In The Rose Rustlers, Greg Grant and William C. Welch offer a personal, in-depth, and entertaining account of some of the great stories gathered during their years as participants in one of the most important plant-hunting efforts of the twentieth century—the quest to save antique roses that disappeared from the market in a notoriously trend-driven business. By the 1950s, almost exclusively, modern roses (those with one compact bloom at the top of a large stem) were grown for the cut-flower market. The large rounded shrubs and billowy fence climbers known to our grandparents and great-grandparents in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had been reduced to this rather monotonous single style of plant. Yet those roses of old still grew, tough and persistent, in farmyards, cemeteries, vacant lots, and abandoned fields. The rediscovery of these antiques and the subsequent movement to conserve them became the mission of “rose rustlers,” dedicated rosarians who studied, sought, cut, and cultivated these hardy survivors. Here, the authors chronicle their own origins, adventures, and discoveries as part of a group dubbed the Texas Rose Rustlers. They present tales of the many efforts that have helped restore lost roses not only to residential gardens, but also to commercial and church landscapes in Texas. Their experiences and friendships with other figures in the heirloom rose world bring an insider’s perspective to the lore of “rustling,” the art of propagation, and the continued fascination with the world’s favorite flower.

"New York Times"-bestselling author Thomas gives fans a reason to celebrate with her latest Whispering Mountain novel about a woman who's cursed when it comes to love--and the man who's determined to save her. Original.

A bestselling author of hot historical romances tells the story of a cowgirl having a high old time in the Scottish Highlands. Callie had been spoiled by her brothers on their Texas ranch. So her father decides to pack her off to Europe to find a husband. But the sworn enemy of her clan isn't what Daddy had in mind. . . .

A journalist searches for the truth behind the traditional folk song, and a free black woman’s role in the Texas Revolution. The legend of the Yellow Rose of Texas holds an indisputable place in Lone Star culture, tethered to a familiar song that has served as a Civil War marching tune, a pop chart staple, and a halftime anthem. Almost two centuries of Texas mythmaking successfully muddled fact with fable in song, and the true story of Emily D. West remains mired in dispute and unrecognizable beneath the tales that grew up around it. The complete truth may never be recovered, but in this book Lora-Marie Bernard seeks an honest account honoring the grit and determination that brought a free black woman from the abolitionist riots of Connecticut to the thick of a bloody Texas revolution. A Lone Star native who grew up immersed in the Yellow Rose legend, Bernard also traces other stories that legend has obscured, including the connection between Emily D. West and plans for a free black colony in Texas. Includes illustrations

From the author of Magnolia Nights comes this steamy and tantalizing tale of a young British beauty and the lusty, Lone Star scoundrel who would win her heart, but never tame her spirit. The Wild West just got wilder . . . and a lot more passionate!

Evangeline (Evie) Howell grew up in a genteel St Louis home, an abandoned love-child with no one to love her. Then a letter from Texas arrives promising to reveal her true identity. In desperate need for safe escort to Texas, Evie goes in search of dime-novel hero Pecos Martin, but all she finds is Tyler Monteigne, a hell-raising, womanizing gambler barely suited to escorting bandits. But he can shoot as well as any gunslinger, and is even better at conning his way out of trouble. Tyler needs to get out of town and the rosy gal standing before him is his ticket. But what Tyler doesn't foresee is the passion that will make Evie everything he's ever wanted—and him exactly what Evie fears most. Originally titled: Paper Roses AWARDS: 4 ½ stars – Romantic Times REVIEWS: "A special gift of love and laughter." ~Joan Hammond, Romantic Times TOO HARD TO HANDLE, in series order Texas Lily Texas Rose Texas Tiger Texas Moon

For the first time, the true story of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is told in full, revealing a host of new insights and perspectives on one of America's most popular stories. For generations, the Yellow Rose of Texas has been one of America's most popular western myths, growing larger over time and little resembling the truth of what happened on April 21, 1836, at the battle of San Jacinto, where a new Texas Republic won its independence. The woman who has been popularly connected to the story was an ordinary but also quite remarkable free black woman from the North, Emily D. West. This work reconstructs her experience, places it in full context and explores the evolution of a most fanciful myth.