It took Lloyd Deveraux Richards 14 years to write his first novel. But it was his daughter’s 12-second TikTok video that finally turned it into a hit. Richards, 74, wrote Stone Maidens on evenings and weekends, in between working a full-time job as a corporate attorney, and taking care of his children. When he finally published it in 2012, it only sold a few dozen copies here and there. Now, more than a decade later, the mystery/thriller is the No. 1 on Amazon’s books bestseller list in both Canada and the US, beating out several powerhouses. “I just can’t believe it. I’m so excited. It’s just incredible. I owe this all to my daughter,” Richards said. Marguerite Richards got the idea to promote the book on TikTok a few months ago, after her father finished his second novel. Her video said, “My dad spent 14 years writing a book. 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.” The video has had over 15 million views so far.
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