The Ugly Priest is Richard Stickann’s fourth book.  His Catholic upbringing sparked the need to write novels that illustrate the impact religion has on people. His two previous novels - Glory Be To the Father, the Son... (2001), and Hobbledehoy Boy (2013) show how a strict religious upbringing can stunt the social growth of a person, particularly young boys. The Ugly Priest, looks at the other side of the religious spectrum , the priest, and the religious implications of a weak vocation and troubled soul. Stickann also published Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives: The American Story, (2016) a historical account of a family’s westward migration, coauthored with Catherine Reasor Stickann. Stickann lives with his wife in Missouri, where they raise alpacas and enjoy the tranquility of country life.