Guest Post: Stone of Destiny by Margaret Izard

The final Stone of Iona story — where fate meets its reckoning.

Tour dates: February 9 – 27, 2026. To see the full schedule of stops, visit the Goddess Fish Promotions – Stone of Destiny Tour Schedule.

Spotlight

Today I'm excited to feature Stone of Destiny by Margaret Izard as part of a Goddess Fish tour. If you enjoy romantic fantasy, this one may be worth adding to your TBR. This is the final book in the Stones of Iona series.

About Stone of Destiny

Stone of Destiny
By Margaret Izard
Series: Stones of Iona #7
Published by Wild Rose Press on February 9, 2026
Genres: Romantic Fantasy
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 260

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?

Guest Post

When I sat down to write Stone of Destiny, I didn’t think about twists, surprises, or spectacle
first. I thought about responsibility.

This book closes the Stones of Iona series. That meant it carried every promise I made when I
wrote the opening pages of Stone of Love through not only all seven stones but the two Christmas
Companion books, Thistle in the Mistletoe and Highlander’s Holly and Ivy. It carried every choice,
every sacrifice, every quiet thread I placed with the full intention of letting it wait. Writing a
finale like this doesn’t begin at the end—it begins with knowing, from the very start, where the
story must land.

I’ve always believed an ending has to feel earned. Prophecy can’t dissolve because it becomes
inconvenient. Love can’t win simply because readers want it to. In romantasy especially, fate
applies pressure for a reason. It exists to force characters to decide who they are when the cost
rises. If the ending ignores that pressure, the story loses its spine.

From the first Iona Stone onward, I built toward a moment when choice would finally outweigh
destiny—but only because the characters had paid the price to reach it. Each book resolved its
own love story while feeding a larger arc that refused to resolve early. That restraint mattered. It
allowed longing, consequence, and growth to compound rather than reset.

By the time I reached Stone of Destiny, nothing could move without meaning. Every scene had to
justify its place. Every reunion had to answer years of absence. Every sacrifice had to echo
backward through the series. I didn’t write the ending to surprise readers. I wrote it to fulfill what
the story had always promised.

During final edits, my editor asked if there was any part of the book I wouldn’t want changed. I
always welcome revision—I view it as part of honoring the work—but my answer came
instantly. The ending. Not because that arc resisted improvement, but because it already stood
exactly where it needed to stand. We talked it through carefully, beat by beat, to protect its
integrity without softening its impact.

Closing this series didn’t feel like finishing a book. It felt like completing a long-held vow. The
ending honors love that endured restraint, destiny that demanded courage, and characters who
refused to choose the easy path. It closes one arc fully and opens the door to what comes next,
because worlds like this don’t end—they transform.

Earning the ending matters. Readers invest years of trust in a series like this. Writers as well. The
first draft of Stone of Love I wrote in 2020. They deserve a conclusion that remembers every step
taken to reach it. Stone of Destiny gave me the chance to deliver exactly that—and it remains the
most meaningful thing I’ve written so far.

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Excerpt from Stone of Destiny

Ceallach stood rooted, eyes locked on Kat’s retreating form as she slipped her arm through his cousin’s. The gesture was casual, intimate, but her hand on another’s sliced through him like a blade wrapped in silk.

Aodhán’s mind speak came to him. Stop standing there gaping at her. Aye, she’s grown into a beautiful woman. But that’s something you should know with ye spying on her ever since my wedding.

Ceallach frowned, covering his shocked expression as the very woman they spoke of turned, glaring at him. Glaring wasn’t quite right, and gazing wasn’t like his Kat. No, her expression scrutinized, examined to the point of leaving him feeling naked. He shook himself. Naked was exactly what he wanted to be with her. Long strides closed the distance to his cousin and the blonde beauty striding beside him.

The enchantress shook her head, making her cascade of warm blonde strands wave at him from the back of her head. The scent of Camellia flowers wafted, soft and sweet. Which was what Kat was under all her tart smarts—a contradiction of intellect and her outgoing nature that wrapped in one scent representing her.

Kat turned slightly as they continued strolling towards the reception. “Ye will tell me what this gathering is.” She stopped, yanking her arm from Aodhán. “Is my brother coming? Is he part of this?”

Ceallach didn’t want to get her hopes up. Doug’s decision to stay in the past wrecked Kat’s life. He’d never hurt his Kat.

Drawing near till they almost touched, he said, “I wish it were so, Kat.” He took a deep breath, truth always. “No, I am truly sorry. Doug is not part of the gathering.” Stillness held the moment as he took in her face, pleased to stand close to her again. Her eyes roamed his, searching for the truth in what he said.

He pulled back, breaking the contact. “Ye should be glad he isn’t part of this. There will be a fierce battle.”

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Meet the Author

More Margaret Izard features on GinaRaeMitchell.com

Margaret Izard Reviews & Spotlights

View Stone of Destiny on Goodreads

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Where to Buy

View Stone of Destiny on Amazon

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Giveaway

Margaret Izard will be awarding a Stone of Destiny Swag Box to a randomly drawn winner.

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