Today is the fifth(!!!) anniversary of the release of Heated Rivalry and to celebrate I am sharing a little something. I’ve been asked quite a bit about Ilya’s thoughts and feelings during the “Las Vegas scene.” Specifically, readers have been interested to know where exactly Ilya was when Shane was waiting for him backstage at the NHL Awards. Now the question has been answered!

This is a scene that got cut from The Long Game because I couldn’t elegantly fit it into the story. It was hard to cut because I think it’s a fun, sexy scene, but definitely, y’know. Indulgent. And a bit ridiculous.

It started as a tweet and now it’s a short story. This was maybe not the most productive use of my time today, but once I got the idea in my head I needed to get it out. So here is a hastily-written short about Ilya giving out candy on Halloween. I imagine this taking place a few weeks before the dinner party with Hayden that the other short story is about. Ilya’s first Halloween in Ottawa, living in a house rather than a fancy Boston penthouse.

Enjoy (if you dare…)

A Heated Rivalry short story!

All right, you asked for it. Here are some scenes (and parts of scenes) that didn’t make it into Heated Rivalry. This is the stuff that my editor didn’t even see, so any mistakes are my own.

I have clearly done a very bad job keeping this blog up-to-date. I haven’t posted anything since December?! A whole other book has come out since then! Come on, Rachel.