Shawn Warner and Jerrad Swearenjin.
Never underestimate the power of TikTok.
On July 2, Texas authorShawn Warnerwent to sign books at Kroger. With the store’s slow traffic, Warner seemed down on his luck. Then, Jerrad Swearenjin — who posts under the TikTok accountRed— filmed aquick video of Warnerand posted it online. Just like that, Warner found instant virality and became an overnight bestselling author.
Less than two weeks after Swearenjin posted his TikTok, which has now received 18.9 million views, the author and TikTok creator reunited ontheTodayshowon Thursday. Needless to say, it got emotional.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“It started out with confusion,” the author admitted. “Our daughter actually said, ‘dad’s gone viral on TikTok!’ "
Warner then provided some greater context to the viral TikTok clip, peppering his words with increased gratitude. “I was at Kroger signing the books, and Red saw me sitting alone, and came over and said hello,” he said. “[He] brightened up my day, and then it just brightened up my life.”
The show’s hosts then brought Swearenjin, being the first time Warner had seen him since that Kroger meetup. The two instantly embraced, with Warner swelling with emotions.
“I saw Shawn and, I don’t know, something just registered with me,” Swearenjin said. “I feel like I have a lot of passion for other people. I’m a big people person, so when I saw him and he didn’t have a smile on his face, it just made me want to change it.”
As the conversation continued, Warner quickly became choked up with tears. “What really warms my heart,” he explained as his eyes welled, “is when parents say they read it with their kids.”
Part of TikTok’s power is the ensuing group mentality. With highly selective content operations like the“For You” page, users often feel like their feed is highly personal. “It started out as being a nice gesture to somebody,” Swearenjin explained. “But then everybody kind of rallied, and it became almost as if his success was our success.”
Warner also explained what his next project will look like. While he continues to revel in the unexpected success of his first novel, Warner is currently polishing off a second. There’s also a sequel in the works, as well as a screenplay that he continues to workshop.
For fans ofLeigh Howard And The Ghosts Of Simmons-Pierce Manor, Warner also revealed that hardcover and audiobook editions of the fantasy hit would soon be made available.
The unexpected hit author kept his message clear onToday: “If there’s a moral of the story, it’s how a simple act of kindness can do so much.”
Todayairs weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. ET.
source: people.com
