You wrote the story that inspired this release—what was it like writing a story to accompany a whiskey?
Whiskey is my favorite spirit, and horror is one of my two favorite genres (the other being fantasy), so this was a natural pairing that clicked immediately for me.

What drew you to the Old West as a setting and what inspired this story?Lawlessness! The idea of a vast landscape where people have to take care of themselves is at once thrilling and scary—perfect ingredients for horror. I’ve always found the image of the hanged man to be iconic, so I knew that would be central to my first Old West horror yarn. Being chased by a revenant with a rope around his neck is a pretty grim idea, right?

What feelings, thoughts, hopes or fears do you hope linger with the reader after finishing “Hell Is Not Mocked”?
I enjoy horror stories because they make one feel a sort of controlled or contained dread. I hope the reader is spooked by the idea of the dead man coming for his due, but only as much as they are willing to suspend disbelief—the horror genre plays rough, but it’s consensual.

What aspects of horror do you find most psychologically unsettling—and how do you use those in your writing?
Horror has a whole palette of unsettling colors to paint with! This particular story touches on fear of the diabolical, which is after all a sort of cosmic horror. That there might be powerful, godlike beings (in this case, devils) that interfere in our lives or change accepted rules (like the dead staying dead) seems terribly unfair. Also, the idea of a relentless pursuer is terrifying, even if it only comes on at a walk.

How do you think horror works differently on the page than it does on screen?
I think the mind is capable of summoning far more frightful images than the screen; at least so far. What is a movie but a director, a writer, and a DP all trying to take what’s in their brains and transfer that to ours? And yet no two of them are seeing the same thing in their mind’s eye. When we read, our imagination samples from its own scrapbook to build described horrors. It’s much more personal.

Any horror authors, books or films that truly get to you? Why?
I would say that Adam Nevill and Nathan Ballingrud are writing the scariest 21st-century horror stories. If Nevill’s “Last Days” doesn’t cost you some sleep, probably nothing will; and “Wounds” has some of the most brilliant and disturbing images ever written. As film goes, Ari Aster is doing breathtaking work. Both “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” were instant genre classics.

Do you drink whiskey? And if so… how do you prefer it?
I certainly do! I’m a big bourbon fan. I like one big rock, but I ditch it as soon as the liquor is cold.

Describe the ideal setting for customers to sip our whiskey and read “Hell Is Not Mocked”.
On a train moving through Texas hill country.

What went through your head when Matthew Lillard invited you to collaborate on this?
“I get to work with this guy again! I love this guy!”

Anything else you'd like to share about the story, the spirit, or collaborating with us on this deliciously dark little project?
I’m honored to work with this team, and delighted to have had an excuse to write another short story. I don’t do enough of those.