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The Sticks
Something evil is stirring in the sticks outside the small town of Jefferson, Virginia…
And Brian was already having one hell of a night. After a disastrous outing at a party full of snobs on the rich side of town, his girlfriend Alicia dumps him then promptly vanishes under suspicious circumstances. Searching for her in the dark of night while working his way through a backwoods maze and the outlandish characters that inhabit it, Brian instead finds an enigmatic dark-haired beauty named Jessica and a monster he hadn’t believed existed outside his beloved horror films. But before the night is through, everyone and everything Brian cares about will be threatened by a creature that is all too real, a bloodthirsty beast lurking in the woods of Jefferson. Fighting for his life, Brian tries to uncover the truth about the evil stalking him and the mystery surrounding Alicia’s disappearance, but time is running out.
Welcome to a night in THE STICKS.
And Brian was already having one hell of a night. After a disastrous outing at a party full of snobs on the rich side of town, his girlfriend Alicia dumps him then promptly vanishes under suspicious circumstances. Searching for her in the dark of night while working his way through a backwoods maze and the outlandish characters that inhabit it, Brian instead finds an enigmatic dark-haired beauty named Jessica and a monster he hadn’t believed existed outside his beloved horror films. But before the night is through, everyone and everything Brian cares about will be threatened by a creature that is all too real, a bloodthirsty beast lurking in the woods of Jefferson. Fighting for his life, Brian tries to uncover the truth about the evil stalking him and the mystery surrounding Alicia’s disappearance, but time is running out.
Welcome to a night in THE STICKS.
- GenresHorrorWerewolves
ebook
First published January 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Andy Deane
4 books94 followersANDY DEANE
Andy Deane is a modern renaissance man, having found success as a musician, a horror author, and most recently as a photographer. He has recently given stand-up comedy a shot, and enjoys making people laugh uncomfortably. He was raised on a steady diet of horror films from the time he figured out what a drive-in theater was, and despite his constant ear to ear grin he never lost his love for art that dares to peer in to darker places.
Music was Andy’s first love, and his career began early in high school with the formation of his first metal band. Shortly after graduating he completed 5 years of operatic vocal training. He cofounded Bella Morte in 1996 and has since released 7 albums and 2 EPs with the band. They have been touring the world performing for legions of devoted fans the entire time, and show no signs of slowing down. In 2013 Metropolis Records released “The Best Of Bella Morte (1996-2012)” celebrating the first 17 years of their dark, diverse catalogue of sounds. A new Bella Morte album will hit shelves in 2014. Andy’s prolific musical career doesn’t stop with there. He has also released a synth-pop album under the moniker The Rain Within, and a post-punk album as Brighter Fires. Both projects have sophomore albums slated for release in 2014.
Andy recently wrapped up work on the soundtrack for the upcoming remake of the classic B-Movie film Plan 9 From Outer Space for Darkstone Entertainment. Andy’s outlet for his other soundtrack/ambient work is Small Precious Lights, a project he launched in early 2014.
Andy scored his first publishing deal without the help of an agent after several long, frustrating hours perusing the “how to get an agent” books at his local bookstore. His stories have a unique southern voice with a blood-red splash of dark humor thrown in the mix. Much of his first novel (The Sticks, Delirium Books, 2009) was written while passing long miles between gigs on the road with Bella Morte. Since finishing The Sticks, Andy has completed a novella (The Third House, Thunderstorm Books, 2010), a novel (All The Darkness In The World, Thunderstorm Books, 2011), and a second novella (No Turning Back, DarkFuse, 2012).
Photography is another art that Andy has grown passionate about, and touring the world has provided plenty of locations to snap haunting images. His work manages to be nostalgic, tortured, and beautiful at the same time. His first run of prints sold out in under a month, and he has found continued success online and at conventions.
Andy was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and figures he’ll be buried there someday.
Find Andy at - www.BellaMorte.com
Andy Deane is a modern renaissance man, having found success as a musician, a horror author, and most recently as a photographer. He has recently given stand-up comedy a shot, and enjoys making people laugh uncomfortably. He was raised on a steady diet of horror films from the time he figured out what a drive-in theater was, and despite his constant ear to ear grin he never lost his love for art that dares to peer in to darker places.
Music was Andy’s first love, and his career began early in high school with the formation of his first metal band. Shortly after graduating he completed 5 years of operatic vocal training. He cofounded Bella Morte in 1996 and has since released 7 albums and 2 EPs with the band. They have been touring the world performing for legions of devoted fans the entire time, and show no signs of slowing down. In 2013 Metropolis Records released “The Best Of Bella Morte (1996-2012)” celebrating the first 17 years of their dark, diverse catalogue of sounds. A new Bella Morte album will hit shelves in 2014. Andy’s prolific musical career doesn’t stop with there. He has also released a synth-pop album under the moniker The Rain Within, and a post-punk album as Brighter Fires. Both projects have sophomore albums slated for release in 2014.
Andy recently wrapped up work on the soundtrack for the upcoming remake of the classic B-Movie film Plan 9 From Outer Space for Darkstone Entertainment. Andy’s outlet for his other soundtrack/ambient work is Small Precious Lights, a project he launched in early 2014.
Andy scored his first publishing deal without the help of an agent after several long, frustrating hours perusing the “how to get an agent” books at his local bookstore. His stories have a unique southern voice with a blood-red splash of dark humor thrown in the mix. Much of his first novel (The Sticks, Delirium Books, 2009) was written while passing long miles between gigs on the road with Bella Morte. Since finishing The Sticks, Andy has completed a novella (The Third House, Thunderstorm Books, 2010), a novel (All The Darkness In The World, Thunderstorm Books, 2011), and a second novella (No Turning Back, DarkFuse, 2012).
Photography is another art that Andy has grown passionate about, and touring the world has provided plenty of locations to snap haunting images. His work manages to be nostalgic, tortured, and beautiful at the same time. His first run of prints sold out in under a month, and he has found continued success online and at conventions.
Andy was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and figures he’ll be buried there someday.
Find Andy at - www.BellaMorte.com
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 9, 2012
The Sticks by Andy Deane is about a character named Brian who loves horror movies, and unfortunately for him, encounters a real werewolf one night after getting kicked out of a party his girlfriend and snotty friends are throwing.
The book is set in the small town of Jefferson, Virginia which sounds like any small town in America. The reader experiences everything through the first person point of view of the main character, Brian. I enjoyed reading this character. He is someone I can relate to and comes across as real and likable. He uses some strange metaphors and descriptions that I found amusing. The characters truthfulness kept me interested and reading.
The novel is supposed to be a horror, but I didn't find it scary. I'm pretty desensitized to horror as I watch and read tons of it, so to the less desensitized, it might be scary. I guess if I was really in the situation of the main character, I'd be scared out of my mind. I did find it entertaining and enjoyed reading it. There are some slow parts dealing with the development of the relationship between the main character and the girl he meets, Jessica, that some readers might not like in a horror novel, but as a girl, I found reading these sections written from a male point of view interesting.
Plot wise, there is nothing new or clever. This novel is a traditional monster horror novel. Its the characters that make this novel interesting. If you like character driven novels, then you will enjoy this book. If you're looking for a super complicated multiple plot driven horror, then this might not be for you.
I recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, uncomplicated, traditional horror story with interesting characters
The book is set in the small town of Jefferson, Virginia which sounds like any small town in America. The reader experiences everything through the first person point of view of the main character, Brian. I enjoyed reading this character. He is someone I can relate to and comes across as real and likable. He uses some strange metaphors and descriptions that I found amusing. The characters truthfulness kept me interested and reading.
The novel is supposed to be a horror, but I didn't find it scary. I'm pretty desensitized to horror as I watch and read tons of it, so to the less desensitized, it might be scary. I guess if I was really in the situation of the main character, I'd be scared out of my mind. I did find it entertaining and enjoyed reading it. There are some slow parts dealing with the development of the relationship between the main character and the girl he meets, Jessica, that some readers might not like in a horror novel, but as a girl, I found reading these sections written from a male point of view interesting.
Plot wise, there is nothing new or clever. This novel is a traditional monster horror novel. Its the characters that make this novel interesting. If you like character driven novels, then you will enjoy this book. If you're looking for a super complicated multiple plot driven horror, then this might not be for you.
I recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, uncomplicated, traditional horror story with interesting characters
October 20, 2011
There are certain things you expect to find on sale when you go to see a band play. Albums, obviously. T-shirts, of course. Bags, buttons, patches? Sure, why not! But books? Not so much. Finding a stack of horror novels on a band’s merch table may seem a little strange, but that is exactly how I came across The Sticks, a novel written by Bella Morte frontman Andy Deane.
The novel reads like a horror movie put to the page: a man is kicked out of a party where everyone seems to be taking themselves too seriously, and abandoned by his girlfriend to boot. When the girl in question seems to vanish, he and a fellow spurned partygoer set off to find her and get a lot more than they bargained for in the process as they nearly run down werewolf on a country road. Told from the protagonist’s perspective, the novel is written in the first person, and the colorful language and thought process of Brian, the lead character, make the narrative both memorable and believable. The narrator is likable and carries a somewhat everyman feel, forced to deal with the hassles of weird neighbors, his missing girlfriend’s snobbish friends and even a car that proves far less than reliable. Brian is an ordinary guy - and a horror movie fan - caught up in some extraordinary circumstances, forced to fight for his life against an evil that no one else could possibly believe. Full of film references, the novel will be a delight for any horror fan to read.
Key to the novel’s success as a werewolf story is the fantastic description of the actual transformation. We’ve all seen a man change to a bloodthirsty werecreature in film and television, but it has rarely been put to page with such masterful description. Cracking bones, twisting flesh, a grizzled muzzle forcing its way forward: it just doesn’t get much better than this! The author doesn’t shortchange on the gore or bodycount either. This is a horror novel and that fact is never forgotten. The werewolf in question is a vicious, ravenous beast and it leaves a bloody trail of broken, bitten bodies in its wake. The novel is completely unapologetic in its use of gore and violence - just the sort of attitude needed for a great horror story.
Apart from being a little heavy on the use of similes, there is not much to complain about. The solid storyline would prove great fodder for a film, particularly so as lacking of decent werewolf films Hollywood has been since... well... just about forever. Deane’s writing career is just getting started, with only a few novels under his belt; if the others are as good as this one, we may be looking at a new force to be reckoned with in horror fiction.
CHECK PLUS: Fun story, likeable characters, great horror elements
CHECK MINUS: A little overboard on the use of simile
OVERALL RATING: A-
The novel reads like a horror movie put to the page: a man is kicked out of a party where everyone seems to be taking themselves too seriously, and abandoned by his girlfriend to boot. When the girl in question seems to vanish, he and a fellow spurned partygoer set off to find her and get a lot more than they bargained for in the process as they nearly run down werewolf on a country road. Told from the protagonist’s perspective, the novel is written in the first person, and the colorful language and thought process of Brian, the lead character, make the narrative both memorable and believable. The narrator is likable and carries a somewhat everyman feel, forced to deal with the hassles of weird neighbors, his missing girlfriend’s snobbish friends and even a car that proves far less than reliable. Brian is an ordinary guy - and a horror movie fan - caught up in some extraordinary circumstances, forced to fight for his life against an evil that no one else could possibly believe. Full of film references, the novel will be a delight for any horror fan to read.
Key to the novel’s success as a werewolf story is the fantastic description of the actual transformation. We’ve all seen a man change to a bloodthirsty werecreature in film and television, but it has rarely been put to page with such masterful description. Cracking bones, twisting flesh, a grizzled muzzle forcing its way forward: it just doesn’t get much better than this! The author doesn’t shortchange on the gore or bodycount either. This is a horror novel and that fact is never forgotten. The werewolf in question is a vicious, ravenous beast and it leaves a bloody trail of broken, bitten bodies in its wake. The novel is completely unapologetic in its use of gore and violence - just the sort of attitude needed for a great horror story.
Apart from being a little heavy on the use of similes, there is not much to complain about. The solid storyline would prove great fodder for a film, particularly so as lacking of decent werewolf films Hollywood has been since... well... just about forever. Deane’s writing career is just getting started, with only a few novels under his belt; if the others are as good as this one, we may be looking at a new force to be reckoned with in horror fiction.
CHECK PLUS: Fun story, likeable characters, great horror elements
CHECK MINUS: A little overboard on the use of simile
OVERALL RATING: A-
January 24, 2026
Short summary of this book: Incel-coded asshole gets targeted by a werewolf (whose identity is incredibly easy to figure out) for reasons?
Basically, this not only reads like a first draft, but like the author's first attempt at writing at all.
More under cut:
Basically, this not only reads like a first draft, but like the author's first attempt at writing at all.
More under cut:
July 8, 2012
I've known about Andy Deane for years through his work with Bella Morte and I was excited when I found out that he had written a novel too. And a kick ass novel it is too! What I like most about Deane is that his story really hits the ground running and keeps the pace throughout. The action keeps you intrigued through the exposition parts of the story and gets better as you go along so it never really feels like it drags anywhere. For me, this shows that Deane really knows his shit when it comes to horror. He pays tribute to the genre by writing a good story and without spoiling anything, the end is ridiculously worth the read. The whole last half of the book flies and it gets better with each page. If I could point to one area that I wanted to see more of it would be bringing in more orienting details into the story. Pulling off a first person perspective story is difficult at the best of times and he does a great job with it but those little details often get sacrificed in the process. It's hard to find a way to weave little details about surroundings in where it doesn't sound stupid or contrived. It could have used a few more in some spots but this is all very minor and doesn't take away from the story really. If you're itching to read a good horror book, you owe this book your attention!
April 17, 2021
Love that this guy has a bad ass band, and he writes a bad ass WereWolf novel.
July 5, 2011
Likable Brian is easy going while with his girlfriend he lives life a bluesy choosy way only he manages to understand. His life suddenly goes into a different realm of explanation when he became ex-something-the-other, single again, but Brian is still the guy who needs to find his ex-girlfriend. Should Brian forget about Alicia he may not forgive easy his self for not putting up an all effort of locating her after they seemly split up. Although with little evidence of his girlfriend’s missing person makes it impossible for police to help but Brian and his science-fiction imagination working heavy hours into overtime believes it was less natural and less natural every moment while he can’t forgive himself.
March 27, 2012
From the cover, you know this is a werewolf story.
I liked the start to when the horror begins. Then it quiets down for a long time. We get a little horror/suspense. Then some more downtime.
Then everything hits the fan.
The violence described is pretty graphic, but the long periods in between are too long for a horror novel. There is a romance ending and another beginning. The romance that begins seems to come together extremely fast and just doesn't click with what you read from the protagonist's perspective.
It was a fun read, but not an amazing read. I would recommend you give it a try.
I think there is enough good in the novel that the author can grow with in future works to be outstanding. Just got to work on that pacing.
I liked the start to when the horror begins. Then it quiets down for a long time. We get a little horror/suspense. Then some more downtime.
Then everything hits the fan.
The violence described is pretty graphic, but the long periods in between are too long for a horror novel. There is a romance ending and another beginning. The romance that begins seems to come together extremely fast and just doesn't click with what you read from the protagonist's perspective.
It was a fun read, but not an amazing read. I would recommend you give it a try.
I think there is enough good in the novel that the author can grow with in future works to be outstanding. Just got to work on that pacing.
March 25, 2016
I really wanted to love this book, since I'm a fan of Andy Deane's musical work with the gothic rock band Bella Morte. Unfortunately, it falls short. The writing is sloppy, filled with overused phrases, and contains nothing surprising either in the story, characters, or execution. Not even the identities of the werewolves are a mystery - it's blatantly given even though it's treated like suspense. At best, I can say it's a quick read that won't tax your brain too much (unless you're an editor). Sorry, Andy!
Signed, still a music fan.
Signed, still a music fan.
November 4, 2015
If you enjoy werewolf novels this is a must read for you. The characters are likable and hateable equally as they should be. The werewolf was scary, the scene where the werewolf is hiding outside the window and the lightning shows it's face spooked me good. My only complaint was I would have liked to see more werewolf in the story; it felt like the werewolf was introduced and showed itself and then went into hiding and came back out for the ending.
December 14, 2016
Good Story
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing was
good. I cared a lot about the protagonist. He reminded me of Spiderman with his sense humor. But make
no mistake this is a horror novel with a vicious werewolf. I look forward to reading more novels from this author.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing was
good. I cared a lot about the protagonist. He reminded me of Spiderman with his sense humor. But make
no mistake this is a horror novel with a vicious werewolf. I look forward to reading more novels from this author.
November 9, 2009
A nice tightly woven story about werewolves attacking in Jefferson West Virginia. Andy's debut novel is a good debut. I would really rate it 4.5 stars as I think he could have expounded a bit at times in his tale. Still, it was a fun read and I look forward to reading more works by him.
July 20, 2016
Great straight forward horror. It's written in a way that makes you feel like the main character is sitting in front of you telling you his story which made it a much more entertaining read. It's definitely one I'll read over and over again.
April 29, 2016
Decent horror story. I knew what was going to happen, and who was who really early on, but the whole story was rather like one of those 1970's horror flicks that you just can't stop watching even though you know exactly how it's going to end.
October 31, 2025
2.7
I've read the book about three times at this point. Deane's enthusiasm for horror films nearly compensates for his novel's adolescent tone--it reads like a foul-mouthed 15-year-old's stream of consciousness, which is both endearing and frustrating.
I've read the book about three times at this point. Deane's enthusiasm for horror films nearly compensates for his novel's adolescent tone--it reads like a foul-mouthed 15-year-old's stream of consciousness, which is both endearing and frustrating.
November 14, 2012
This book tingled my spine, while remaining fairly light-hearted and slightly amusing. It was entertaining enough to read quickly.
February 12, 2013
Very good werewolf book! I liked how the author built up the characters and the action sequences were great.
August 2, 2009
Entertaining werewolf story set in Jefferson, Virginia.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews