GUEST POST: The One that Got Away by M.B. Feeney

I've been a long time fan of M. B. Feeney's, so when the chance to have her on my blog again came around, I jumped at the chance. Her book, The One that Got Away, is next on my TBR List, and I can't wait. In the meantime, I asked her:



What's the biggest struggle you faced with this book?
And she said:
This story started life as a Twific one shot which was about 3,500 words long, and was lacking in an overall story. Yes it had a beginning, middle, and end, but these events were very close together.About three years ago, I decided I would work on extending it. I ended up with about 4 chapters, about 9,000 words, before I put it to one side, frustrated that it wasn’t going anywhere.
One day, I opened the file, and printed the entire doc off and began scribbling on it in bright green pen. I jotted down character profiles and  worked out that I needed an epilogue to build up Heidi and Shane’s back story. That’s when I realised it needed to be dual POV. Once I got started, I managed to get the story pretty much written and finished.
I left it alone while I worked on other things, and when I came back to it and realised it was missing quite a few things. I worked on it for a couple of months, got it edited by a good friend before fleshing bits and pieces out.
I then sent it off to my editor for a final read through feeling pretty pleased with myself. My editor dropped me a note explaining that she felt The One That Got Away would be better with another substantive edit. After reading through her comments, I agreed.
Eventually, the book was complete and I couldn’t be prouder. As much as I got frustrated or a bit despondent, I persevered with it. I wanted this book released because it’s quite different to anything I’d released before now. So, even though I am more nervous than excited about release day, I can’t wait to see how readers take to the story.I *think* I answered your question…
Genre: Contemporary RomanceContent Warning: Sexual situations and bad language.Cover designer: Grafix Momma ~ Editor: Sydney Kalnay & R. E. Hargrave





There’s something about that one person we date in our teens but never become intimate with. Why does a sexless relationship render us unable to stop carrying that person, the what if, with us into our adult life?For Heidi Johnson, Shane Hughes is her “one that got away.” Through the years, he has stayed in the back of her mind while she became an adult, a mother, and her own person. Meanwhile, Shane has lived a life of regret that he let Heidi go for the wrong reasons: fear and a misguided sense of not wanting to hurt either of them. When they reconnect online, the memories they've tried to suppress over the years return, reigniting the feelings never explored ‘back in the day.’ Will a school reunion in their home town of London, surrounded by old school friends, help the pair address the questions the years apart left unanswered? Or will they still be left with wanting more?

 

For almost half an hour I sat at an abandoned table by the wall, smoking my cigarettes one after the other. Apart from a few voices filtering out through the open doors, I sat in complete silence. Not one other person came out, but I could hear voices. It seemed most of the smokers were outside the front, leaving me to feel like I was the only smoker in the building. 
Leaning back against the wall, I let the soft breeze play over my flushed face and was savouring a bit of peace and quiet when I looked at my watch and jumped. I hadn’t realised that it was so late—time certainly does fly when you’re having fun. Which I had been having, before the need to escape into the dark overtook me. Crushing out my cigarette in the huge metal ashtray, I stood to go back inside. I stalled when I caught sight of Shane making his way through the crowded downstairs room of the pub, walking in the direction of the beer garden. Towards me. Crumpling back down onto the seat, I lit another cigarette, my hand shaking from nerves, and . . . something else. It was okay sitting close to him in a crowded room surrounded by people, but the garden was deserted and dark. He spotted me pretty quick thanks to the glowing orange tip of my lit cigarette. 
“Nice spot.” He pointed to the overhanging branches of ivy that partially hid the table. Without speaking further, he sat down next to me and took my face between his warm, strong hands. All I could see were his beautiful eyes locking on me—right before his lips crashed into mine.

GoodreadsAmazon Author Page M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, two kids and a dog. Currently at university studying for her BA (Hons) in primary teaching, she procrastinates on her assignments by listening to music of all genres and trying to get ‘just one more paragraph’ written on whichever WIP is open. She is also a serious doodler and chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love ever since she could spell, and publishing is the final culmination of her hard work and ambition.Her publishing career began with two novellas, and she currently has multiple projects under way whilst Honour, a compilation of her own military based shorts, was released in November 2013. Always having something on the go can often lead to block which eventually gets dissolved by good music and an even better book. Her main reason for writing is to not only give her readers enjoyment, but also to create a story and characters that stay with readers long after the book is finished, and possibly make someone stop and think “what if...”
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