It was a true fairy tale moment for the debut YA murder mystery writer Shawn Warner, as a viral TikTok video featuring him alone at a department store for his book promotion quickly propelled his novel to the top spot on the Amazon bestseller list within days.
Warner, a 58-year-old army veteran, found himself at a Kroger store in Fort Worth, Texas, surrounded by copies of his book, struggling to make sales.
That's when TikToker Jerrad Swearenjin unexpectedly crossed paths with him.
“I was just shopping when I noticed this man trying to promote his new book. I honestly don’t even read books nowadays. But something just told me to get a couple”, he said.
In the now-viral video Swearenjin posted last week, he and another man approach Warner, who then proceeds to introduce his debut novel, "Leigh Howard And The Ghosts Of Simmons-Pierce Manor."
Warner shares that the book follows “a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents' murder”.
Both men listen attentively to Warner's description. Swearenjin, known as Red on TikTok, purchases two copies of the novel and requests Warner to sign them for a more personalized touch.
“If you could just sign it, that way it’s a little more personal to whoever gets it,” Swearenjin says. “Warner smiles and replies, "I won't say no."
In the video, Swearenjin mentions that Warner looked “super defeated when I first walked past him. So, before I left the store, I decided to go back”.
The video quickly gained traction on TikTok and Warner's debut novel soared to become the number one bestselling book on Amazon.
“Amazing! Red posted a video of my book signing Saturday and the internet exploded! Amazon #1 Best Seller in YA, in top 5 books overall. Thank you Red!” Warner, who pursued writing to fulfil his childhood dream, wrote in a tweet shared on July 3.
In another tweet, Warner shared his gratitude as his book became “#1 Best Seller in all categories. “Huge thanks to everyone who helped make this dream come true”, he wrote.
Reflecting on filming the video, Swearenjin told WFAA that he was inspired by Warner's determination to sell his novel.
"It was just supposed to be, hey, here’s a fellow neighbour who’s just struggling and I wanted to help him out,” Swearenjin said.
For Warner, the overwhelming support brought him to tears. "Just to be nice to some guy sitting alone selling books...the generosity that poured out of that was just amazing, I get choked up,” he said, calling the gesture “beautiful”.