May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re shining a spotlight on our Texas-connected romance authors who belong to this diverse community and a sampling of their work.  

A Warrior in Disguise

All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords, separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel. Then a messenger from the emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan’s father cannot go; her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.

Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling—the royal duke’s son, who is also the handsomest man she’s ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan’s life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion—before it’s too late.

Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is a thrilling, romantic, and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine.

USA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas decided that her goal in life is to write every kind of book she enjoys reading. Thus far she has published romance, fantasy, mystery, and a wuxia-inspired duology. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as the New York Times and National Public Radio. Thomas is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.

Thomas immigrated from China at age thirteen, and English is her second language. She lives in Austin with her husband and sons.

Billionaire Romance

Asha Patel has a reputation for always getting what—and who—she wants. The moment the heiress and desi bombshell discovers the existence of the exclusive, old-world Sphinx Society, Asha knows that she’s found yet another club that doesn’t want her, which only makes her more determined to join.

Of course, Mathis Durand isn’t exactly compliant. In fact, the gorgeous, delectably sexy French host treats Asha like just another spoiled, gauche American socialite. One who certainly needs a lesson in manners. Or maybe a spanking. But Asha knows how to deal with men like Mathis Durand: with a tantalizingly deep kiss that promises more. The moment her lips meet Durand’s, Asha is lost in a white-hot rush of pure lust, exposing only an unquenchable need for more.

Now it’s a dangerously sensual tango across the ballrooms of Europe, each masquerade ball a challenge that Asha can’t resist. For Durand won’t be satisfied until she’s offered herself to him, body, mind and soul. And worse, it might just be a cost that Asha is willing to pay. Masquerade is a Harlequin DARE novel, sexy romances featuring powerful alpha males and bold, fearless heroines exploring their deepest fantasies.

Cara Lockwood grew up in Mesquite, Texas, the daughter of a Japanese American dad and an Irish English mother. She wrote about what that was a like in a fictional version, Dixieland Sushi. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, worked a few years as a newspaper reporter, and then as a marketing writer before she got serious about finishing her first novel, I Do (But I Don't). It would go on to become a Lifetime Original Movie starring Dean Cain and Denise Richards.

Lockwood has written a whole lot of books (eighteen and counting) in a whole lot of genres, including YA, paranormal, mystery, and romance. Her books have been translated into several languages and are sold all over the world. Lockwood is married and lives near Chicago with her husband and their children. When she is not staring at a blinking cursor with dread, she is working on finishing her next novel.