You like it? You really like it?

Writing is an exciting journey. I started Never Forgotten back in 2008. Initially, the story came fast and furious. I wrote the first half in about two months. Then the ending came to me. I didn't know what to put in the middle, so I jumped ahead and wrote the last three chapters.

"Wow, " I thought. "I'm two-thirds done. The rest should be easy."

Not. I must've jinxed myself, because I was hit with the world's worst case of writers block. At the time, it was just me. No writing group, no author friends. I put my story on the shelf and walked away, busy with my two young children and my full-time job.

Fast forward two years. A friend who knew I wanted to write a book shared a Groupon with me. The Groupon was for a novel writing class at Allwriters' Workplace and Workshop. I signed up for that first class, not knowing what to expect, and was welcomed with open arms. The next two years, I shared my novel in workshop. First, completing the first draft, then polishing it through two more rounds of revisions. I learned that talking about my story with other writers and readers really helped. It was ready for submission by end of June 2013.

I spent the next month writing my query letter and synopsis and researching where I wanted to submit. I submitted, then waited. And waited. And waited. When I received a rejection, I'd send another query. The most disappointing part of the process was how few agents and publishers actually responded back. Those that did typically gave a polite, but generic, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Then, I found Clean Teen Publishing. I read their business model and was intrigued. I loved the idea of a rating system. It's so true - the movies have one, television has one, why not books? I also liked that they provide full disclosure, but do not censor. It's a personal decision what you want to read, and what you're willing to let your children read. Maturity levels vary greatly, but it's nice to know that before you even lift the cover of the book, you know what you're getting into. I submitted my query, and the rest, they say, is history.

I'm so proud to be part of the Clean Teen Publishing family. The works they represent are well written, entertaining stories. The kinds of books that I like to read. I can't wait for my story to come out, for others to read it. It's been an exciting ride so far, and something tells me, this is just the beginning!