Authors Between the Covers: What It Takes to Write Your Heart Out

Welcome to our new podcast/video show, Elaine’s Literary Salon, hosted by bestselling author Jeffrey James Higgins

March 1, 2025: If you are a bibliophile, author, or have always dreamed of penning a book, you will love to meet Jeffrey James Higgins, host of Elaine’s Literary Salon.  This new show — live from the popular bistro Elaine’s [https://www.elaines-restaurant.com/] in Old Town, Alexandria VA. Our host is the restaurant’s owner, Jeffrey James Higgins [https://jeffreyjameshiggins.com/], a #1 Amazon bestselling author on a mission to help fellow writers share their stories. The author of The Forever Game, [https://jeffreyjameshiggins.com/novels/] Furious [https://bestthrillers.com/furious-an-excellent-psychological-thriller-on-the-high-seas/] and Unseen [https://bestthrillers.com/unseen-an-edge-of-your-seat-hostage-rescue-thriller-by-traci-hunter-abramson/], Jeff has a reputation for high-stakes, no-frills drama with this taut thrillers that reviewers say do not contain an ounce of fat. Fans know every line of dialogue is a gut punch, and yet he can make a landscape come alive with a single high-impact sentence. Consider this one: “The pier was a mishmash of pulleys and taught metal lines, and it smelled of diesel fumes and saltwater.” Jeff’s 2024 novel, The Forever Game [https://jeffreyjameshiggins.com/], gives us characters that are so likable, and so on the ropes, that their day-to-day fight for survival is what makes this a page-turner. There’s no indication yet that Higgins is planning a series, but we would love to see one centered around this book’s main character, DEA Special Agent Adam Locke. As it stands, what separates Locke from the Jack Reachers of the literary landscape is his hearty, seemingly natural exploration of deeper themes. In this case, it’s nothing less than the future of immortality. Jeff is a former reporter and retired supervisory special agent who has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received both the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, New York Times, Fox News, Investigation Discovery, Declassified, and USA Today, and has won numerous literary awards, including the PenCraft Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. Today, Inkandescent Radio + TV producer and founder Hope Katz Gibbs, turns the mike to Jeff. We learn about his background, inspiration, and why he and his wife Cynthia (pictured above) opened a restaurant in the heart of Old Town. Don’t miss it! Check out the live Literary Salon events here. [https://www.elaines-restaurant.com/events/] And check back for new episodes of Elaine’s Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv [http://www.inkandescent.tv/] and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com. [http://www.inkandescentradio.com/] Elaine’s Literary Salon About Elaine’s: [https://www.elaines-restaurant.com/about/] Elaine’s modern Mediterranean cuisine is based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt. The unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is located at 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The 1880 building, the previous home of Bilbo Baggins for 38 years, has been completely renovated with a new look and feel. The restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River. Founders Park, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront are only blocks away. Elaine’s is named after the owner’s grandmother. When the owner was twelve years old in Cairo, Egypt, she promised her grandmother that one day she would own a restaurant and name it after her. The owner is proud to share her family’s recipes with the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Make a reservation today:  [https://www.elaines-restaurant.com/about/]elaines-restaurant.com. [https://www.elaines-restaurant.com/about/]

This month on the Authors Between the Covers show: Gregory Maguire, author, “Wicked”

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and producer, Inkandescent Radio [http://www.inkandescentpublishing.com/] — Odds are good that you have read Gregory Macguire’s bestseller, “Wicked,” seen the Broadway show (millions around the world have), and/or are anticipating the release of the film version this month. So, it is a great pleasure to share the interview I had the privilege of doing with him for The Costco Connection. [https://www.costcoconnection.com] Gregory allowed me to record and produce our conversation for our Authors Between the Covers Show on InkandescentRadio and Inkandescent.tv [http://www.inkandescent.tv/]). On our PR & Publishing Co. site, Inkandescent.us, you can also read our Q&A. Stay tuned for the article in the Costco Connection in November. [https://www.costcoconnection.com] Best of all, you’ll get to see Part One of Wicked in November! Scroll down to learn more about the film! About the movie: Wicked (also known as Wicked: Part One) is an upcoming American musical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_film] fantasy film [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_film] directed by Jon M. Chu [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_M._Chu] and written by Winnie Holzman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_Holzman]. It is the first of a two-part [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_split_into_multiple_parts] film adaptation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_adaptation] of the stage musical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre] of the same name [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_(musical)] by Stephen Schwartz [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Schwartz_(composer)] and Holzman, which was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name and characters from L. Frank Baum [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Frank_Baum]‘s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz]. The film stars Cynthia Erivo [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Erivo] and Ariana Grande [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_Grande], with Michelle Yeoh [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Yeoh], Jeff Goldblum [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Goldblum], Jonathan Bailey [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Bailey], Ethan Slater [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Slater], Marissa Bode (in her film debut), Bowen Yang [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowen_Yang], Bronwyn James [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronwyn_James], Keala Settle [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keala_Settle], and Peter Dinklage [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dinklage] in supporting roles. Set in the Land of Oz [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Oz], largely before Dorothy Gale [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Gale]‘s arrival from Kansas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas], the plot follows green-skinned Elphaba [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elphaba] and her path to ultimately becoming the Wicked Witch of the West [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_Witch_of_the_West], alongside an unlikely friendship and later rivalry [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenemy] with a classmate who later becomes Glinda the Good [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glinda]. Theatrical release in the United States is scheduled for November 22, 2024, with Wicked: Part Two [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_Part_Two] slated for November 26, 2025. Universal Pictures [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Pictures] announced the adaptation in 2012 with Marc Platt [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Platt_(producer)] as a producer. After a long development [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_hell] and multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_cinema], Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in their respective roles in 2021. Principal photography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal_photography] began in December 2022 in England [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England], paused in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SAG-AFTRA_strike], eventually resuming then concluding in January 2024.

Romance is Redefined in Rebecca Serle’s newest book “Expiration Dates” — available this month!

March 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescent Women magazine [http://www.inkandescentwomen.com/] — “Being single is like playing the lottery — always the chance that with one piece of paper, you could win it all,” says New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle about the theme of her newest novel, Expiration Dates, [https://www.rebeccaserle.com/expiration-dates] available this month. Promoted as a romance that will define a generation, this is Rebecca’s 8th book — and after reading it, and crying during my 9-hour plane trip from Frankfurt to JFT, I can tell you that is certainly true. Here’s the story: Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake. But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart. What critics are saying: Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for. Click here to read our Q&A: [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/]An article based on our interview will be published in the March 2024 issue of [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/]Costco’s magazine The Connection [https://www.costcoconnection.ca/march_2024/page9.html]. This isn’t my first time writing about Rebecca and her books for [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/]Costco [https://www.costco.com/costco-connection-online-edition.html]. I had the privilege of interviewing the author — who also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name — in 2018 when she published The Dinner List [https://hopegibbs.com/522/dining-to-remember-costco-connection] — an enchanting story about who you’d invite to that one magical dinner when anyone, from any time, could attend. This book strikes a similar cord, linking magic to reality. [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/] Buy the new book here! [https://www.amazon.com/Expiration-Dates-Novel-Rebecca-Serle-ebook/dp/B0C7RN88YR] [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/] Click here to learn more about this Truly Amazing Woman: rebeccaserle.com. [https://www.rebeccaserle.com/] Authors Between the Covers: Click here to read our Q&A on Inkandescent Women magazine. [https://inkandescentwomen.com/the-women/rebecca-serle-expiration-dates/] Don’t miss our podcast here on InkandescentRadio.com [http://www.inkandescentradio.com/]. Click here to watch our video interview on Inkandescent.tv. [https://youtu.be/ZCcI8PZhwHs]

Here Be Dragons — and Griffins and Vampires and Puppies in the newest book by Tui Sutherland, “Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World”

October 2023: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, Inkandescent® PR & Publishing Co. [http://www.inkandescent.us/] — If you haven’t already been sucked into Tui Sutherland’s epic Wings of Fire dragon fantasy, dive into the backstories of the ten tribes on two continents with three moons in A Guide to the Dragon World. In this title, we learn the dragons of Pyrrhia and Pantala are on a mission to develop a definitive guide to the lives and history of each tribe told by the dragons themselves. “It’s sort of hilarious because I was thinking of this book as the nonfiction one,” laughs Sutherland, talking to the Costco Connection from her home near Boston. “Clearly, it’s still fiction, like a little map with letters, interviews, and journal entries that expose old myths and reveal dark secrets.” Having sold more than 14 million copies and been translated into a dozen languages, Scholastic’s 15-book series has been on the New York Times bestseller list for years. There are also two standalone titles, four short stories, two companion books, and six graphic novel adaptations — all studded with brilliant illustrations. How has the woman, named after a noisy New Zealand bird thanks to her Mom who grew up there, dreamed up this alternative universe? “When I was a little kid, we lived in Caracas, Paraguay, Miami, and Santa Domingo before moving to New Jersey for high school, and everywhere I went, I’d make up stories, read stories, and imagine myself in new worlds. After graduating from college, I went into publishing because I wanted to know how books are made. By then, I had written several books of my own, but it was fantasy that captured my heart.” When her first son was born in 2010, Sutherland wanted to take him on a hero’s quest. “So, I created a series about destiny and what’s written for you versus what you choose for yourself. You can save the world no matter what kind of dragon you are — the fierce bossy one or the tiny optimistic one with no powers. They all have their way of making their world a better place.” This article was written for the October issue of Costco’s magazine: costco.com/connection [https://www.costco.com/connection-fye-here-be-dragons-october-2023.html] Click here to read our extended Inkandescent Q&A with Tui. [https://inkandescent.us/books-of-the-month/wings-of-fire/]

Meet New York Times Bestselling Author Lisa See and discover her newest historical novel: “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women”

June 2023: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co. [http://www.inkandescentwomen.com/] — Hello, and welcome to this month’s episode of Authors Between the Covers Show on the Inkandescent Radio Network [http://www.inkandescentradio.com/] and Inkandescent.tv [http://www.inkandescent.tv/]. I’m deeply honored to be here with today’s guest, Lisa See; I was introduced to this New York Times bestselling author when my longtime freelance client, Costco magazine, assigned me to write about her latest book for the June 2023 issue of The Costco Connection [https://www.costco.com/connection-fye-womens-work-june-2023.html]. It is the historical novel Lady Tan’s Circle of Women [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lady-Tans-Circle-of-Women/Lisa-See/9781982117085], and it is truly the most anticipated book for the summer of 2023. It is inspired by a true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China, and in the book, we learn how the main character breaks free from tradition and treats women and girls from every level of society. I can’t wait to hear all about this. But first and foremost, welcome, Lisa. I’m so excited to have you here. Before we get into our Q&A, here’s a little background on Lisa. As I mentioned, Lisa is a New York Times bestselling author of a dozen books, including The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, and Dreams of Joy, [https://www.lisasee.com/] which debuted at number one. She was born in Paris but grew up in Los Angeles. We are talking to her from there now. And she lived with her mother but spent a lot of time with her father’s family in Chinatown and says she has always been intrigued by stories that have been lost, forgotten, or deliberately covered up, whether in the past or now in the world today. Lisa has been honored by the National Woman she has been honored as National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women. In 2001, she received the Organization of Chinese American Women honored her as a National Woman of the Year. She received the Chinese American Museum’s History Makers Award in 2003, and in 2017, she received the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. Click here for our Q&A [https://inkandescent.us/our-authors/lisa-see/], and be sure to listen to our podcast interview on Inkandescent Radio Network [http://www.inkandescentradio.com/] and the video version on Inkandescent.tv [http://www.inkandescent.tv/].