A father-of-three has become a bestselling author more than a decade after publishing his first novel thanks to his daughter's ingenious plan. Lloyd Devereux Richards, 74, from New York, started writing his book Stone Maidens in the late 1990s before having it published by Thomas & Mercer in November 2012.
However, the thriller did not gain much traction until his daughter, Marguerite Richards, decided to start a TikTok account on her dad's behalf 11 years later, promoting his novel. The book was reportedly inspired by a series of crimes that occurred in the mid-1970s while Lloyd attended law school at Indiana University.
Marguerite, 40, told The Washington Post: "It was such a great book, and I knew how important it was to him. I thought maybe it's just because nobody knows about the book."
In her first TikTok video, which has now been viewed more than 43 million times and has received about 10 million likes, Marguerite shared clips of her dad working on the book at his desk.
She wrote: "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 for him to get some sales. He doesn't even know what TikTok is."
Thanks to her video, copies of Stone Maidens suddenly started flying off the shelves - with it soon reaching number one on Amazon's bestseller's list.
In one of her latest videos, she shared her dad's reaction to the "internet blowing up" his book. Through the tears, he said: "these last couple of days, I can't understand it. I feel blessed - thank you."
To thank everybody for their support, Lloyd has shared his number one writing tip so others can experience the joy of having a bestselling book.
He simply said: "Write, you rewrite, and write it again, and never give up."
The blurb to Stone Maidens reads: "From TikTok sensation Lloyd Devereux Richards comes the heart-pounding story of FBI agent Christine Prusik as she attempts to unmask a serial killer who leaves a calling card with a terrifying connection to her own haunted past.
"As the chief forensic anthropologist for the FBI’s Chicago field office, Christine Prusik has worked her fair share of bizarre cases. Yet this one trumps them all: a serial killer is strangling young women and dumping their bodies in the steep, forested ravines of southern Indiana.
"With each victim, the killer leaves a calling card: a stone figurine carved like the spirit stones found among the native tribes of Papua New Guinea―the same tribes Prusik worked with a decade earlier while doing field research. The personal nature of the similarity is eerie and, frankly, terrifying; Prusik still carries trauma from her time in the field.
"As the dark details continue to surface, Prusik has to wonder if the connection is real or if her nightmares have finally wormed their way into her waking life."
The book is available online from a number of retailers including Amazon for £8.99.
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