A former Winlock student is gaining national attention with her debut novel, which is already being developed as a TV series by Warner Bros.

Hallie Shepherd’s psychological thriller, “Call Off the Dark,” was officially released  last week. The story follows a young woman living off the grid in remote Washington state whose life is disrupted by a mysterious stranger.

Shepherd graduated from Winlock High School in 1998 and later earned an English degree from Western Washington University. She went on to work in Los Angeles as a screenwriter, producer and actress.

Shepherd says her love of writing began in Winlock, where she wrote stories as a child and started a class newspaper in fifth grade.