Kara Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. Much of her work is set in the Heian period of Japanese history. Dalkey's works include the Water trilogy, The Sword of Sagamore, Steel Rose, and Little Sister, and works in which she collaborated with other writers. Her novel, The Nightingale, was featured in Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series, and she has written short stories for both the Liavek and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer anthologies. Dalkey is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles. When she is not writing, she is an avid musician.