In 2012, aspiring author Lloyd Devereux Richards finally published his debut thriller novel, Stone Maidens, which he had been working on for 14 years in his spare time.
Unfortunately, like so many debut novels, it was not a success. It sold a few dozen copies, according to CBC.
Richards kept working as a corporate attorney in Vermont – at least with the dream of publishing a novel accomplished, which is a feat unto itself.
Fast-forward eleven years, and his adult daughter Marguerite decided to promote Stone Maidens on TikTok after Lloyd had finished writing his second book.
The video is only 12 seconds long, but it is all it took to make Stone Maidens an Amazon No. 1 bestseller.
“I feel really lucky because I had friends who didn’t have dads. And I not only did I have a dad; I had a really supportive, kind, sensitive dad who made me feel loved,” Marguerite told CBC Radio’s “As It Happens” host Nil Köksal. “That’s what drove me to do this. He took care of me and I want to take care of him.”
“My dad spent 14 years writing a book,” the TikTok video reads. “He worked full time and his kids came first. But [he] made time for his book. He’s so happy even though sales aren’t great. I’d love to see him get some more sales. He doesn’t even know what TikTok is.”
For more on this story, please visit CBC Radio.