'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Debutant writer Shawn Warner has turned into a best-selling author overnight after a TikTok video showing him looking "super defeated" at his book signing due to a lack of attendees went viral. The clip was shared by Jerrad Swearenjin a.k.a. Red (@internefamous) on the Fourth of July weekend.
In the video, the 58-year-old was seen sitting alone at a table in a Krogers store in Fort Worth, Texas, with a pile of his murder mystery novel, when Swearengin and his friend approached him for a conversation. Warner summed up his Young Adult (YA) novel, titled Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, in the following manner:
"It’s about a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost of multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents’ murder."
The TikTok soon went viral, boasting over 17 million views and 3 million likes, taking the novel to the top of Amazon's best-selling list. The news was shared by Shawn Warner himself.
Everything we know about Shawn Warner
According to his website, Shawn Warner is a military veteran from Arlington, Texas, who worked as a pediatric mental health worker for ten years following his discharge. Dissatisfied with the profession, he then switched to computer and software engineering, working for seven years before he was laid off.
With time on his hand, the 58-year-old decided to pursue his childhood dream to become a writer. He explained that it was not an easy decision as many were against the idea. However, with support from his wife and two children, the murder mystery author wrote his book, which was published in November 2022.
Prior to Red's TikTok video, the novel had received just two reviews. Explaining his reason behind approaching Warner, Swearengin stated that he "imagined all the times I worked so hard and never got any recognition," adding:
"Here’s a fellow neighbor that’s just struggling and I just wanted to help him out."
Following the success of his novel, Shawn Warner created his own TikTok account, where he thanked Red and all those who brought his book. He tearfully explained that he was taken aback by Swearengin's kindness that "gave (him) a chance." He told his followers:
"I want to thank everyone for the love and the kindness on the video that Red posted, it was totally unexpected...I’m in shock I don’t even know what to say about it at the moment, I’m trying to wrap my head around it."
Warner added that a hardcover version of his novel was in the making and he was in talks with his publisher to convert it to an audiobook that would be narrated by Theresa Bakken, a famous podcast host. He also discussed plans for another book signing in Texas.
Shawn Warner is not the only author that TikTok shot to fame
Back in February, Stone Maidens, a novel by Lloyd Devereux Richards, similarly became a best-seller after his daughter shared a TikTok. The novel follows FBI forensic anthropologist Christine Prusik, who is investigating a series of murders involving a killer leaving behind stone figurines.
