Waka is a Stanford graduate with a B.A. in International Relations and a Master’s in Secondary Education. While I Was Away (Quill Tree/HarperCollins 2021) is her debut novel.

Dream, Annie, Dream (Quill Tree/HarperCollins 2022) is her first work of historical fiction.

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura (Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins) is her third middle grade novel, which publishes on July 18, 2023.