Historically, the term "yellow rose" referred to an attractive mulatto woman. Also historically, the original "Yellow Rose of Texas" was for sure one Emily West, and her story is intertwined in song and legend with the Texas Revolution of 1836. That series of battles, led by Sam Houston, made Texas a Republic, its own country until it joined the union in 1845. The Yellow Rose is set during the revolution and supposes that Emily and Sam not only collaborated in certain incidents that gave the Texans victory, but became romantically involved in the process.
The novel mixes legend with fact. No one knows for sure, despite the many tales about her that arose from her presence in Texas at the time, if our Emily ever met Sam Houston or if she participated in the revolution at all. On the other hand, no one has proved the contrary. So, The Yellow Rose asks the question: What if...
A romance that changed history. The Yellow Rose is the monumental tale of a mixed race woman and her fraught affair with Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution of 1836. In addition to her loving relationship with Houston, Emily West-the true historical Yellow Rose of Texas-encounters the cruel dictator/general Santa Anna, a Cherokee chief, and a pervasive atmosphere of racism throughout the story. Readers will love her and love learning about a little-known and exciting episode in American history.
-Lily Amanda of Hollywood Book Review

Carl Brush has been writing since he could write, which is quite a long time now. He grew up and lives in Northern California, close to the roots of the people and action of three of six of his seven historical thrillers, The Maxwell Vendetta, and its sequels, The Second Vendetta, and Swindle in Sawtooth Valley, which take place in 1908-1912 in San Francisco and the high Sierra. Bonita and its sequel, Bonita's Quest, are set in pre-gold-rush San Francisco. For yet another historical tale, The Yellow Rose he made a literary jump from California to Texas, where Carl's co-author, the late Bob Stewart, dwelled. It's a tale of the Texas revolution and an imagined affair between Sam Houston and a legendary mulatto woman, Emily West, who is best remembered as The Yellow Rose of Texas. You can find Carl living with his wife in Oakland, California, where he enjoys the blessings of nearby children and grandchildren.