Misa Sugiura's ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. Her first novel, It's Not Like It's a Secret, was the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for YA Literature. Her second novel, This Time Will be Different, made the Best of 2019 lists of the Chicago Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Young Adult Library Services Association. Most recently, she contributed a short story to the critically acclaimed anthology, Come On In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home. Misa lives under a giant oak tree in Northern California with her husband, two sons, and three cats.