In our online book club ‘Travel Europe Through Books,’ we travel to a new European country every month through its literature. This month we’ve been focusing on the literature, culture, and landscape of Great Britain by way of Thomas Hardy’s classic romance, Far From the Madding Crowd. As we round off this month, I thought … More An Interview with British Author Maggie Holman
Many years ago, when I was in college, I met a young man who always wore large round glasses and white button-down shirts. He was studious and reserved, but always polished and cordial in his bearing. I liked him as soon as I saw him for the first time one September evening, while some of … More 5 Years of Books, 30 Years of Stories
Watch the trailers of these … More A Trilogy in Three Trailers
(Excerpt from The Tales of a Fly-By-Night by V M Karren) I first heard about it as a young boy. I was never able to forget the word even though I didn’t fully understand what it meant. When my brother and his friends spoke about it, they spoke with awe and reverence. In America the … More Don’t Look Back!
Injured as young man in Ukraine in 1993, author Val Karren finds himself stuck in a hospital in Vienna. … More Viennese Hospitality
At the end of January, just as the world was changing, I took one last, deep breath before it became clear that we couldn’t take breathing for granted any longer. On the flight home from Lisbon some passengers were already wearing face masks. China had just begun its quarantine. Since January, I have been holding … More One Last, Deep Breath!
This week we are highlighting the novel, From the Rooftops by V M Karren, which is set mainly in the eastern European country of Romania. We thought you might enjoy taking a brief glimpse at what everyday life looks like in Romania as an introduction to the book. Although the book is set in the … More Everyday Life in Romania
by Christine Karren With the arrival of the Corona virus on every continent of the world besides Antarctica, a lot of people are taking precautions. We started by washing our hands more carefully and frequently, and avoiding contact with possibly contaminated surfaces. Next we were buying out the stocks of hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and … More Canceling Travel Plans?
For a Westerner, Romania is a fascinating place to travel, with fantastic skiing and hiking in the Transylvanian Alps, the richly ornate architecture of Bucharest and other cities, and the well-preserved peasant life in the rural villages. But beyond this, Romanian culture is rich with tradition, patriotism, and high artistic achievement. The struggle of the … More Author Interview: American Novelist Writes About Modern Romania
We were astounded and thrilled last night to learn that The Deceit of Riches had won another national award, this time from the National Indie Excellence Awards, under the topic of ‘Faction’: (Think: Historical Fiction). You can see the book posted among the winners HERE. We are extremely grateful to all our contributors and supporters for helping us gain this kind of recognition. The award also goes to you! … More Second National Award for The Deceit of Riches
