Stripes signs LGBTQ+ thriller by debut writer Darren Charlton

Little Tiger imprint Stripes Publishing has bought an LGBTQ+ YA thriller by debut author Darren Charlton.

Wranglestone is set after a zombie apocalypse has turned America into a wilderness and people are living in military refuges in national parks. Peter puts the camp in danger by allowing a stranger to enter so is forced to leave the community and help Cooper, a boy he has always admired from afar, herd the dead from the shore.

Commissioning editor Katie Jennings bought world rights in a two-book deal from Hannah Sheppard at DHH Literary Agency and will publish in 2020. A sequel will follow in 2021.

“This hauntingly atmospheric and thought-provoking debut had me gripped from the opening scene,” said Jennings. “This is an apocalyptic thriller, a coming of age story and so much more. In a world in which survival is everything, how can there be a place for love? This is just one of the many questions Wranglestone raises, as it challenges the reader’s assumptions and expectations at every turn.”

Charlton lives in London with his partner, Shaun, and works for the NHS in a central London hospital’s homeless team.