Blog Tour: STONE OF DESTINY by Margaret Izard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Margaret Izard will be awarding a Stone of Destiny Swag Box to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bound by destiny, torn by fate—their love stood unbroken, victorious over all.

Kat MacArthur still feels the loss of her brother to another time. Seeking solace, she stumbles upon Ceallach, a Fae warrior, she’s had feelings for ever since she met him. The emotion grows stronger whenever they are together. Yet he warns her to stay away from the upcoming gathering for the Iona Stones. Kat refuses—she needs to be there to help her family and Ceallach.

Ceallach is torn between duty, magic, and the ache for mortal love. His Fae soul is sworn to protect the Iona Stones during the Gathering, but his heart is lost to Kat. With the prophecy looming, he cannot promise her forever—no matter how much he longs to. The maiden of the Iona Stones now faces sacrifice, and he fears if his beloved gets too close, he cannot save her.

When dark forces rise to take the Iona Stones along with their powers, Ceallach is forced into an impossible decision—to defy destiny or surrender to love?

Read an Excerpt

Still wearing a grin, he strode forward with confidence, and a sensuality Kat had not forgotten. The man still took her breath away with one look. Ceallach arrived before her, a smile playing on his lips. As his eyes swept across her face, the expression faltered. His brows knitted together in a frown, shadowing the sudden tension in his gaze. Reaching with his finger, he lifted a tear from her cheek, gripped his fist hard, and when opened, a small, clear teardrop-shaped gemstone sat in his palm.

“Dry yer tears, sweet Kat. Yer face is much prettier without them.” He took her hand and, with his other placed the gemstone in her palm. “When ye hold the gem, yer tears will fade, and happy thoughts shall fill yer heart.” When the stone touched her skin, her mind cleared, and a sense of ease washed over her.

Ceallach released her hand and strode past her to the doors.

Kat turned, calling after him. “Wait, why are ye here?”

The attractive Fae stopped and turned. “Dagda sent me. I’ve come to meet with the guardian of the stones. All the stones have returned. The gathering and battle of good vs evil is upon us. The gods have called, and we must answer.”

He opened the heavy oak doors without effort and strode through. The doors weight closed them, leaving Kat in the shadows again. She blinked, almost not believing her eyes and the truth before her. Her secret love had just casually strolled back into her life. Gripping the gem, he’d shaped from her tears, warmth washed over her. Ceallach was here. A smile crossed her face.

Ceallach was here.

***

Topic: What are the best and worst things about writing in this genre?

 

Why I Chose This Genre and Then Immediately Gave Myself Homework

 

Writing paranormal romance is a little like inviting chaos into your house and then being shocked when it rearranges the furniture. I love it. I complain about it. I keep doing it anyway.

Here are the honest highs and lows.

 

The Best Things

 

The Stakes Are Never Small

Go big or go home.
In paranormal romance, a bad breakup isn’t just awkward—it can unravel prophecy, doom a realm, or unleash something ancient and angry. Love isn’t a nice bonus; it’s often what holds reality together. If a character walks away, there are consequences—usually, loud ones.

As a writer, that’s delicious. You get to put emotion under pressure and see what survives.

 

Magic Does the Heavy Lifting for Emotion

Fate, curses, immortal vows—these aren’t gimmicks. They’re emotional amplifiers. When a character can’t choose love without risking everything, every glance, every almost-touch matters more. Paranormal romance lets you turn internal conflict into an external threat, which is just good storytelling with sparks.

 

Series Readers Are Ride-or-Die
Paranormal readers don’t just read—they remember. They track lore. They notice patterns. They care about the long game. If you build a world and respect it, they’ll follow you across multiple books, timelines, and emotional disasters. It’s incredibly rewarding… and mildly terrifying.

 

The Worst Things

 

You Don’t Get to Cheat
Once you establish magic rules, congratulations—you are trapped by your own genius. That prophecy clause you tossed in during Book Two? It will absolutely come back to haunt you in Book Seven. Paranormal romance readers have receipts.

Ask me how I know.

 

Endings Are Not Optional
You can’t just “wrap things up” in a paranormal series. Fate demands closure—magic demands balance. Love demands proof. If you’ve been building toward something across multiple books, the finale has to deliver—or readers will feel betrayed. No pressure.

 

The Series Arc Will Own You
Standalone books are cute. Paranormal series are a commitment. When you write a seven-book arc, you’re not just telling individual love stories—you’re constructing an emotional and mythic spine that must hold the entire structure together. Every choice matters. Every sacrifice echoes.

 

And That’s Where Stone of Destiny Comes In

Stone of Destiny closes the seven-book Stones of Iona series, which means the story carries the weight of every promise made before it. This isn’t just about one couple falling in love—it’s about every character before fulfilling prophecy, resolving ancient magic, and honoring the emotional journey that’s been unfolding since the first Stone.

 

For each couple, fate, duty, and timing have always tangled love. In the final book, those threads collide. The arc closes not because destiny allows it—but because the characters finally choose to face it.

 

That’s the best and worst thing about paranormal romance in a nutshell: You don’t get easy endings. You get earned ones.

 

And honestly? That’s why I keep coming back. I love writing epic love stories with high stakes and greater rewards—escapism at its finest.

 

Last, make sure to read to the end. This book launches us into the next series, Dragons of Tantallon.

 

About the Author

Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. Her latest awards are 2024 Reader’s Favorite Honorable Mention for Stone of Love and 2024 Spring BookFest Silver Award for the same title. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her desire for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets.

Website: http://www.margaretizardauthor.com
Buy Links: https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor
Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor