Author: Val Karren

Novelist, blogger at www.flybynightpress.com, and lover of world travel and cultural immersion.

No Man is an Island

10 February 2022

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

13 January 2022

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

In Memory of Liberty -Part 2: Ukraine

1 January 2022

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

The Old Age Question: Finding Youth in Brussels

12 August 2021

(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

First Trip to Bruges, Belgium: A Step Back in Time

23 July 2021

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