Photo: Thomas & Mercer; Amazon
Good things come to those who wait — especially if TikTok has a say in it.
Lloyd Devereux Richards is now a bestselling author more than a decade after publishing his first novel, a thriller titledStone Maidens.
But the road to publishing success was an arduous one for the 74-year-oldfather of three from Vermont, until his daughter hatched a plan to get his book the attention she felt it deserved, according toThe Washington Post.
Unfortunately for Lloyd,Stone Maidensdid not gain much traction among readers when it was initially released. But his 40-year-old daughter wasn’t about to give up on her father’s dream.
Earlier this month, Marguerite Richards made the decision to start a TikTok account on her father’s behalf with the goal of promoting his novel.
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“It was such a great book, and I knew how important it was to him,” Marguerite, 40, told thePost, later adding, “I thought maybe it’s just because nobody knows about the book.”
Lloyd was skeptical at the time, but Marguerite was adamant that it would work. And she was right.
The first TikTok she created about her father’s story wasviewed more than 43 million times, and received more than 9.6 million likes.
“He’s so happy even though sales aren’t great,” she wrote in the clip. “I’d love for him to get some sales.”
Since then,Stone Maidenshas sold out on Amazon and reached No. 1 on thesite’s bestseller list, according to thePost’s report.
Marguerite sharedher father’s reactionto his success on TikTok, as well. In a second video, which has been liked more than 1.4 million times, Lloyd is left speechless in the clip as he pores over the praise.
“Oh my gosh,” he says in the clip, to which his daughter responds, “I love you dad!”
After the two embrace, Lloyd tells his daughter, “Thank you.”
“These last couple of days, I can’t understand it,” he says while the pair drink milkshakes in celebration. “I feel blessed, you know?”
Lloyd is not done writing, either. In fact, he has been working on a sequel for nearly five years, according toThe Washington Post.
Speaking with the paper,Lloyd said he owes his current success to his daughter.
“I’m grateful. I’m very happy,” he said. “I just can’t believe it.”
source: people.com
