Against all odds, is true love strong enough to save a human soul?
Wild Women Authors focus on Stone of Love, a paranormal romance, written by Margaret Izard and recently
released by the Wild Rose Press.
About the Book:
After
leaving her abusive ex, American scholar Brielle DeVolt embarks on a
career-changing opportunity: the renovation of a chapel ruin owned by Laird
Colin MacDougall. The attractive, broad-shouldered laird may leave her
weak-kneed, but can she trust herself to love again?
The
first time Colin MacDougall sees Brielle DeVolt, he recognizes her as his soul
mate. But when he learns his hereditary duty is to safeguard magic Fae stones,
all he wants is to protect her from the evil forces of the Fae. Traveling to
the past to assume his forefather’s identity and find a missing magic stone is
challenging enough. When Brielle appears in the past, he is faced with fighting
an evil Fae to save the realm, then must choose between saving the stone or
saving his love.
Colin took a minute to
study her. She was fair, with petite features and light-brown hair pulled into
a loose bun, leaving golden tendrils desperately escaping, caressing her face.
He wanted nothing more than to free the bun and run his fingers through the
soft brown curls. Her cheekbones were high, with a spot of dirt on one side and
a pert nose to match her tart personality. When she was angry a second ago, her
eyes had flashed almost green. Now they were a light golden-brown, like a fine
whisky.
His gaze traveled over
her body. She wore twill pants and hiking boots with a button-down shirt that
might have been tan if not for the light layer of gray dust. Under that sat a
white tank top with a smudge of dirt on the front near her abundant cleavage.
His gaze lingered, then continued to her petite features, set perfectly in her
heart-shaped face. She wasn’t what he expected, far from it. Wait, she said her
mom was from Glasgow.
“Was?” Colin asked
quietly.
Brielle blinked.
He stepped away from the
window at her blank stare and approached her. “Was. You said your mother was
from Glasgow.”
She blinked again and
rubbed the back of her neck, then gave two quick nods and replied, “Yes, she
was. She died last year of cancer. My father passed the year before. I have a
brother, but we aren’t close.”
He held out his hand,
then glanced at it. Brielle stared at his hand, then tentatively placed her
hand in his and peered at his face. He smiled as his other hand closed over
hers and held it between his own, the energy flowing through the connection.
The earth took a breath and held it, waiting for them. He had never had this
reaction to a woman upon first meeting her.
Brielle pulled her hand
from his and squared her shoulders. “You called me for an update on the
renovation. Shall we go over it?”
Colin traveled past her,
sat in his desk chair, and waited as she stood there fidgeting. Ah, the wee
builder was nervous. She was attractive in a way Colin found endearing. The
businesslike builder covered her charm. He hmphed. Too bad she was an American
who might ruin his ma’s special project. He’d hate to ask the Historic
Environment Scotland to replace her. She started to grow on him.
Brielle cleared her
throat as she crossed to the desk, sat upright in the chair, clasped her hands
in her lap, and began her report. “We’ve cleared away the rubble and overgrowth
so we can start on the demo of the broken stonework…”
Her gaze shifted back to
him, then dropped to her hands. “As you know, your ancestors built the chapel
around the thirteenth century as a private chapel for the family. We consider
the stonework the most detailed from that era.” He used to sit like this with
his da, talk about life with a whisky in hand. He was always on the other side
of the desk, nervous—like her. A drink, that’s what she needs, a smooth whiskey.
He rose and turned to the
table. He didn’t ask, just poured two glasses. The scent wafted to his nose,
reminding him of his da. He walked to her. She still spoke, as she fidgeted
with her hands. He stood directly in front of her and handed her a glass.
She put her hands up, and
he wiggled the drink under her nose, knowing the scent would tease her and make
her mouth water in anticipation of that first smooth sip with a nip in it. “It’s
Scotland. We drink all the time, plus it’s my da’s best stock.” He handed her
the glass again. As she took it, their hands brushed, and awareness shot up his
arm. He tried to appear unaffected as he leaned back against the desk with his
arms and legs crossed. “Slàinte,” he said, leaning toward her and clinking her
drink, “which is a toast to health.”
“I know what Slàinte
means, thank you.” She raised her glass and spoke. “Slàinte,” she replied. She
sipped it and smiled. He half expected her to choke, even though his da’s
whisky was the smoothest in Scotland. Still, she was an American unused to
uisge beatha, or the “water of life.”
Buy Links:
Stone
of Love (Stones of Iona) by Margaret Izard | Goodreads
Amazon.com:
Stone of Love (Stones of Iona Book 1) eBook : Izard, Margaret : Books
Amazon.com:
Stone of Love (Stones of Iona): 9781509253364: Izard, Margaret: Books
Stone
of Love by Margaret Izard | eBook | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
Stone
of Love by Margaret Izard, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
Stone
of Love (Stones of Iona Book 1) by Margaret Izard | Goodreads
A Bit About
Our Focus Author: Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of
historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. 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 passion 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 and loves to hear
from readers.
You can find Margaret at:
Mizardauthor
(@mizardauthor) / X (twitter.com)
Margaret
Izard Author (@mizardauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Email: info@margaretizardauthor.com
The story sounds very good!
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