest for life touches everyone she meets; we hope she inspires you and brings joy to your day!

Click here to buy the books: hang20books.com

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

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 previous home for 38 years of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins. 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.

Welcome to ElainesLitearySalon.com!

Bibliophiles will love this new show — live from the popular bistro Elaine’s in Old Town, Alexandria VA. Our host is the restaurant’s owner, Jeffrey James Higgins, a prolific author who is on a mission to help his fellow writers share their stories. Check out the live Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and InkandescentRadio.com.

About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host 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.

He has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. He’s a #1 Amazon bestselling author with 21 literary awards, including the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal. He has been a panelist at ThrillerFest, Killer Nashville, Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity, and other conferences.

Black Rose Writing published his first three novels, FURIOUS, UNSEEN, and THE FOREVER GAME. Severn River Publishing has acquired Jeffrey’s forthcoming Nathan Burke espionage series. Jeffrey is an active member of the Authors Guild, the Virginia Writers Club, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Royal Writers Secret Society. He’s represented by Jackson Keeler at Inkworks. Learn more about Jeff’s books: JeffreyJamesHiggins.com.

Click here to check out Jeff’s affordable book writing services to help authors everywhere make their book publishing dreams come true. 

And meet the PR Director for Elaine’s Literary Salon, InkandescentPR.com’s founder, Hope Katz Gibbs. With her team of award-winning journalists, illustrators and video producers, they help writers up their PR and marketing game with professionally produced podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com, the video version on Inkandescent.tv, a strong social media push, and more! Learn more: InkandescentPR.com.

Upcoming Podcasts

MEET THE INKANDESCENT® RADIO TEAM

Hope Katz Gibbs, Founder & Executive Producer, InkandescentRadio.com

Brandi Wilsker-Merritt, Director of Podcasting

Nelson Benavides, Director of Videography

Max KukoyInkandescent Website Developer

Michael GibbsInkandescent Art Director

 

Previous Episodes
Wednesday, July 1st, 2026

ep1: Introducing the David O. Stewart Show, Season 1 — “The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven founders, nine documents, and the ideas that shaped America”

Meet the Author: A trial and appellate lawyer for many years, David writes history and historical novels. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Independent Review of Books, was a reporter for the Staten Island Advance, and for 10 years wrote the monthly Supreme Court column for the American Bar Association Journal. He has also done on-air commentary for CNN, C-SPAN, Bloomberg News, and MSNBC. About his newest book, The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents,Click here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026

International bestseller J.D. Barker is coming to Elaine’s Literary Salon with his new novel, “The Probability of Murder”

When: Saturday, August 15, 2026 from noon to 3pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 We welcome debut bestselling novelist J.D. Barker to Elaine’s Literary Salon, where he’ll be sharing his latest novel, “The Probability of Murder” Our agenda for the Aug. 15 event: Noon: Meet, greet, and order food and drinks from Elaine’s award-winning menu 1pm: Our 45-minute interview begins, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience to be produced on our popular podcast and video seriesClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026

Author Justin Laborde brings us a story inspired by his grandfather, “Scattered Far and Wide: The Naval Academy Class of ’38 at War”

Meet the Author: Justin Laborde, PhD, is a strategic consultant and frequent speaker on consumer trends, marketplace insights, and business-growth strategies at Fortune 500 companies. Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Justin now lives with his wife, Amanda, and their three children in Cary, North Carolina. About Scattered Far and Wide: This book follows the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1938 as they rise from junior officers to combat leaders in World War II’s most pivotal battles. Through firsthand accounts andClick here to listen to the podcast!

Monday, June 22nd, 2026

Beka Wueste’s “Human of the Year,” is a gripping tale about a man released from a Maryland prison after nearly 20 years. Join us to learn more about this story of family dynamics, emotional survival, and second chances.

When: Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 12-3pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Get your free ticket: BekaWueste.eventbrite.com Our agenda for this fabulous brunch event: Noon: Meet, greet, and order food and drinks from Elaine’s award-winning menu 1pm: Our 45-minute interview begins, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience to be produced on our popular podcast and video series 2pm: Guests talk with the author, buy the books, and get them signed! Meet the Author: Beka Wueste isClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Old Testament scholar and professor Dr. Stephen Cook brings us his newest book, “Daniel: An Exegetical & Theological Bible Commentary”

Meet the Author: Dr. Stephen L. Cook serves as the Catherine N. McBurney Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Virginia Theological Seminary, the largest of the accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church (founded in 1823). He and his wife, Catherine, a psychotherapist, live on the seminary campus in Alexandria, Virginia, with their daughter from China, Rebecca. Prior to joining the VTS faculty in 1996, Stephen served on the faculty of Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University in New YorkClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026

Ep59: Elaine’s Literary Salon show — “I Can’t Have Cancer, I Have Carpool! — Lessons on Beating Cancer While Being a Mom” shares author, mom of 3 and cancer survivor Elizabeth Hodges

Meet the Author: Elizabeth Hodges was 38 when she got the news, “You have leukemia.” Six weeks later, she was told she also had adult cystic fibrosis. With three young children, intense fear set in that she might not live to see them grow up. Instead of giving in, she became determined to prioritize her role as a mother and lead a life driven by purpose and clarity, even with cancer. Over her eighteen-year journey, she discovered that motherhood canClick here to listen to the podcast!

Monday, June 1st, 2026

QuinTango is coming to Elaine’s on June 3! Join us for “The Stories Tango Tells” — an intimate interview with the group’s founder Joan Singer and composers Ali Cook and Emmanuel Trifilio

Experience QuinTango: Alexandria-based music group QuinTango made its splashy debut on the world stage in 1999 at the Clinton White House State Dinner for the president of Argentina.  Robert Duvall danced, and global news networks covered the event.  The following morning, QuinTango received an invitation to perform at an international music festival in Costa Rica, and they were off and running.  Twenty-eight years later, QuinTango is in its seventh iteration, still evolving and still excited to create and connect. LearnClick here to listen to the podcast!

Friday, May 29th, 2026

Policy expert and political operative Matthew Lavoie brings us his debut thriller novel, “Main Street Fringe”

When: Wednesday, September 02, 2026 from 6-9pm Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Get your free ticket: MatthewLavoie.eventbrite.com We welcome debut novelist Matthew Lavoie to Elaine’s Literary Salon to share his debut novel, “Main Street Fringe.” Our agenda for tonight’s event: 6pm: Meet, greet, and order food and drinks from Elaine’s award-winning menu 7pm: Our 45-minute interview begins, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience to be produced on our popular podcast and video series 8pm: Guests talkClick here to listen to the podcast!