Blog Archives
The Mysteries of the Sea
Stone of Faith follows a sea captain searching for a legendary stone of faith, who comes across the siren of the sea, and he realizes he has found his fated love, but she is held captive by a monster unwilling to release her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from my love of Celtic Lore and the sea’s timeless mysteries. I’ve always loved stories of sirens, but I chose to make her something other than the usual temptress. I imagined her as the one imprisoned—longing for freedom. The sea captain grew from Scottish maritime history, where men risked everything on storm-tossed waters, often carrying the weight of legacy and loss. Bringing the two together allowed me to explore how love and faith can become the greatest treasures of all—more powerful than magic or curses.
I found Captain Ewan MacDougall to be an interesting character. What was your inspiration for that character and his role in the story?
Captain Ewan MacDougall springs from my fascination with Scotland’s seafaring past and the resilience of men who live by the sea—bound by duty yet longing for freedom. I wanted him to carry the weight of his family’s legacy, threaded with both honor and tragedy —a man haunted by ghosts but still clinging to hope. His role as captain gave him not only authority but also isolation—he commands the sea, yet his heart yearns for connection. Meeting the siren forces him to confront what he’s been missing: faith in love and in himself. Ewan became the bridge between the mortal world and the mystical one, demonstrating how courage and devotion can even break the strongest chains.
I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically while writing?
Most of the twists and turns I planned—I’m very much a plotter—but some still developed organically as the story unfolded. The seafaring theme of Stone of Faith actually grew directly from Stone of Lust, which ends with the stone slipping into the sea and vanishing beneath the waves. That loss became the natural bridge into Ewan’s world, driving both the maritime setting and his quest. While I had the major arcs mapped out, I always leave room for discovery, and a few surprising turns surfaced as I outlined and wrote. Those moments of spontaneity often bring the most magic to the page.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
Next in the series:
Highlander’s Holly and Ivy, a Christmas companion book coming December 1st, 2025. Features Alex MacDougall, Mary, and Roderick from Thistle in the Mistletoe son. A forbidden love between a Highlander and an English lady intertwines with magic, betrayal, and the fate of a nation as they fight to unite their worlds and reclaim Scotland’s legacy.
Stone of Destiny, book 7. Kathryn MacArthur, Evie’s BFF, love story. The exciting conclusion to the Stones of Iona Series, where a woman torn between fate and forbidden love must defy a Fae prophecy and battle dark forces to reclaim her future—and the heart of the Fae warrior she can’t forget. Look for this one early 2026.
This series leads into another connected series, Dragons of Tantallon, a dragon-shapeshifter series revolving around the magic Iona Stones.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Stone of Faith, Book 6 Stones of Iona Series
The story is a sweeping mix of time travel, seafaring adventure, romance, and myth. At its center is Ewan MacDougall, a man torn between his life in the twentieth century and his calling across the centuries as a pirate captain with a conscience. He frees enslaved people, battles rival captains, and searches for the legendary Stone of Faith while haunted by visions of a mysterious red-haired siren who may hold both his destiny and his doom. The novel blends Scottish folklore, Fae magic, and high-stakes clashes on the sea with a deep undercurrent about love, sacrifice, and the meaning of faith.
I found myself caught up in the action. The writing has a pulsing energy, full of sword fights, cannon fire, and heated confrontations, but what grabbed me most was the way the quieter moments landed. Ewan’s doubts, his search for belonging, and his hunger for something more than adventure made him feel relatable. At times, the dialogue leaned a bit theatrical, but the ambition of the story and the emotion it carries more than made up for that.
I also really admired how the myth and family legacy were woven into the narrative. The fables within the story felt like campfire tales passed down through generations, both charming and ominous. There’s a kind of wild joy in how Izard throws together pirates, ghosts, Fae kingdoms, and love stories without apology. I sometimes shook my head at the boldness of it all, but I kept turning the pages. It made me smile that the book never lost sight of the heart, the way faith, in love or in destiny, can carry someone through storms.
Stone of Faith is a book for readers who like their romance tangled with fantasy, who enjoy folklore alongside duels at sea, and who don’t mind when the story goes big rather than subtle. It’s heartfelt, dramatic, and fun, and while it can be a bit over the top at times, I think that’s exactly what gives it charm. If you like your adventures with a mix of magic and tenderness, this book will be worth your time.
Pages: 246 | ISBN : 150926275X
LITERARY TITAN 