Heartwarming way debut author’s life was changed at quiet book signing
Shawn Warner published his first book six months ago but he has now become a best-selling author overnight after this video was posted online.
Books
Don't miss out on the headlines from Books. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As Shawn Warner sat behind a plastic table waiting patiently to sign books for shoppers passing by, he could not have known he would become a best-selling author overnight.
Mr Warner tried to write his first adventure story when he was just four years old but has only recently been able to turn his attention to full-time writing now that his two children are both at university.
The Texas man published his first book, the young adult murder mystery Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, in November last year.
Six months later, one video has changed his life.
A TikTok user who thought the new author looked “defeated” at his quiet book signing table in Walmart decided to go back and film Mr Warner speaking about his book.
“It’s about a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents murder,” he explained to another man who had approached his table.
The man filming, who goes by Red on the app, told Mr Warner he did TikTok videos and would buy a second book to gift it on the platform to try and get him “a little bit of love” on there.
“OK, I won’t say no,” Mr Warner laughed.
That video has now been viewed more 5.9 million times in one day and Mr Warner’s book is sitting in the top 10 on the Amazon bestsellers list, determined by number of sales.
Mr Warner said he was in shock over the result.
“The love and the kindness on the video that Red posted is totally unexpected,” he said in his own video for his new fans.
“I’m in shock. I don’t even know what to say about it at the moment. I’m trying to wrap my head around it.”
Mr Warner had a “nightmare” high school experience and said university was out of the question.
He became a paratrooper (military parachutist) instead and, after being discharged four years later, was able to then earn a psychology degree and a master’s degree in social work, according to his website.
He worked in paediatric mental health for about 10 years and then went back to university a second time for another degree that saw him work as an engineer.
However, Mr Warner states: “The greatest adventure of my life has been, hands down, being married to an absolutely fantastic woman and raising two children I couldn’t be more proud of.”
Mr Warner said people had always told him as a child he could never make money out of writing and he unfortunately believed them for a long time, but is now finally living out his childhood dream.
Originally published as Heartwarming way debut author’s life was changed at quiet book signing
How Shane Watson fixed his focus – and his game
Cricket legend Shane Watson turned his own game around by changing his mental approach. In The Winner’s Mindset he reveals how to change your own life – a timely read as Australians settle in for the Boxing Day Test.
How Dr Karl’s Christmas trip became a cautionary tale
Beloved celebrity scientist Dr Karl shared his extraordinary life story in recent memoirA Periodic Tale. In this extract, he tells how a trip home for Christmas almost ended in disaster – and offers a timely warning for those partying too hard this season.