Infusing white whiskey with blueberries seems a bit unconventional. Strange, even. Not at all, says George Smith of Copper Barrel Distillery in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Roots music and moonshine: Ah, what a lovely couple.

Brian Panowich is a firefighter and former musician. As an army brat, he grew up in Europe until the family settled in East Georgia. His debut novel, Bull Mountain, has received extensive praise from James Ellroy, C.J. Box, Wiley Cash, and John Connolly, among others.