… Or Movie Mishaps Over breakfast with friends at our local built-in-the-1700s general store, we shared some stories of the funny and unusual things that happened to us in our decades as moviegoers. They laughed and smiled at the surprising and unusual experiences I had spent those many hours in the dark with the scent…

I reconnected with an old friend recently, Ken Finkel, who is a wonderful guy and an accomplished musician. I am a writer and book publisher first, but I happened to mention to Ken my side hustle. I am a semi-professional poker player and have competed against the best players in the world with some success.…

I recently discovered the AI website character.ai. It’s an intriguing place where you can have a virtual conversation with William Shakespeare, Napoleon Bonaparte, or even a psychologist. So I wondered: what if I could create and train a virtual, human-like Sam Sunborn, the protagonist in my NOT SO DEAD thriller series? Guess what– I did…

One of the best pieces of advice the bestselling writer Walter Mosley gave me was to “arrive late and leave early.” What did he mean? Well, we both write psychological mystery thrillers. And to keep a story interesting, you don’t need a lot of extraneous detail in the beginning or at the end. So, no…

By Charles Levin Edited by Neil MacNeil “It’s always the same, always on my case. ‘Do this. Do that. Oh, no, don’t do that. Faster.’ Without me, what’d you got? An uptight vegetable. I make things happen. I’m all about action, baby! Yeah, sometimes I do get sick, and it is usually his fault.” The…

When did this happen? Last week, my sons, who both live in California, blessed us with a rare visit. It was a magical weekend for many reasons, including a big party we gave for 50 of our closest friends and family. The night before the big party we did Chinese takeout from Ho Ho Kitchen,…

[Author’s Note: so many of the events and predictions in my NOT SO DEAD Series have strangely happened as predicted or appeared later in the news. The world has been captivated for the last 2 weeks by the trials and tragedy of the Oceangate submersible. That very same Oceangate submersible model appears in my first…

[Note: this is a guest post from one of my favorite authors, Bob Katz. The heroic true story of Elaine referenced in this post, alludes to his book Elaine’s Circle: A Teacher, a Student, a Classroom, and One Unforgettable Year. I highly recommend it.] For many years I ran a speakers bureau, which I would…

Charlie wakes up on a bed in an LA department store. His rumpled black jacket is wrapped around him; his derby hat rests on the night table: and his black shoes with the holes and spaghetti laces lay neatly underneath. The store is empty, the lights dim. He rubs the sleep from his eyes by…

Story by Diana Searby and Charles Levin | Written by Charles Levin [Reader’s Note: two weeks ago I invited readers to help me finish writing a short story I had half-written on a plane flight from San Francisco to New Jersey. Thanks to all those who contributed their very creative and fun ideas. I chose…

[Reader’s note: this is an unfinished story, featuring some childhood memories–maybe yours or maybe mine. I wrote the original Write a Story With Me in 2019 and had some very creative responses which I turned into the finished story The Gift with credit to those who contributed the What happens next to the unfinished story. Let’s…

By Charles Levin with ChatGPT [Authors Note. I had an idea for a satiric short story based on a real clinical Alzheimer’s drug trial application form I saw that seemed to be absurd on its face. But I have been experimenting with AI and I thought I’d ask GPT to chime in. The following are…

I inherited the painting from my mother thirty-two years ago. It was one of many by an accomplished artist named James Carlin. But this one differed from the rest. I’ll get to that in a minute. My mother and James ‘Jimmy’ Carlin struck up a friendship in the 1950s. She was the first female stockbroker…

[Author’s Note: Today, sample a chapter from my upcoming thriller STILL NOT GONE, the 5th book in the NOT SO DEAD Series wherein Evan meets Evan.] Frank tries to match the circadian rhythms of the real world in this virtual world we inhabit. So, when it’s dark back home where I used to live with…

A familiar phrase popped into my head recently and it got me thinking… Do you remember hearing “Same Time, Same Station?” I heard it often as a kid when one of my favorite TV shows, like Superman or Carol Burnett or Andy Griffith signed off for the week. My parents heard the same phrase as…

Do you ever have trouble falling asleep because thoughts are whirling around in your head? Happens to me a lot. Maybe more so lately as my company, the Munn Avenue Press, is going through a growth spurt. And I’m thinking about tomorrow’s long to-do list. Ever happen to you? Now I wouldn’t say I’m an…

[Note; today I’m pleased to share a guest post by Carol Bluestein, author of the Amazon #1 Bestselling SEDUCTION Series] Here’s Carol… Writing, for me, is a Brain Game. How to get from here to there, efficiently without leaving out the details, practically without over/under explaining, and safely so my reader is buckled in for…

[Note: Today I share a short essay by one of my favorite writers, Bob Katz. He agreed to let me share it here publicly for the first time. Bob got me thinking. He inspired me to share a personal story of my own in the Postscript. Enjoy!] My novel Third and Long is the story…

“As writers, it is in the art that we find ourselves.” So, I’m halfway through writing my sixth book STILL NOT GONE, the sequel to STILL NOT DEAD, but stuff keeps getting in the way. I accidentally (explanation here} started a publishing company last year, the Munn Avenue Press and it has taken off. I’ve…

[Publisher’s Note: I’m pleased to share here with the permission of the author, Bob Katz, this charming, serendipitous, and true account of the story-behind-the-story that led to Elaine’s Circle: A Teacher, a Student, a Classroom, and One Unforgettable Year by Bob Katz–available on Amazon. I am also honored to have the publishing company I started–the…

A personal essay about all the books I haven’t read and some I have.. How many books have you started reading but never finished? That’s a question I asked myself recently now that I have many more unread books than ones I’ve finished. And I read a lot. I won’t even talk much here about…

I played poker as a teenager, but I took it up more seriously twenty years ago. The intrigue and intricacies of the game found me when I needed the comfort and distraction of a high-level intellectual challenge. It feels funny writing that last phrase, as most people think of poker as a game played in…

I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to write a children’s book, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I wanted an idea that inspired me yet appealed to children from six to ten years of age—maybe because my twin grandsons are seven years old. To appeal to children, my children’s book…

[Note: Today enjoy a free excerpt from the upcoming thriller STILL NOT GONE that gives you a flavor for the bigger journey that I hope you will take later this year.] Chapter 2—Yours How alive am I if I’m purely digital? I’ve been asking myself that question for almost ten years. I mean I don’t…

[ When I’m invited to speak at libraries and book-signings, the question I am asked most often is, “Where do you get your ideas?” I shared in part my personal answer to that question in my last post, Reading for the Soul. Today I’m happy to share two stories of writing and inspiration–the story behind…

I’ve been thinking a lot about the magical effect that reading or more broadly, storytelling, has on the soul, on our sense of self, on our peace of mind, on meaning in our lives. What is it about telling and listening to a story that calms you, engages you, drills down to your very core—even…

It’s funny how serendipitous events have played such a huge role in my life. Well, that’s probably true of everyone—how you met your spouse, how you decided on a career, how you met your best friend. Come to think of it, all the best things in life seem to happen by accident, not by plan,…

[Note: Today enjoy a free excerpt from STILL NOT DEAD that both stands on its own and gives you a flavor for the bigger journey that I hope you will take.} My Mother Says… “Why don’t you send somebody from the local field office to interview Bultema?” Michelle asks. “We hop in the jet and…

While cleaning out my crazily cluttered attic, filled with thirty-eight years of things my wife, Amy, and I don’t need, but couldn’t part with, broken chairs, boxes full of clothes, ancient computers, ‘80s vintage suitcases, and the like, I stumbled across something quite special. Fire Hazzard Let me back up. If you’re a procrastinator like…

By Florence Sandler (1923 – 2008); Edited by Charles Levin [Author’s Note: this is the second guest post by a relatively unknown, but talented writer. In this emotional true story, she manages to capture a time, a place, and several kinds of love. This personal story along with a few other moving memoirs were recently…

[Note: Taken from a chapter in my soon-to-be-released thriller, Book 4 of the Sam Sunborn Series. Posting this as I just flew home to New Jersey from California like Monica in the following story/excerpt.] LGA At 9:45 PM, Monica struts through LaGuardia Terminal, roller bag in tow. LaGuardia Airport is as dingy and worn as…

By Florence Sandler (1923 – 2008) [Author’s Note: this a special guest post by a relatively unknown, but talented writer. In this captivating true story, she manages to capture a time, a place, and a personality. This personal story along with a few other moving memoirs were recently found among Florence’s papers. At the bottom…

[Author’s Note: the following is an excerpt from NOT ZERO-ONE, Book 4 of the Sam Sunborn series arriving Spring 2021] Reality Speaks I unclose my eyes. But virtual reality speaks. I have no real eyes or a mouth or ears. I have ones and zeros. I am ones and zeros moving in patterns that define…

A few months ago, I was looking for a book on the lonely bookshelves in our living room when I stumbled upon a box I had not seen in 48 years. Could it be? Opening the box, there rested an eight-inch reel of Super-8 film, the long-lost, original and only copy of Love in the…

[Author’s Note: I was reminded of a chapter from my novel NOT SO GONE (excerpted here) when I saw the brilliant photo below republished from the New York Times archives yesterday. It depicts the Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants crossing a bridge on their way to Madison Square Garden in New York. You’ll understand this…

[Note: Today enjoy a free excerpt from NOT SO DONE that both stands on its own and gives you a flavor for the bigger journey that I hope you will take. You can either read it below or listen to a chapter from the soon-to-be-released Audiobook, featuring acclaimed narrator Daniel Greenberg.] – Listen to the Audio…

[Author’s Note: as many of us who love to travel had to cancel plans and are stuck at home, enjoy taking a vicarious journey with me on a 7500-mile cross-America trip we took a couple of summers ago. These days I’m reading travel stories, finding them a comforting escape, pleasantly reminding me of the real…

[Note: Taken from a chapter in my soon-to-be-released thriller novel, NOT SO DONE. I share it here because it sticks in my head like a favorite song and it’s loverly] – Listen to the Audio Version HERE The gravel driveway is long and winding up to the Riverdale Assisted Living Center in Scarsdale. Rich gets…

“She looked in the mirror. Despite the makeup, she could see the puffy, gray circles under her eyes. Being President takes its toll on us all, she thought.”— from Not So Dead When I wrote the above passage in my first novel, Not So Dead, it just came naturally. When you look in the mirror,…

As I was approaching the finish line of writing my new thriller NOT SO DONE, the standalone sequel to NOT SO DEAD and NOT SO GONE, I considered changing the subtitle to The Final Sam Sunborn Novel. It’s not that Sam and his cohorts are done saving the world or that I tired of him…

A True Story – My sister stumbled upon a fifty-five-year-old set of documents. Buried beneath the legalese, the text evokes a flood of personal memories as it reveals the story of a family in the 1950s. The sales agreement, mortgage releases, and title insurance papers on their face codify the sale of the Palace Theater,…

Story by Marlene Claire Steele, Oralee O’Byrne, and Charles Levin Written by Charles Levin [Reader’s Note: Last month, I asked readers to suggest the second half of the plotline in a story I started Thanks to all those who contributed their very creative and fun ideas. I chose two from readers, Marlene and Lee, whose…

[Reader’s note: this is an unfinished story, featuring DHS Director Rich Little and Assistant Deputy Director, Michelle Hadar. Both significant characters in my thrillers NOT SO DEAD and NOT SO GONE. Let’s have some creative writing fun and try to finish the story together if you’re up for it.] Let’s Go! Takes 2 minutes! Read…

Where were you on July 20, 1969 – the Day Apollo 11 Landed on the Moon? I included the Moon Landing question in a recent newsletter to my readers and asked them to share their experiences. I was so delighted by their personal and intimate recollections that I asked their permission to share their poignant…

“Make it a story of great distances and starlight…”– Robert Penn Warren from Tell Me A Story Updates [Update: In the last nine months since I posted this article, several exciting new advances in Text-to-Speech technology have arrived on the scene. At the end of this article, I have included information and thoughts on two…

The Call “You better come right away,” Ann urged.  “I just got a call from Harry’s daughter. He’s leaving us. I’m on my way to his house right now.” Harry, my unsung hero, was dying. “We’ll be there as fast as we can,” I assured her. Harry’s girlfriend of ten years, Ann, was not one…

[Note: the characters Renata and Inspector V, as well as the crime of bodyjacking, play a major role in my upcoming sequel to NOT SO GONE and NOT SO DEAD.] Possessed “How does it end?” “I don’t know. I never do. I just write and it comes to me along the way.” “I don’t understand.…

[Note: Renata and Juan are both important characters in my recently-released, thriller novel NOT SO GONE ] Crazy Nonsense “Stop! Stop filling my head with your crazy nonsense,” Renata cries. “Sorry, I’m addicted to breathing and your crazy ex, Brad, almost put an end to that. It’s not nonsense. Look at this.” Juan lowers his collar,…

Who’s listening? This week we take a fictional look at a very non-fictional issue surrounding our personal privacy. —————————————————————————————————————————————————– Huh? I first saw it resting in a planter next to our table at Café Cucina. A black rectangle was camouflaged against the dark soil amid the thick stalks of a corn plant. I bent down…

A little fictional roadside whimsy this week . . . Enjoy! ——————————————————————— Lea stares at her reflection in the glass window at Starbucks. She likes having blue eyes in a brown-eyed world. She settles back with her hot coffee, breathes in the aroma like a fine wine, and gently sips. People coming and going in…

Here’s another departure from my usual non-fiction and occasional fiction on this blog. A very personal true story . . .  Unknown Man I never knew him. He died when I was a year old. But I heard growing up that my father when he was alive, liked to take home movies. I had never seen…

[Taking a different tach this time in my blog, which usually covers the latest in tech with some occasional fiction thrown in. This week we look at a nuanced tech trick for getting better results from your Email Marketing efforts.] Email Marketing to Your List is Still the #1 Most Productive & Cost-Effective Selling Tool…

What’s a Micro Story? What’s a Micro Story? I have been a fan of Short Stories since I was a kid. Maybe it’s because I’m a slow reader and like the satisfaction of being able to enjoy a full story from beginning to end in one sitting. As an adult, I got hooked on what…

[Note: Enjoy this work of short fiction that riffs on the latest in digital and voice technology. This post is a departure from my usual non-fiction look at tech trends and artificial intelligence.] Lea Swan parks her Audi just outside the yellow tape. Lights atop emergency vehicles are flashing. There’s a crowd of reporters, and…

“If the Product is free, you are the Product.” So goes a famous saying in techland. What does that mean? It means if somebody is giving something away for free, they must be getting something in return. In the case of all those free apps on your phone, what the App Developers get is your…

Will there be a cure for death in your lifetime? I won’t even parse the built-in paradox in that sentence, but I will give you an answer to the question, upfront. The answer is Maybe. Now that may seem disappointingly vague, but the mere fact that the answer is not No, is amazing. Longevity Entrepreneurs…

What if someone could buy all the genetic engineering tools and materials, for a few hundred dollars online, to develop a cure for a disease or start a plague? Science fiction, right? Nope. You can now order your gene hacking supplies at Odin.com to get started. New gene hacking tools, including the powerful CRISPR/Cas9, allow…

How Do Questions Work? Why do I find good questions so powerful and fascinating? Makes sense to start a blog about questions with a question, right? It’s because of what just happened in your brain when you read those first two sentences. You may not realize it consciously, but your subconscious automatically engages to try…

What’s It Like To Live Purely Digital? Near future. Sam Sunborn interviews Frank Einstein, Founder and Chief Scientist at Digital3000. Dr. Einstein has invented a brain-to-computer interface that enables the uploading of human, thoughts, memories and emotions to computer servers in the Cloud. Once uploaded, the individual can live digitally, still interact with their loved…

Infrastructure Is Exposed The short answer is ‘Yes.’ Hackers can take down our power grid right now. How they can do it and why they haven’t done it yet should be a concern for all of us, not just the government or utility companies. As we’ve seen in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, loss of…

Imagine This An armed robbery takes place. Men in masks with shotguns pull up in a white van to the 1st National. Three get out, enter the bank and shots are fired. 90 Seconds later they exit the bank and speed off. It’s 2 minutes before the police arrive and the robbers are long gone.…

Zone IV Challenges I was inspired to write this post while reading the blog of Carl Pabo, the accomplished MIT biophysicist. I have been thinking about his Zone IV challenges for a long time, but I did not have his label for it. You can read more about the zones at Carl’s Blog, but to…

What is a Quantum Computer? I am writing about Quantum Computing now, because I see the beginning of something big that will impact all our lives soon. I had the same premonition about PCs when I got my first Osborne Computer in 1981 and was on the Internet before there was ever a web browser…

What was the best selling Amazon item on Black Friday? It wasn’t holiday bells, Nintendo, UGGs or Fitbits. It was the Echo Dot AI Assistant for $40. They sold so many that they were back ordered into January. So, what’s going on here? After all, we have Siri or ‘OK, Google’ on our phones. What’s…

Why does anyone write a book? I think many people believe that writers are hoping for fame and fortune. That may be true, does not apply here. If Not So Dead sold a million copies, that would be great, but it’s not why I wrote it. In my case, I had something to say, I…