Eighteen-year-old Stetson Delancey never thought breaking up with his boyfriend would turn him invisible.
In Penango County, Pennsylvania, high school couples carve their names into the legendary Ardor Tree, a rite of passage said to grant love that lasts. Stetson and his boyfriend were no exception. But a bitter breakup just before college splinters their future, and in a moment of anger, Stetson does the unthinkable: he hacks their names from the tree.
That’s when everything in his rural hometown goes from boring to bizarre. Shadows flicker where they shouldn’t. Strangers pass by like he’s not even there. And some people stop seeing him altogether.
With just two months left in Penango and his college dream slipping away, Stetson races to uncover the tree’s secrets before he vanishes for good. But when he meets a boy only he can see—a boy who may have secrets of his own—Stetson begins to wonder if breaking free from his hometown means letting go of everything or learning to hold on to what matters.
WITHIN THESE COUNTY LINES is a queer coming-of-age novel about the unraveling of first love, hometown magic, and how sometimes we can’t uncover the truth about others without confronting the truth about ourselves.
Advance Praise
“Brian Zepka delivers another queer romance with a unique speculative twist and genuine characters that truly sparkle. Between a cursed tree, an invisible boy, and a quest for true love, I could not put this down!” – Sher Lee, author of Fake Dates and Mooncakes and Legend of the White Snake
“With a mysterious ancient tree, young heartache in a small town and an imaginative interpretation of what it means to truly feel seen, Within These County Lines has the perfect ingredients for a fun, beautifully emotional and vivid read. I’ll travel to wherever Brian’s magical stories take us. ” – Sidney Karger, author of Best Men and The Bump
“Brian Zepka has crafted a wonderful—albeit cursed—tale of first love, meaningful friendships, and finding home that’ll fill you with joy. Within These County Lines is mysterious, adorable, and so very relatable!” – Jordon Greene, author of Every Word You Never Said
Pub Date Feb 24 2026