VB: Thank you for your kind words, and I am a fan of magical realism. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a superhero. Yes, salt is such a critical element of our mythos and history. I also like how small the word is despite the complexity of its existence.

Q: I need to keep my salt intake low, due to high blood pressure, but hope to check out your story soon. As a fellow Sniplits author, I wonder if you prefer writing short stories to other forms of writing. Always interested in a published writer's opinion. Thanks. Tom Anselm

VB:I appreciate your question, Tom. I actually prefer longer narratives. I'm working on a novel now, revision stages. The ideas that stay with me are usually more elaborate than the short story is able to accommodate. Now for your salt intake, as a fiction writer I like to treat salt the same way I do poetry, good in moderation :).

Q: Do you think that writing non-fiction can help or hinder a writer's fiction endeavors? Kevin Anderson

VB: Well, I think writing creative non-fiction can certainly help a writer practice some of those universal techniques that make any written word thrilling. Personal narratives that are some version of reality are technically non-fiction, but we still have the freedom to bend the lens as needed. That said, ordinary analytical writing that focuses more on criticism than creation is (for me) counterproductive. I just don't get the same energy. The two forms have different objectives: information vs. stimulation perhaps. Thanks for the question!