Today we welcome author Margaret Izrad to Andi's Book Reviews. She just released her holiday paranormal, Evergreen Evermore, which is related to her Stones of Iona series. She talks to us about that and more in our interview. You can also enjoy an excerpt and ask her more questions in the comments section. Be sure to follow the tour for even more, including a chance to win a great giveaway!
Evergreen Evermore
Legend shapes fate, but love burns strong enough to defy destiny.Anne never asked to become the courier of the legendary Iona Stones. Charged with carrying the sacred stones across Scotland, she finds herself entangled in forces far older and more dangerous than she understands. Ancient magic stirs around the stones with dangerous purpose, and Anne fears the cost her task demands.
Highland Laird Ewan MacDougall has sworn his life to protect the Iona Stones and the secrets bound to them through blood, faith, and duty. Guided by prophecy and burdened by generations of sacrifice, he cannot afford distraction. Yet Anne’s connection to the stones challenges everything he believes, drawing her deeper into a fate neither of them fully understands.
As dark forces rise to claim the stones’ power, Anne and Ewan must trust the bond forming between them before ancient magic destroys everything they hold dear.
Anne drew a slow breath as awareness returned. Something cold rested on her forehead. The coolness kept her tethered to her skin as her thoughts drifted. Her mouth felt dry and her limbs distant, as if she had to call them back one by one. Her body felt hollowed by exhaustion, as though healing had stripped something vital from her. She shifted with a sigh. The movement dragged through her bones, and the effort made her heart thud a little too hard. The cloth lifted away, replaced by the warmth of a hand against her cheek.
She opened her eyes.
Ewan stood close, studying her with quiet intensity.
His gaze held the same steadiness she’d felt on the road, but worry lived under the expression now, tightening the muscles along his jaw. “Ye slept the day away.”
“A full day?” she whispered. Her throat scraped on the words, and she swallowed again, trying to chase moisture into her mouth.
He nodded and leaned closer, pressing a kiss on her forehead. He lingered there, breath brushing her skin, before pulling back. The kiss unsettled her deeply enough that her heartbeat lost rhythm as if her body couldn’t decide whether to relax or brace.
Her eyes followed him. “What was that for?”
“For saving me.”
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Evergreen Evermore is related to the Stones of Iona series. Give us your elevator speech about this series.
My award-winning Stones of Iona series blends Scottish history, Celtic mythology, time travel, Fae magic, and steamy romance. Seven enchanted stones, forged by the Tuatha Dé Danann, have been lost across time. Through ancient prophecies, the MacDougall family and those connected to them must recover the stones before evil forces claim their power and threaten both the human and Fae realms. Each of the seven books features a different couple, a magical adventure, and a happily ever after, while building toward an epic conclusion.
Three Christmas Companion novels explore earlier generations of the MacDougall family, with Evergreen Evermore taking readers back to the very beginning to discover how the family became guardians of the stones. Together, these ten books form the foundation of my expanding Iona Megaverse!
How is Evergreen Evermore related to the series?
Every legend has a beginning, and Evergreen Evermore reveals the moment the MacDougall family’s centuries-old destiny began!
As the third and final Christmas Companion to the Stones of Iona series, Evergreen Evermore takes readers back to thirteenth-century Scotland, long before the adventures of the seven main books.
The story follows Ewan MacDougall, son of Dougal MacDougall, Lord of Lorne, and Anne Olvasson, a Fae princess charged with delivering the magical Iona Stones into human guardianship. Their romance reveals how the MacDougalls first became protectors of the stones, establishing a legacy that spans centuries and generations.
I love that this final Christmas romance brings the entire series full circle. Readers discover the origins of the family’s sacred duty while enjoying a love story filled with magic, redemption, and second chances!
Why did you want to revisit that world?
After finishing Stone of Destiny, I thought I’d told the last of the MacDougall family’s stories. I’d already written two Christmas Companions, but my husband encouraged me to write one more. One final Christmas romance!
His suggestion sparked an idea. Why not return to the very beginning and reveal how the MacDougalls first became guardians of the magical Iona Stones? I also wanted to explore the legend of Dunstaffnage Castle’s Green Lady and the mysteries surrounding the Chapel in the Woods.
I love this world and its characters, and Evergreen Evermore gave me the perfect opportunity to bring the series full circle while opening the door to my upcoming Dragons of Tantallon series.
Will there be more spinoffs?
Absolutely! In fact, the next spinoff has already taken flight! Readers first encountered the mysterious Dameon Douglas and his brothers in Stone of Love, and Dameon makes another appearance in Evergreen Evermore. I knew these intriguing characters had stories of their own waiting to be told.
My upcoming seven-book Dragons of Tantallon series takes readers to Tantallon Castle, where three dragon-shifting brothers guard dangerous secrets, battle ancient Fae magic, and discover that love may be the only power capable of breaking their curses.
The first book, Devil’s Star, features Dameon, the formidable Laird of Tantallon, and Seren Hale, a determined scholar whose curiosity threatens to uncover everything he’s spent centuries hiding. It’s currently in production with The Wild Rose Press and scheduled for release in early 2027.
The Iona Megaverse keeps growing, and I still have plenty of stories to tell!
You are an award-winning author of romantic fantasy and paranormal romance. Tell us about those awards.
I’ve been fortunate to receive several wonderful honors for my Stones of Iona series! Too many to list every award by title.
My first award was for my debut novel, Stone of Love, received a 2024 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention and a Silver Award at the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards. Each title has won awards from both Reader’s Favorite and BookFest awards. My books have also received honors from the Paranormal Romance Guild, including first-place and Gold awards, along with recognition from Literary Titan. One of my proudest moments came in Spring 2026, when the entire Stones of Iona series won Gold at The BookFest Awards!
These awards are especially meaningful to me because they recognize the quality of the storytelling, not simply a book’s popularity. Many literary awards involve professional reviews and evaluations by experienced reviewers, editors, and others in the publishing industry.
Knowing that people who understand the craft of writing have recognized my work is an incredible honor. I began writing full-time in 2021 and published my first novel in 2024, so every recognition reminds me how far I’ve come and inspires me to keep telling the stories I love!
Why does writing in this genre appeal to you?
I fell in love with historical romance in middle school, and I’ve never outgrown my fascination with a handsome hero, a little danger, and a passionate love story! Add my lifelong love of mythology, Scottish history, and the supernatural, and romantic fantasy became the perfect place for my imagination to run wild.
I’ve always loved a good story, whether I’m telling it through dance, theater, or the written word. What fascinates me most is taking an ancient legend and asking, What if this were real? What if the Fae walked among us? What if dragons guarded Scottish castles? What if love could break a thousand-year-old curse?
I get to create all these wonderful possibilities while exploring very human emotions. My characters might possess extraordinary powers, but they still struggle with love, trust, forgiveness, and finding where they belong.
And I’ll admit, I have a weakness for a strong, powerful man with a soft heart, especially when he meets a woman who brings him to his knees! Give me adventure, passion, a little magic, and a happily ever after, and I’m one happy author!
Let's say the Stones of Iona series and spinoffs are optioned for a streaming platform. What is your ideal vision for this?
Oh, I would absolutely love this! With my background in dance and theater, I already see my stories playing out like movies in my head. I choreograph everything from sword fights to love scenes, so watching those moments come to life on screen would be a dream come true!
I envision a sweeping, visually stunning series filmed in Scotland, with magnificent castles, breathtaking Highlands, ancient magic, and plenty of romance. Think Outlander meets Game of Thrones, but with more happily ever afters! Each book could have its own season, allowing the characters and their relationships time to develop while the larger mystery of the Iona Stones unfolds.
The Christmas Companions would make wonderful holiday specials, revealing the MacDougall family’s history. Then Dragons of Tantallon could launch its own series, complete with spectacular dragon transformations, Fae battles, and forbidden love.
My biggest wish would be to preserve the heart of the books. The magic and adventure would be spectacular, but the love stories are what make these characters unforgettable. And I’d certainly love to have a hand in bringing it all to life!
Thank you for your time!
Thank you for having me!
About Margaret Izard
Margaret Izard is a multi-award-winning author of romantic fantasy and paranormal romance, and the creator of the award-winning Stones of Iona series. Her work weaves myth, magic, and soul-deep romance into stories where ancient curses linger, destinies collide, and love refuses to yield.A lifelong storyteller shaped by dance and theater, Margaret brings a rich, immersive style to every book, layering atmosphere, tension, and passion onto the page. Her novels feature powerful heroes, resilient heroines, and the kind of love that challenges fate itself.
She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets and loves connecting with readers.
Website: http://www.margaretizardauthor.com
Buy Links: https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor
Facebook Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor
Margaret Izard will be awarding an Evergreen Evermore Book Swag Box to a randomly drawn winner. Follow the tour for more chances to win!
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