While writing is often a labor of love, not every book reaps the rewards it should. Some can go unnoticed despite the best of intentions. 

But sometimes all a good book needs to get noticed is a daughter. Well, a daughter who has a TikTok account, that is. 

That is what long-time author Lloyd Devereux Richards found out recently, when he became TikTok famous for a book that had taken him 14 years to write.

“Stone Maidens” was written and published in 2012. It’s a crime novel that follows a forensic anthropologist as she tries to solve a serial murder case. It had a good start and was published by a company that had worked with famous authors such as Dean Koontz and Patricia Cornwell on their book publications.

But Lloyd’s book only managed to make modest sales. Richard had told his daughter thought that it was OK, at least the book was published. It was enough, he told her, to make him happy.

His daughter, however, had a different idea. Believing her dad’s book could go so much further, she shared a video to her TikTok account, Marguerite Richards showed her father at his desk. She said that her dad “worked full time and his kids came first” while he was working on the book. “I’d love for him to get some sales,” the text reads in the video. 

“It was such a great book, and I knew how important it was to him,” Marguerite said.

I thought maybe it’s just because nobody knows about the book.”

And she was right.

@stonemaidens It’s a beautifully written thriller on Amazon 🥹❤️ #stonemaidens #booktok #authorsoftiktok #thrillerbooks #books ♬ original sound – e

It took TikTok viewers less than a week to send the video viral. After more than 42 million views, “Stone Maidens” has become the top-selling book on Amazon. And all due to an account created by his daughter on his behalf, the video said. “He doesn’t even know what TikTok is.” 

Marguerite shared a second video, in which her father is overwhelmed as he sees all the praise for his book.

“Oh my gosh,” he said in the clip.  “These last couple of days, I can’t understand it,” he said.

I feel blessed, you know?”

Lloyd, who is currently working on a sequel to “Stone Maidens”, previously worked as a law clerk, then was an attorney, according to his author biography. 

He has nothing but praise to say for his daughter’s insistence that his book get noticed. “I’m grateful. I’m very happy,” he said. “I just can’t believe it.”

Sources: The Independent | People