Discussion

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added about 2 years ago · 1 like

Dear supporters of Henderson House,

If you pre-ordered during the contest, you should get an email today saying you can download the ebook now - woohoo!

I know many of you want to wait to read the paperback copy, and I can’t blame you, it’s beautiful and should arrive soon. But for those who enjoy reading on a digital device, I wanted to let you know that KINDLE now uses the EPUB format. The instructions on the download page make it sound like there should be a separate button to download for KINDLE, but you can download the EPUB format and follow the directions to have it delivered to your KINDLE.

Feel free to email hello@inkshares.com with any questions about downloading your ebook.

Wanna post of photo of you reading Henderson House? Please tag me! On Instagram @carenwrites and on Facebook @carensimpsonmcvickerwriter, #hendersonhousenovel - THANKS!

Early reviews on Goodreads are so helpful! You can’t leave a review on Amazon until August 1st, but if you do read the ebook (or paperback in record time) and would like to leave an early review on Goodreads here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129397944-henderson-house

The novel has gotten some wonderful early reviews and I am so grateful to you for making all of this possible. THANK YOU!

Here’s a quick summary of where I will be on my book tour over the next few months:

Dallas, TX: August 12th, 4 pm, Interabang Books

Baton Rouge, LA: August 15th, 6 pm, Barnes & Noble CitiPlace

Ridgeland, MS: August 19th, 12 noon, Barnes & Noble Colony Park

Manchester, VT: August 27th, 3 pm, Southern Vermont Arts Center

Wellesley, MA: September 11th, 7 pm, Wellesley Books

Tulsa, OK: October 10th, Magic City Books,

Tahlequah, OK: October 12th, Too Fond of Books,

Broken Arrow, OK: October 13th, Rivendell Books & Baubles,

Claremore, OK: October 14th, The Same Page,

Crescent, OK: October 17th, Paper Pages,

Bartlesville, OK: October 19th, Bartlesville Public Library,

Portland, ME: October 26th, Longfellow Books,

More details at: https://www.carenmcvicker.com/events

If I am NOT coming to a city near your and you would like a signed bookplate to put in your book, please reply to this email and let me know. I’d be happy to put one in the mail to you.

Thank you again for all your support on my publishing journey. We are in the homestretch now!

Best,

Caren

Dr Judith S Rachele · Reader · added over 2 years ago

Super excited to read about all of your new developments Caren. Address changed so that I can make sure I get my hands on Henderson House!

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added over 2 years ago · 2 likes

May 16, 2023

Dear Henderson House supporters,

I am reaching out to you via Inkshares (instead of MailChimp) because I have two important Inkshares-related action items to share:

1) IF YOUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED since you preordered a copy of Henderson House during the Inkshares All Genre Contest, now is the time to UPDATE your address on Inkshares. You created an Inkshares account when you preordered. If you don’t remember your password, you can use the Forgot Password feature to create a new password, log in, and update your mailing address.

Everyone should be receiving their copies of Henderson House on or around Tuesday, August 1st!

So please, make sure your mailing address is correct!

2) I CREATED A PROJECT PAGE for my second novel, Sequoyah Road. PLEASE FOLLOW my new project. You may not want to read Sequoyah Road until you have finished Henderson House (spoilers) but if you follow my new project, you’ll be able to start the next book right away. I have the first 11 draft chapters of Sequoyah Road up online! Those who already read a draft of HH can start reading Sequoyah Road now. Here is the link:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/sequoyah-road

I have tons to share in my May Issue of Book News, which is coming soon, but I wanted to reach out via the Inkshares platform with these two important Inkshares updates.

76 Days To Go!

All the best,

Caren Simpson McVicker

Geri A Sauls · Reader · added about 3 years ago

Awesome update!!!

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added about 3 years ago · 1 like

Hello wonderful supporters of my debut novel, Henderson House!

I have emails for 98% of you and you should have received my latest update via MailChimp a few minutes ago. If you did, you’re all set.

If you follow me on Inkshares, but did not pre-order I don’t think I have your email address. If you’d like to stay up to date on everything that’s happening with my book, please sign up for my email list by clicking on the link below:

http://eepurl.com/h2w9AX

Or from the form on my website at:

https://www.carenmcvicker.com/

I plan on using MailChimp moving forward. Here’s a link to the latest on my publishing journey:

https://mailchi.mp/1f10735eacba/henderson-house-publishing-update

Many thanks and happy summer,

Caren Simpson McVicker

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added over 3 years ago · 5 likes

Dear Henderson House supporters,

As of this week, the Inkshares Team is reading my revised manuscript! I know it’s been a long wait since I resubmitted it at the end of January - trust me, I KNOW- but the good news is Henderson House is back in the active production cycle.

After this read-through, I will either receive another editorial letter and will need to make more developmental edits or the book will be ready to move to copy editing.

Once the book moves to copy editing, I might get a launch date!! Since we are already into May, my guess is the book will not launch until some point in early 2023.

In other news, I met with fellow Inkshares’ Author Jacqui Castle today in Asheville, NC. I reached out to her since I’m in the area doing research in Cherokee, NC for Sequoyah Road the sequel to Henderson House.

Jacqui was incredibly generous with her time and wisdom today. She has published two sci-fi novels with Inkshares, The Seclusion, and The Chasm. She was named the 2020 Indie Author of the year by the Indie Author Project. I really enjoyed the two-book series. Her books are available wherever you buy your books and someday, Henderson House will be too :)

Thanks again for all your support. We’re getting closer to holding the book in our hands.

With gratitude,

Caren Simpson McVicker

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added over 3 years ago · 7 likes

Dear Henderson House readers,

Wow! A year ago today, Henderson House, won the Inkshares All-Genre Contest!

Thanks again to everyone who engaged with my project and helped me earn a publishing contract. What a difference a year makes:) The novel is so much better today than it was a year ago.

I’ve learned so much this past year about the writing process, the editing process, the publishing process, and my own personal process. I hope to have an update from the Inkshares team for you very soon.

Over the past few months, I have seen successful book launches for other authors I follow on Inkshares. I have walked into the Northshire Bookstore, my local independent bookstore in Vermont, and pulled these Inkshares titles on the shelf. I have seen Inkshares run promotions for these books on Goodreads. I have looked these books up on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. This is real. This will happen.

Thank you again for your continued patience and support. In the meantime, I AM WRITING :)

With gratitude and prayers for peace in our world,

Caren

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added over 3 years ago · 8 likes

REVISED MANUSCRIPT SENT TO INKSHARES!!

Dear Henderson House Supporters,

I hope your 2022 is off to a great start! Yesterday, I submitted the revised manuscript for Henderson House to the Inkshares Editorial Team. I read the novel from start to finish on Sunday and I’m very excited about the depth and clarity the developmental edits add to the story. Heartfelt thanks go out to a few trusted readers for helping me get this draft across the finish line!

The revised first four chapters are up on Inkshares, so if you’d like to read them, I’d love to hear what you think. Most of the meat of the editing came later in the novel, but there are some subtle differences in the first four chapters you might pick up on :)

What’s next? The Inkshares Team will re-read Henderson House and decide if the manuscript is ready to move to the next step (copy editing) OR they will send me a second editorial letter and request additional developmental edits and we will go through this process again.

When will you know? Well, that depends on when the Inkshares Team starts reading. Once the team begins reading, it will be at least a month before I hear anything. I will keep you posted.

What are you going to do now? I am going to drink less coffee and get back to working on the sequel Sequoya Road! I’m looking forward to having more time in the day to read other people’s books—just started reading the draft of a friend’s new novel this morning! So fun!

Also, I’m going to get serious about developing my own marketing plan. I will get great support through Inkshares, but I know most of the heavy lifting will be up to me.

If you’re not already following my business page on Facebook, please do. I’m at:

https://www.facebook.com/CarenSimpsonMcVickerWriter

Many thanks for your continued support. We’re gonna hold this book in our hands soon, well, soon in publishing terms :)

With gratitude,

Caren

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added almost 4 years ago · 5 likes

Dear Henderson House supporters,

Happy Halloween! I’m pleased to announce that on Friday, I received my Editorial Letter from the Inkshares team:) Can you believe it’s been eight months since Henderson House won the Inkshares 2020 All-Genre Contest? I know eight months seems like a long wait, but given everything in our world that has been slowed down or discontinued due to COVID, I think Inkshares is doing a wonderful job. I’m incredibly grateful and honored to be publishing with them. I’m also thrilled with the insightful comments and specific suggestions in the Editorial Letter and can’t wait to dive back into the manuscript and take it to the next level.

"But when is the book coming out?" everyone keeps asking. The answer is: I still don’t know, but I do know a little more about what lies ahead.

The minimum time Inkshares gives an author to respond to the Editorial Letter is two months. The recommendations in the letter are not extensive, but they’re really good and they require soak time as they are developmental. My goal is to get my revisions to the team by early January.

Once I send the revised manuscript, the Editorial Team will read it again and we’ll see if the book needs more development or if we’re ready to move into copy editing.

When the copy-editing phase begins, Inkshares might be ready to start talking about a target publication date. Sorry, I can’t be more specific, but getting a book to press is an iterative process. If the team thinks the manuscript needs more work in January, we will continue the read-through, editorial letter, and revision cycle until we all feel the book is ready for publication.

Trust me, I’m going to do everything in my power to completely knock it out of the park on the next draft and be ready to move forward. In the meantime, I probably won’t have much news to report on Henderson House until after the holidays.

You can follow the ups and downs of my writing adventures on my professional Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CarenSimpsonMcVickerWriter/

Truly, I would not have a novel at this stage of publication if it were not for all of you, your pre-orders, your comments, and your engagement. We will get to hold this book in our hands and I am as excited about it as ever. Thank you again.

Cheers,

Caren

Caren Simpson McVicker · Author · added almost 4 years ago · 4 likes

Dear Henderson House Supporters,

The team at Inkshares asked for another week before delivering my Editorial Letter. Noah assured me that the extra week is in no way a reflection on the manuscript, they are just super busy. So, what is there to do but wait and keep writing.

In sadder news, we had to say goodbye to our amazing rescue dog, Lola, over the weekend. We had thirteen incredible years with her and I’m not sure I ever would have finished Henderson House without her. We called her "Coach Lola" because once she learned a workout routine, she was brutal about making you stick to it. The same held true in her later years when I began my writing routine. Any morning I was puttering in the kitchen instead of heading up to my office to write, Coach Lola would start up the stairs and give me a little growl. "Let’s get going!" she would grumble. I can only hope she had time to instill the same work ethic in little June Bug. Rest in peace, Coach Lola.

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