This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Margaret Izard will be awarding a Highlander’s Holly & Ivy swag box* ($100 value) to a randomly drawn winner *US Only*. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
*Inside the box: Kissletoe Holiday Crystal Ornament, signed copy of book, Highlander’s Holly & Ivy book bag, Insulated wine glass with Highlander’s Holly & Ivy logo, Dublin shot glass with etched Highlander’s Holly & Ivy logo, Highlander’s Holly & Ivy bookmark, Highlander’s Holly & Ivy recipe card, Wild Rose Press (publisher) 2026 calendar delivered in custom printed Margaret Izard Author Book Swag Box.
A Christmas Companion book to the Stones of Iona Series.
In a land torn by politics and heritage, Alex MacDougall—Scotland’s Lord Justice Clerk—balances loyalty to the British crown and his secret role in preserving outlawed Scottish traditions. When tasked with retrieving a mystical stone tied to Scotland’s destiny, he crosses paths with Lady Iris Erskine, an Englishwoman captivated by Scottish culture. Disguised as Ivy, Iris masquerades as a highland lassie to be close to the dashing highlander.
Love blossoms between Alex and Ivy as tensions simmer between the English and Scots. While Iris vexes over revealing the truth to her handsome Scot, Alex grapples with his family’s secret duty to protect magic Fae stones. With his beloved targeted and hidden truths emerging, the world he once knew dissolves before his eyes.
Can two hearts bound by fate be enough to stave off an evil Fae intent on destroying the MacDougall Clan, or will Alex lose all he loves?
Read an Excerpt
Iris strode down the street beside her faithful maid, Laurel. “Miss, yer Gaelic is awful, and that accent.”
Iris clipped her reply. “What of my accent?”
Laurel groaned. “It’s English, very English. Ye’ll stand out like a sair thumb among all the Gaels.”
She wrapped the plaid, no arisaid tighter around her. “Sair, you mean sore?” She kept walking. “I am dressed like you. I can walk like you. I’ve un-styled my hair.”
Laurel barked a laugh. “Ye walk like royalty, and no matter how much Gaelic ye learn, ye still sound like the Queen of England.”
Iris stopped and turned to her maid. “I want to meet your people. Not because of the novelty.” Laurel rolled her eyes, making Iris smile. “Well, aye, the novelty, but I want to learn the culture, about yer people.”
Laurel’s eyes crinkled. “Ye really want this lass?” Iris nodded. Laurel took her arm in hers as they continued at a slower pace. “Then we need a plan, a canny one at that.” She breathed. “Ye’ll be my cousin. Ye wear the Comyn plaid, so ye’ll be a Comyn. Stay beside me, and for all that is holy, don’t speak. We’ll say ye have a throat injury, so ye can’t talk.”
Iris stopped. “But what if I have a question or something to say?”
Laurel pulled her along the lane. “Ye don’t have anything to say, and questions are for later. Just watch and listen. No talking.” They came up to the bridge—many had already gathered as the slaughterhouse’s smell blew their way. Iris held her wrap to her nose, wondering how they tolerated the stink.
A woman approached and took Laurel into a hug. “So glad I am to see ye today.” Laurel hugged her back. “Mabina, glad I am to be here.” She waved to Iris. “My cousin, who is mmmm…”
Iris’ eyes went wide. She didn’t want to use her real name and be found out before it was all over. She panicked and glanced around. The pub beside the bridge already had decorations for the holiday season, and holly and ivy graced the doorway.
She pointed to the ivy, and Laurel grinned. “Ivy. Ivy Comyn.” She leaned over, whispering to Mabina, “She doesn’t talk, an old injury from a redcoat who tried to have his way with her. Her throat don’t work no more.”
The woman tsked, “Sorry I am to hear it, Ivy.” Iris nodded as the plaid fell away from her head.
Mabina smiled. “Ye are a pretty thing, though.”
The Magic Beneath the History: How the Stones of Iona Megaverse Threads Through the Christmas Books
Readers often tell me how immersive the Highland world feels in Thistle in the Mistletoe and Highlander’s Holly & Ivy—the winter rituals, the candlelit halls, the emotional weight of Scotland reshaping itself after Culloden. These Christmas romances are my most historically grounded stories. But even within that rich history, something deeper hums beneath the surface: the magic of the Stones of Iona megaverse.
The Stones are the quiet heartbeat running through every book I write.
The Good Stones—Love, Hope, and Faith—carry the power to heal, guide, and unite.
The Evil Stones—Fear, Lust, and Doubt—hold the darker forces that tempt, corrupt, and challenge. And all of them ultimately lead toward the greatest of them all: The Stone of Destiny.
Thistle in the Mistletoe explores tradition preserved—love and hope surviving despite hardship.
Highlander’s Holly & Ivy explores tradition transformed—faith and resilience rising from loss and change.
Those emotional beats mirror the Stones themselves. Love binds what seems broken. Hope lights what is dark. Faith endures when everything feels uncertain. Fear lurking in grief. Doubt creeping in through heartache. Lust emerges as longing or temptation. All these forces shape the character long before the Stones appear on the page.
The Christmas stories may be grounded in real history, but the greater mythos is always present. The Stones subtly influence fate, guiding hearts, revealing character, and quietly weaving threads between generations. Readers who continue into the main series often tell me they realize, looking back, that the magic of Iona was present even in the quietest winter scenes.
History forms the setting. Romance carries the heart. But the Stones—good and hunted—shape the soul of the world.
And every path, no matter how small or tender, eventually leads toward Destiny.
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor
Buy Links: https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor
Thank you so much for featuring HIGHLANDER’S HOLLY & IVY today.
Thanks for having me!
You’re very welcome.