Maria Oka believes that all trees have magic in them, especially willows. In addition to reading and writing, she loves summer beach days, dance parties, and eating ice cream in any weather. She grew up in Holly, Michigan, and São Paulo, Brazil, as one of seven kids. Maria completed her undergrad at BYU and holds an MFA in writing for children & young adults from VCFA. She lives with her husband and their four daughters in Los Angeles. This is her first novel.