Stars Collective Options LEIGH HOWARD AND THE GHOSTS OF SIMMONS-PIERCE MANOR

USA TODAY best-selling author Shawn M. Warner's mystery/fiction/ghost story "Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons - Pierce Manor" has been optioned by Stars Collective, which will explore film and TV adaptations of the best-selling YA novel.

Published by Black Rose Writing, the mega popular book is a #1 Amazon Charts Bestseller and one of the top ranked books in the world with millions of fans who have also made it a TikTok phenomenon garnering millions of views.

In a witty and spooky RL Stine's "Goosebumps" meets "Nancy Drew," "Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor," is the tale of a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents' murder.

Leigh's life has been ripped apart. Orphaned, she goes to live with incredibly wealthy relatives she never knew she had. Struggling to fit into her new world, she can't let go of her grief. When the police tell her the investigation into her parents' murder has hit a brick wall, she knows the only way she will ever know peace is to solve the mystery herself. With new family and friends, which includes a ghost with multiple personality issues, Leigh risks everything to find her answers.

Shawn M. Warner is a former Army paratrooper-turned-author who dreamed of becoming a writer since early childhood. In 2023, a single TikTok video thrust Warner and his debut novel into the national spotlight.

Jarrad Swearengin was at a grocery store in Fort Worth, Texas when he noticed Warner sitting among stacks of books at a table in the store. Warner was there to promote and sign "Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor." Swearengin posted a video of his interaction with Warner on his TikTok account where Warner explained the premise of his novel. The post went viral, garnering over 25 million views and over 3 million likes.

Sales for "Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor" promptly skyrocketed. In July 2023, the novel was the #1 Bestseller on Amazon Books, and the story was being covered by national media including the likes of "The TODAY Show." Warner didn't even have a TikTok account when he found out that his novel had gone viral. His daughter was THE ONE who broke the news to him and his wife.

Stars Collective founder Peter Luo commented, "'Leigh Howard' is a masterfully written and astutely crafted story that extends seamlessly into a four quadrant franchise for film and TV. Our intent is to tell epic stories on screen and help expand this universe alongside Shawn." Stars Collective Co-CEO Nancy Xu said, "The phenomenon of this novel is real and there is palpable passion and affinity underpinning the virality. We're attracted to strong IP that has universal appeal and 'Leigh Howard' has proven that it resonates with audiences around the world who would love to see versions played out in a movie or TV series."

Author Shawn Warner says, "We are excited to collaborate with Stars Collective to bring 'Leigh Howard' into a media production where audiences can participate in the hijinks and sleuthing of Leigh as she partners with a ghost with multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents' murder."

Warner added, "Adventure. Excitement. I love them. The first books I remember reading were the courageous and heroic adventures of a horse named Blaze and his youthful owner, Billy, written and illustrated by CLARENCE William Anderson in the mid-1930's. Hooked, I tried to write adventure stories of my own around the age of six. I've amassed my own adventures as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, scuba diver, working as a therapist with youth, and wrote stories through software coding before finally sinking into writing later in life."

A sequel is in the works and a separate novel, titled "Homeland Insecurity," about a group of teens getting caught in the crosshairs of an international terrorist. This book will be published later this year.

The book rights were negotiated on behalf of Shawn M. Warner by Paradigm.

Stars Collective has pioneered a unique business model that deeply binds globally renowned directors and producers for joint original IP development. The company has deals with dozens of top directors and producers as mentors and also established cooperation agreements with hundreds of outstanding global directors and producers, as well as nearly a hundred well-known international artists.

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