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Man's Novel Becomes A Bestseller 11 Years After Its Release — Thanks To His Daughter's TikTok

February 17, 2023

TikTokers helped a man's dream come true by purchasing his first novel and making it a "best seller" on Amazon.

@stonemaidens

Lloyd Devereux Richards is now a best selling author 11 years after publishing his first novel, Stone Maidens.

Richards spent 14 years writing the novel about an FBI agent trying to unmask a serial killer. He then spent over a decade hoping his novel would take off -- but it never did.

That is, until his daughter Marguerite posted a TikTok on Feb. 8 encouraging people to buy it.

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

Since posting the video on TikTok, it has garnered more than 44 million views and nearly 10 million likes.

"It was such a great book, and I knew how important it was to him," Marguerite, 40, told the Post. "I thought maybe it's just because nobody knows about the book."

Since then, Stone Maidens has sold out on Amazon and reached No. 1 on the platform's bestseller list.

In another TikTok, Marguerite shared the lovely comments from new readers with her father, who became emotional.

@stonemaidens you all are amazing! Life can be hard and then it can be wonderful suddenly (still crying) #stonemaidens ♬ original sound - lloyd

"These last couple days, I just can't understand it," Richards said. "I feel blessed."

"I'm grateful. I'm very happy," he added. "I just can't believe it."

According to The Washington Post and his Amazon author page, he is working on a sequel.

And the original video continues to spread on TikTok, reaching more and more people.

"Just ordered the book from Norway, can't wait to read it!" one user commented.

"Moments like this are why I stay on this app. The love and generosity from people is astounding. There is definitely more good than evil," another user wrote.

You can purchase Stone Maidens on Amazon.