Local resident Anne Richmond Wakefield announced the release of her debut young adult thriller, Star Bright, on Thursday. The adventure story, appropriate for readers age 13 to adult, is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and features a strong female protagonist named Bright, a press release said.

“My goal was to write the story I needed to read when I was a teenager, featuring an imperfect protagonist who gains strength through adversity and becomes her own hero,” Wakefield said in the release.

Wakefield is a native Texan who has lived in Bee Cave for the past seven years with her husband and two sons following a ten-year stint in North Carolina, the release said. She received her undergraduate degree in literature from Vanderbilt University and her graduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Star Bright is available on Amazon in both paperback and e-book formats. Anne Richmond Wakefield said she welcomes the opportunity to speak with school and community groups about her novel, the writing process, and the issues raised in the book. 919-357-1740. [email protected].