According to a report, Shawn Warner, age 58, was shocked and amazed when a TikTok video showing him promoting his first book at a grocery store in Texas went viral.
At the front of the shop, veteran-turned-author Shawn Warner had a table and piles of copies of his book Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor put up to attract customers. @Internetfamouslol, actual name Jerrad Swearenjin, a TikTok user, saw Warner at the shop and approached the author to strike up a discussion.
Swearenjin said to WFAA, a local news station, that he felt compelled to assist a fellow neighbor. Swearenjin purchased two of his books and informed Warner of his intention to upload the video on TikTok to promote the book.
After just four days, the video had nearly 18 million views, and Warner’s first novel had climbed to the top of the Amazon bestseller list.
According to Warner’s website, “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor” by Shawn Warner tells the narrative of an orphaned child who, with the assistance of some ghostly friends, investigates the death of her parents.
According to his author biography, Shawn Warner is a former soldier and dad of two who is now fulfilling his childhood aspiration of becoming a writer.
Reports show that Shawn Warner followed up with a TikTok video in which he announced plans to release an audiobook edition along with the physical book. The e-book version of the book is Amazon’s top-selling in the category of young adult and adolescent mystery novels.
In the video, Warner explains that a slump in sales made him motivated to speak to anyone at that point, which is when Jerrad Swearenjin approached him. Warner said that what happened after that was just amazing and was all due to Swearenjin’s generosity and kindness.
