Title: Renegade
Author: Sharonlee Holder
Series: Blood of the Custodians #2
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: May 28, 2018
Publisher: Changing Tides Publishing
Summary:He’ll risk his heart to save her soul.
As the war between the Fates and the resistance rages on, Colin Murphy—bastard son of Hades—finds himself caught between his loyalty to Eros and a past that threatens to destroy him.
Pursued by Persephone’s bounty hunters, and with a pissed-off daemon to contend with, there is one thing that Murphy knows for sure – Hailey, the human he now shares his mind and body with, is innocent in all of it. She is a firefly flickering in the darkness of his black existence, and he will do anything and everything to protect her.
Hailey was groomed to be a socialite, with her entire future mapped out for her. Nothing could have prepared her for the abrupt ending to that life—or the impact of living in such close, intimate confines with a forsaken son of Hell. He’s powerful, he’s dangerous…and he’s her only hope of escaping the dark forces that pursue her.
Boundaries will be tested, loyalties questioned, and hearts pushed to the limits in this action-packed paranormal romance that continues the epic Blood of the Custodians saga by Sharonlee Holder.
This steamy, fast-paced paranormal romance series by Sharonlee Holder is perfect for fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward and Sacrificed to the Dragon by Jessie Donovan.
Chapter 22
Through Murphy’s eyes, Hailey saw the black and white tiles with smaller gold ones set into their corners. Through his skin, she felt the hot water sluicing over tense shoulders, rushing over his body. With his ears, she heard it hitting the smooth rounded pebbles he was standing on. Murphy had, however, become a statue. A solid mass of brawn rooted to the spot as if he were unsure of what to do next.
Conflict tangled through him.
Compassion rose up. Hailey had caught glimpses of the memories that dredged through his mind shortly after he’d stirred back to consciousness. Experienced the crushing guilt and regret every one of those bones on that god-awful bridge represented. Her questions, though ones her female pride had needed answering, had also been a means to distract him and draw him back from the brink of self-loathing.
Frustration pecked at her. She wanted to help. Wished to understand and ease the bonds that tortured. Wanted to nurture the good she felt sure existed until it grew large enough to choke the weeds of his regret.
Summoning what she had learnt over the past few weeks, Hailey closed her eyes and concentrated on what her newly established connections to Murphy were telling her. Sight, sound, smell…
She reached down further, imposing herself upon his senses…
Taste…
Touch.
Flexing her fingers, Hailey felt his twitch. She focussed harder and balled her hands into fists. His followed suit. She scrunched her toes. Murphy’s curled in response. Lifting her hands, she pressed them to her temples, made small circular motions and felt him do the same.
Cruising on autopilot, Murphy leant back against the shower cubicle and closed his eyes, finding temporal relief in the massage of his fingers to the sides of his head.
They stayed there a while and then slipped into his hair, threading through shoulder-length strands. Light, gentle, soothing … alien, as if his hands no longer belonged to him. Unfamiliar caring in the way they moved from his hair to trace fingertips along his jaw and then trailed down his neck…
Murphy stiffened. “Hailey?”
His hands paused, curled over the thick slab of muscles joined to the sides of his neck. Her response when it came after a few moments was hesitant, quiet. “Yes?”
“What are you doing, lass?”
Uncertainty lingered in her voice even as his thumbs stroked up and down his neck. “You don’t like it?” she whispered.
More than is safe for either of us, he thought. “It’s dangerous,” he replied.
Again, his hands hesitated and then dropped to his sides. “Why?”
“Because…I think…I like you.” Murphy said it before logic could catch sentiment and issue a gag order.
He heard the smile in her voice, felt the way she snuggled closer, warming him in unfamiliar ways. “Is that such a bad thing?”
He sighed and palmed a hand down his face, the action all his this time. “You know what I am.”
“Yes. I do. But I also know that you’re more than Mayhem.” Her reply punched him in the gut and sawed through his chest with a rusty blade.
Murphy slid down the tiled wall and sat heavily on the pebbled floor. “How do you know that name?”
Through Murphy’s eyes, Hailey saw the black and white tiles with smaller gold ones set into their corners. Through his skin, she felt the hot water sluicing over tense shoulders, rushing over his body. With his ears, she heard it hitting the smooth rounded pebbles he was standing on. Murphy had, however, become a statue. A solid mass of brawn rooted to the spot as if he were unsure of what to do next.
Conflict tangled through him.
Frustration pecked at her. She wanted to help. Wished to understand and ease the bonds that tortured. Wanted to nurture the good she felt sure existed until it grew large enough to choke the weeds of his regret.
Summoning what she had learnt over the past few weeks, Hailey closed her eyes and concentrated on what her newly established connections to Murphy were telling her. Sight, sound, smell…
She reached down further, imposing herself upon his senses…
Taste…
Touch.
Flexing her fingers, Hailey felt his twitch. She focussed harder and balled her hands into fists. His followed suit. She scrunched her toes. Murphy’s curled in response. Lifting her hands, she pressed them to her temples, made small circular motions and felt him do the same.
******
Cruising on autopilot, Murphy leant back against the shower cubicle and closed his eyes, finding temporal relief in the massage of his fingers to the sides of his head.
Murphy stiffened. “Hailey?”
His hands paused, curled over the thick slab of muscles joined to the sides of his neck. Her response when it came after a few moments was hesitant, quiet. “Yes?”
Uncertainty lingered in her voice even as his thumbs stroked up and down his neck. “You don’t like it?” she whispered.
More than is safe for either of us, he thought. “It’s dangerous,” he replied.
Again, his hands hesitated and then dropped to his sides. “Why?”
“Because…I think…I like you.” Murphy said it before logic could catch sentiment and issue a gag order.
He sighed and palmed a hand down his face, the action all his this time. “You know what I am.”
“Yes. I do. But I also know that you’re more than Mayhem.” Her reply punched him in the gut and sawed through his chest with a rusty blade.
Murphy slid down the tiled wall and sat heavily on the pebbled floor. “How do you know that name?”
What is the most unusual thing you’ve Googled?
Have you ever wondered about the kind of research an author does when writing a novel?
It never occurred to me as a reader.
Before now, my search history has been rather tame consisting of looking up a favourite author’s next release, knitting or crochet patterns, the specs on the fast cars that I adore, accommodation for a trip away etc.
These days, however, my browser history is awash with Greek mythology (who shagged who and which gods had personal feuds going on), anything and everything to do with the craft of writing and publishing, in-depth virtual tours and location shots, as well as topics that would have a nun blushing 😉
And then, there is this:
⦁ Coma awareness –
A subject so fascinating that I fell down a rabbit hole and didn’t emerge until an hour later.
⦁ Crucifixion –
Such a savage practise that extends well before and after Christianity’s awareness of it. One that has several differing forms of execution.
⦁ Ancient weapons –
The men and women who wielded them were honest-to-gods warriors. No other way of putting it.
⦁ Night vision goggles –
Again, what I thought I knew from film and television was a fifty-fifty split of inaccuracy and assumption on my part.
⦁ Special forces (extraction teams) –
Fascinating stuff and totally had me wanting to re-watch S.W.A.T. starring the delicious Colin Farrell
⦁ Hand grenade damage to structures –
Wow! This was a real eye opener for me as again, it’s not what we perceive it to be in film and television.
⦁ Scrying –
Very interesting and offered up a fantastic means to an end in terms of plot.
⦁ Sign language –
This is something I’ve always wanted to learn and has gone on my bucket list. I love that in Renegade I was able to feature a character that communicates in this way. What a lovely dance of hands.
⦁ The Chicago Bean –
Yes! We get to pay a brief visit to Chicago in Renegade. Having visited the famed Windy City, I was thrilled to no end to have the opportunity to draw on my wintery experience as well as the inclusion of a quaint little house I encountered just off Millennium Mile.
⦁ Fractal light –
Another research topic that had me falling down a hole. So many beautiful pieces of digital art out there that have been created using this technique. A technique that lends itself perfectly to what I needed it for in Renegade.
Have you ever wondered about the kind of research an author does when writing a novel?
It never occurred to me as a reader.
Before now, my search history has been rather tame consisting of looking up a favourite author’s next release, knitting or crochet patterns, the specs on the fast cars that I adore, accommodation for a trip away etc.
These days, however, my browser history is awash with Greek mythology (who shagged who and which gods had personal feuds going on), anything and everything to do with the craft of writing and publishing, in-depth virtual tours and location shots, as well as topics that would have a nun blushing 😉
And then, there is this:
Yup, while writing Renegade, I had reason to research how long it would take to dig a grave by hand. And it didn’t end there. Due to the setting and nature of Renegade research covered topics such as:
⦁ Creepy abandoned hospital –
The location I researched is 12mins away from where I live and listed as one of the top ten haunted places in South Africa. Perfect inspiration for an integral location in Renegade.
⦁ Chloroform –
It’s not what film and television make it out to be
The location I researched is 12mins away from where I live and listed as one of the top ten haunted places in South Africa. Perfect inspiration for an integral location in Renegade.
⦁ Chloroform –
It’s not what film and television make it out to be
⦁ Coma awareness –
A subject so fascinating that I fell down a rabbit hole and didn’t emerge until an hour later.
⦁ Crucifixion –
Such a savage practise that extends well before and after Christianity’s awareness of it. One that has several differing forms of execution.
⦁ Ancient weapons –
The men and women who wielded them were honest-to-gods warriors. No other way of putting it.
⦁ Night vision goggles –
Again, what I thought I knew from film and television was a fifty-fifty split of inaccuracy and assumption on my part.
⦁ Special forces (extraction teams) –
Fascinating stuff and totally had me wanting to re-watch S.W.A.T. starring the delicious Colin Farrell
⦁ Hand grenade damage to structures –
Wow! This was a real eye opener for me as again, it’s not what we perceive it to be in film and television.
⦁ Scrying –
Very interesting and offered up a fantastic means to an end in terms of plot.
⦁ Sign language –
This is something I’ve always wanted to learn and has gone on my bucket list. I love that in Renegade I was able to feature a character that communicates in this way. What a lovely dance of hands.
⦁ The Chicago Bean –
Yes! We get to pay a brief visit to Chicago in Renegade. Having visited the famed Windy City, I was thrilled to no end to have the opportunity to draw on my wintery experience as well as the inclusion of a quaint little house I encountered just off Millennium Mile.
⦁ Fractal light –
Another research topic that had me falling down a hole. So many beautiful pieces of digital art out there that have been created using this technique. A technique that lends itself perfectly to what I needed it for in Renegade.
And much, much more.
Summary:
The last thing Antara remembers about yesterday was her piece of crap car breaking down in the middle of the road, and a too-sexy-for-his-own-good stranger offering his assistance. Neither explains why she woke up naked in his bed, nor why she feels sicker than she's ever been in her life.
Caught in the grips of a terrible fever, nothing's making much sense to Antara. There are only two things she's fairly certain about. One—the unearthly hot stranger's name is Eros and he's definitely not a human. And two—she's pretty sure she was drugged and is currently his hostage.
This steamy, fast-paced paranormal romance by Sharonlee Holder is perfect for fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward and Sacrificed to the Dragon by Jessie Donovan.
South African, born and bred, Sharonlee Holder lives in one of the outer suburbs of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa.
Life is a happy and creative jumble consisting of a husband, three grown daughters, one super cute grand-daughter, three dogs, a cat, and a mouthy African Grey parrot.
Endless hours at the keyboard are supported by copious amounts of frothy coffee and ‘What ifs?’. Writing breaks are a blend of the big outdoors astride a motorbike, reading or watching anything and everything to do with fantasy, romance and the paranormal.
Renegade #1
KOBO / iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
Resurgence #1
Much appreciation for your help to spread the word about Renegade's release! <3
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