Can you post photos?

Green laceleafs should be able to tolerate a lot of sun without issue but there are a lot of unknowns in this instance - how much sun were they in previously, what kind of potting media used, when they were planted/potted, watering, fertilizing, etc. Is your tap water alkaline?

If you can provide photos and address the above issues, we can be more able to help.

Umm. Central Valley and you planted Japanese maples?

Is any one in your region successful with them? If so, I suspect they are in a protected site, perhaps an enclosed courtyard.

Your poor babies are likely to fry.

If Japanese maples can be grown successfully in Texas, they can be grown in CA's Central Valley. One of the largest suppliers of JM's in northern California is located just outside of Sacramento. There is also a major mail order source located outside of Temeculah in SoCal.

Growing Japanese maples pretty much anywhere in California is possible - heat and sun are far less of a concern than hard water and alkaline soils. If those conditions are properly accounted for then you should be OK.

The biggest concern with growing JM's in containers in a hot, sunny climate is providing adequate water.....it's almost hard to overdo :-) But without photos and additional information, any conclusions are just speculation.