About Mai

Mai Christy Thao started out her writing career in grade school winning several essays and writing contests. She then discovered romance books and made the jump to the much more inspiring world of fiction where she incorporates her love of history with strong, sexy characters, steamy romance, and breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat plots. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and lives in the Carolinas where she's diligently working on her next novel.

Mai also does freelance writing and teaches web and graphic designing on occasion. She likes to spend whatever free time she has left over devoted to reading and writing.

Writing Accomplishments

THE PROPHECY

The Prophecy, the first book in my Zenith fantasy series, was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, hosted by Amazon.com, Penguin Group Publishing, and CreateSpace. The contest is for all genres of fiction and was capped at 5000 entries. From there, only a little over 800 made it to the semi-finals, 38 of which belonged to the romance category! The Prophecy has also placed in several contests including Indiana Romance Writer's Golden Opportunity Contest, FF&P's On the Far Side Contest, FTH's Wallflower Contest, and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers' Laurie Contest.

Contest Finals:
  • Laurie Contest, Smoky Mountain Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2007
  • The Wallflower, From the Heart Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2006
  • On The Far Side, FF&P Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal/Time Travel Category 2005
  • Golden Opportunity Contest, Indiana Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2005

  
PRINCE OF DARKNESS

Prince of Darkness, the second book, was a finaling manuscript in the American Title IV Contest, hosted by Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine and Dorchester Publishing. It made it to the second to last round before elimination, and beat out hundreds of other manuscripts in the nation. Prince of Darkness has also placed in such contest as FTHRW's Wallflower Contest and Coeur de Louisiane's Romancing the Tome Contest.

Contest Finals:
  • American Title IV , Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine and Dorchester Publishing - Finalist - 2007
  • The Wallflower, From the Heart Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2006
  • The Wallflower, From the Heart Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2005
  • Romancing the Tome, Coeur de Louisiane Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2005

  
HEART OF A HIGHLANDER

Heart of a Highlander, my scottish paranormal time travel, has just made its first round in the contest circuit and has already placed in Smoky Mountain Romance Writers' Laurie Contest.

Contest Finals:
  • Laurie Contest, Smoky Mountain Romance Writers - Finalist - Paranormal Category 2007

  
ROCK OPERA SCRIPT CONTRACT

In 2006, I landed my first contract for a collaboration with the amazing and extremely talented writer and musical composer, J. David Crosby, at Reel Melodies to write a script for a rock opera. Working with David and hearing the music composed from the script has been quite amazing. Click here to learn more about David and hear some of his music.

An End Note:

  
I'm very excited about the new route my writing has taken. Let me share with you my experiences and this wonderful world called Zenith that I've completely fallen in love with!