Highlander's Holly and Ivy

 

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.”

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

More about Margaret Izard...

Does this book have a special meaning to you? i.e. where you found the idea, its symbolism, its meaning, who you dedicated it to, what made you want to write it?

Yes—this book has a very special meaning to me. The idea began with a tiny wedding announcement in an old Scottish newspaper: a Highland solicitor marrying an ‘English rose.’ That small historical spark became Alex and Iris’s entire love story, built on tradition, resilience, and a sense of belonging in a changing world.

The symbolism of holly and ivy, the political tension after Culloden, and the tenderness of their romance all grew from that moment of inspiration.

But what makes the book truly meaningful is the dedication. I wrote it for my husband—my greatest supporter—and for my children, whose imagination and love inspire me every day. Their belief in me is the heart behind every story I write.

Where do you get your storylines from?

My storylines come from a blend of research, history, and pure imagination. I’m a research-first writer, so I often stumble on a single spark—a newspaper clipping, a historical detail, a forgotten tradition—and a whole plot unfolds from it. That’s exactly how Highlander’s Holly & Ivy began: one tiny wedding announcement about a Highland man marrying an ‘English rose’ lit up an entire love story.

I’m also endlessly inspired by the Fae and the worlds they inhabit. They’re my creative outlet—the playful, mischievous, devilish, impossible-to-predict characters who push every story into unexpected places. And of course, some ideas appear out of nowhere when I’m taking a walk, folding laundry, or doing something mundane.

In short, my storylines come from history, magic, everyday moments, and the wild corners of my imagination… and once a spark hits, I follow it.

Was this book easier or more difficult to write than others? Why?

Yes—Highlander’s Holly & Ivy was harder to write, and it was entirely my own doing. When I wrote Thistle in the Mistletoe, I always intended to tell Mary and Roderick’s son Alex’s story next. But by choosing their historical time period, I inadvertently placed Alex’s adulthood in one of the most turbulent eras in Scotland’s history: the years right after Culloden.

That meant Alex’s Christmas romance couldn’t exist in a peaceful Highland winter— it had to unfold in a world marked by political tension, cultural suppression, and a nation struggling to rebuild. Balancing the warmth of a holiday love story with the weight of that history became my greatest challenge.

But that tension—love blooming amid upheaval—became the heart of the book. As difficult as it was, it made Alex and Iris’s story deeper, more meaningful, and ultimately one of my favorite romances to write.

Sometimes the hardest stories are the ones that shine the brightest.

Do you only write one genre?

I primarily write paranormal romance—Fae, dragons, magic, all the things that let me blend emotion with escapism. I’ve also dipped my toes into contemporary romance and really enjoyed drafting those stories, but at the end of the day, romance is where my heart lives. No matter the setting or subgenre, I’ll always come back to love.

Give us a picture of where you write, where you compose these words…is it Starbucks, a den, a garden…we want to know your inner sanctum?

My inner sanctum didn’t start out glamorous. For years, I tried writing in the main chair in our great room—which is basically Grand Central Station in our house, with pets, adult kids, and everyday chaos, that lasted about five minutes.

Everything changed after a vacation rental inspired me. We took the old wet bar in our game room and transformed it into a cozy little study-and-beverage nook. Now it’s my office. It’s still open to the rest of the home, but it’s my own corner of the world—quiet enough for focus, close enough to family life, and perfectly mine.

This is where my romantasy universe lives. The sprawling outlines, the Fae mischief, the Highland magic, the dragons… all of it is dreamed up right in that nook.

And finally, of course…was there any specific event or circumstance that made you want to be a writer?

There wasn’t a single dramatic moment that made me want to be a writer—it was more like a lifelong pull I couldn’t ignore. I’ve been steeped in the performing arts my whole life, and storytelling was always my favorite form of escapism. I began writing in my thirties, stepped away while raising and tutoring my triplets through college, and then—about six years ago—the spark came roaring back.

What finally pushed me into writing full-time was realizing how much I missed creating worlds, weaving magic, and exploring romance. It felt like coming home to a part of myself I’d set aside for too long. Once I picked up the pen again, I never looked back.