What started out as a slow day of book sales for an author inside a Texas grocery store turned into a viral moment on TikTok — launching him to bestselling status overnight.
Shawn Warner, a resident of Arlington, had released his debut novel targeted to young adults titled, “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor,” on Nov. 22, 2022, and had done multiple book signings since its original release.
On the morning of July 1, Warner set up a book signing table at a nearby Dallas-Fort Worth Kroger and was “just sitting there” waiting for passersby to take a look at his book.
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It was not until 3 p.m. when a TikTok user named Jerrad Swearenjin noticed Warner at his table looking “super defeated,” as Swearenjin wrote in on-screen text that appeared in a now-viral video.
Texas author named Shawn Warner went viral after a complete stranger posted a video of his book signing on TikTok. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
The Tiktok caption reads: “This new author seemed super defeated when I first walked past him. So before I left the store I decided to go back.”
In the video, Swearenjin shared with his followers that he bought two of Warner’s books — and that one would be part of a giveaway if TikTok users dropped a “mini book review” in the comments section.
Fox News Digital reached out to Swearenjin for comment.
“I was a little weary of just sitting there, so I was really happy he came over and talked to me,” Warner said of the interaction.
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The TikTok video about Warner’s book has now been seen over 21.4 million times and has surpassed 3.6 million likes.
“By Sunday night, my wife and I’s phones started buzzing with notifications that people were signing up to my website or ordering books from the website, which had been fairly dormant up to this point,” Warner told Fox News Digital.
Warner and his wife were confused as to where this sudden interest was coming from, he said, so they started to investigate — with the help of their tech-savvy daughter.
“Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor” is a fiction-mystery novel recommended for teens.
“My daughter called and said, ‘Dad’s video is going viral.’ And I said, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful! What does that mean?'” Warner said.
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Warner said he never imagined that an interaction with a complete stranger at the grocery store would’ve helped his success.
Shawn Warner (pictured left) and Jerrad Swearenjin (pictured right) have both gone viral after a TikTok video helped Warner become a bestselling author overnight. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
“It really wasn’t much on his end, but obviously [in] my world, it was an enormous impact,” Warner commented.
“I think that’s the message, just how big [of] an impact kindness can have,” he added.
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While this may be Warner’s debut novel, he’s been writing and dreaming of becoming a writer ever since he was a child.
“I remember being six years old on the floor of my bedroom, holding a big fat pencil and a tablet with dashed lines, to tell me where the capital and lower case letters, go,” Warner said, laughing.
Warner published his book “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor” in November 2022. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
He went on, “I’ve had teachers all along the way telling my I’m a good writer and I had a real flare for writing, but this was back in the late ‘60s, early ’70s and into the ’80s, and it was all about upward mobility and career path, so they always followed it with, ‘But you can’t make a living with that.'”
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His love for writing never wavered, but he did not take up writing as a career path until later in life.
Before Warner took on writing full time, he served in the 82nd infantry in the U.S. Army’s Airborne division. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
Warner served in the 82nd infantry of the United States Army in the Airborne division before pursuing psychology and working as a therapist.
He then moved onto software engineering and computer science before taking on the role of a homeschool teacher for his kids.
During this time, he began researching the art of writing and took it “more seriously,” he said.
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“From there I just kept going, writing really bad stuff — until it eventually became fairly good stuff,” said Warner. He said practice will only improve your writing.
Shawn Warner and his wife, Lizette Warner (left), visited New York City for a recent interview following his overnight success. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
Warner’s viral book took six to eight months to develop.
“Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor” is a mystery novel recommended for teens ages 13-18.
The TikTok video catapulted it to Amazon’s list of bestselling books.
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Warner said he writes his stories by constantly asking “What if?” and continues to use that question to come up with new twists and turns that help guide the plot of the story.
Warner became a bestselling author overnight after his debut novel went viral on TikTok. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
He is currently working on multiple story ideas and a movie script, he said.
“It slows things down, but it keeps my writing engaged,” he also said.
Warner took a photo with the well-known Hans Christian Andersen Monument in Central Park while on a recent trip to New York City. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
Warner said he recognizes the work of the classic authors who inspired him to learn the craft.
He encourages others to do the same.
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“Find books that you relate to on what constitutes good storytelling [and] the craft of writing and pick one that speaks to you,” Warner said.
Warner (above) looks at back at his viral moment and credits it all to the kindness of a complete stranger. He’s shown at right with his wife, Lizette. (Shawn and Lizette Warner)
Warner said he hopes his novel can bring back the fun that comes with reading.
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“I make my living with words, but there are no words for how grateful I am and how wonderful everybody has been,” he said.
