Novelist, blogger at www.flybynightpress.com, and lover of world travel and cultural immersion.
Traveling during the Christmas holidays can be both dangerous and maddening. Don’t let the crowds, the weather or the traffic cause you to forget what its all about — Joy, Love & Kindness and peace between all peoples.
… More Driving Home for Christmas: A Belgian Detour
“Beauty is not a Luxury” -John O’Donohue The Irish poet and philosopher John O’ Donohue, (God rest his soul) eloquently spoke and wrote about the need for Beauty that our human souls have to feel complete, to be whole. The experience of Beauty, whether it be music or poetry; liturgy and scripture; a caring relationship … More A Walk Around Mont Blanc
We hear it said time and again that “those who don’t study history are destined to repeat it.” This phrase is used as a warning when the oracles of our civilizations declare that something tragic is about to befall us again. Such declarations are meant to wake Us up and for Us to apply the … More A History Not Worth Repeating
Communal wisdom states that “no man is an island,” but that is certainly not due to a lack of some of us trying to become one. Seppo Kemppainnen, the reluctant anti-hero in the new short story The Lucky Finn by VM Karren, is a master at burning the bridges that connect his island to anybody or anything else. Seppo’s only goal in life is to remain an island of solitude but finds luck conspiring against him, bringing him undesired good fortune…and too many neighbors! … More No Man is an Island
The New Year of Fate is measured in the beats of the heart and love gained and lost.
For anybody dissatisfied with the current calendar regulated by our orbit around the sun, there is the new Calendar of Fate, which starts on February 14th, and runs through February 13th. Sound interesting? Read on! … More The NEW YEAR of FATE
(A)nd there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood… … More Chancing it at Chernobyl
The lost Kingdom of Ruthenia is undergoing a rebirth and is attracting renewed interest from adventurous travelers. You may be a history buff, or a vagabond tourist, but could you find Ruthenia on a map? … More Where on Earth is Ruthenia?
Eight years ago, Ukraine was a country on the brink of losing its hard won independence, due to the treachery of its President. The corrupt political class that controlled the government quickly reversed decades of progressive political reforms in two years time. Bad habits of government officials, learned during seventy years of communism, proved harder … More In Memory of Liberty -Part 2: Ukraine
(Excerpt from ‘The Tales of a Fly-By-Night’ by V M Karren) I was too far away from home when the music stopped. In fact, I was on the other side of the world when my return ticket expired. Life abroad wasn’t supposed to go on that long; it was all just part of the big … More The Old Age Question: Finding Youth in Brussels
We brought our new American intern, Claire, with us to Bruges, Belgium last Saturday. The weather was beautiful, and Bruges, a vibrant and bustling city, was at her finest. Corona conditions have limited the number of tourists, so the streets were busy but not overly crowded. Claire was able to see some really old houses, … More First Trip to Bruges, Belgium: A Step Back in Time
