“Getting someone to notice and read your book can feel like you’re shouting into the void.”

We speak to author Kayce Teo, who shares with us how she ended up following her dream of becoming a writer after the passing of her mother, and the reality of being a published author in Singapore.

By day, Kayce Teo is a full-time working mom to two kids. By night (or rather, during any free time she has) Kayce can be found working on two new novels under the pen name Leslie W. Fans of fantasy novels may recognise her name for two of her published novels, The Night of Legends and The Light of Stars, with the third and final book of the trilogy The Dawn of Reckoning coming out in June 2025.

We all know how hectic motherhood can get. So, how does a full-time working mom end up authoring three books, with two new ones underway? We speak to Kayce to find out more about her journey as an author in Singapore, what it takes to publish a novel (or three!), the realistic side of being a novelist in Singapore, and her recommendations of must-have kids’ books.

Read our past That Mama interviews here.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your family?

I’m a full-time working mum to two kids, a 9-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, with vastly different personalities. My husband and I met when we were students at Singapore Polytechnic. We dated for more than a decade before we got married, and had our first kid 9 months after that. It was a busy year, to say the least, but it feels like nothing has eased up since then.

Could you share a fun fact about yourself?

I recently got into plants and now have over 20 small-ish pots of plants in my house, and my collection is growing FAST.

Tell us about your career pre and post-kids

Before I had kids, I went for jobs with more exciting scopes, but now that I have kids, job security and stability are more important to me. I still want to be in a job where I can contribute and do good work that I’m proud of, but having to get off work on time to pick up the kids every day does narrow down your options. It’s something that many parents, mums especially, have to come to terms with.

What inspired you to write a novel?

It’s probably more who than what, and there are two key people who deserve all the credit.

The first is a family friend whom I called Kong Kong. He was like a god-grandfather to me, and he used to read to me when I was young. His name was Leslie Albert Walter and yes, he was a Caucasian—born in the UK, but he held a Singapore citizenship. Because of him, I developed a love for reading and stories, and subsequently, when he got me my first computer when I was in Primary 6, I started writing a middle-grade mystery (my very own Famous Five) that never saw the light of the day.

Sad to say that like many students, school work soon took over and even though I eventually pivoted from my Food Technology Diploma to pursue an English Literature degree, this dream of becoming an author just faded into the background when I graduated and started working, all but forgotten until my mum passed away suddenly in 2012. I re-evaluated my life and decided to pursue my dreams, and I started looking into becoming a writer in Singapore.

My first book is dedicated to my late mum, and my pen name Leslie W is a tribute to my Kong Kong.

Talk us through the process, how long it took and the challenges you faced.

My process to publication was relatively painless, if not long.

I came across a writing mentorship programme in 2014 and applied for it. I got selected and was mentored by award-winning writer Dave Chua. During this year-long programme (2014/2015), I wrote the first draft of my novel, The Night of Legends. Then, I put it aside and went back to adulting life because I gave birth. Then, in 2018, during my maternity leave after I had my son, I decided to take out the manuscript and edit it while trying to see if there were any local publishers who were interested. At that time, the Penguin Random House group had just set up the Penguin SEA office in Singapore, so I found the name of the publisher in a Straits Times article and then cold-messaged her on LinkedIn to ask if they accepted unsolicited manuscripts. She asked me to send in the first five chapters of my book, and a while after that offered me a publishing contract.

Challenges-wise, I would say that it’s finding time to write. The Night of Legends was published in December 2019, and while sequels by global publishing houses are usually published a year apart, the second book in my trilogy, The Light of Stars, was only published in December 2022, three years later because I had to juggle full-time work with writing. The final book, The Dawn of Reckoning, will only be launched in June 2025.

Another huge challenge is finding an audience. Singapore doesn’t have many readers, and the books that fall on this already-small group’s radar are usually those published by the big publishing houses that have huge marketing budgets. Getting someone to notice and read your book can feel like you’re shouting into the void. Lack of exposure = low to no book sales = low to no income, so it’s not a feasible job option in Singapore, which means I can only do it as a hobby. I can’t even consider it a side hustle because it doesn’t pay.

You’ve since written three novels – does it get easier with each one?

It doesn’t. haha. Because it’s a trilogy I’ve written, I’m learning new things with each book. With the first book, I had a blank slate. I was creating the characters and world as I went along—anything and everything went. Then with the second book, I was honing my craft and trying to plot a story that could stand alone on its own and not be a saggy middle. And with the last book, I was learning to write an exciting story while tying up loose ends and giving my characters satisfying conclusions to their own arcs.

As with the majority of writers, we’re aiming for perfection in our craft, and it’s impossible. So I don’t think that it will get easier with any subsequent books that I intend to write in the future.

What plans do you have next?

I have the first drafts for two Young Adult romance novels. These two books take place on the same timeline and are companion books. I should have started editing them, but haven’t been able to find the time recently. I also want to get cracking on drafting other books that I have in mind. I’m not thinking about getting them published at the moment, because that’s a different part of the process that I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with right now.

Do you have any tips for aspiring novelists, especially those who are fellow mamas?

Prioritise your writing time. There will always be dishes to be washed, floors to be mopped and vacuumed, and clothes to be washed and hung and folded. And get your partner’s buy-in. If your husband is willing to support you by taking care of the kids for a few hours so you can write, it will take a huge mental load off you.

What is your parenting approach?

I thought I would be a tiger parent, but it turns out that I don’t have the mental capacity to micromanage my kids, so I’m a pretty chill mum. I just leave my kids be unless I think that they are going to do something that is wrong or harmful or will get them hurt. I also step in when I feel that they are going to get into trouble with their dad.

What is your favourite family ritual?

We head out for dinner every Friday night to ring in the weekend. My kids like to eat out, but time is extremely tight on weekday evenings.

How do you foster a love for reading in your kids?

I used to read to my girl almost every night until she entered primary school, and she doesn’t go anywhere without a book nowadays. My son is more active and boisterous, but he likes me to read to him. I just don’t do it as often now because it’s harder to juggle the time with the two of them around. That said, my son likes to read everything and anything—from road signs to packaging instructions.

What books would you recommend for kids?

For young readers:

• Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
• The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (or any book by Julia Donaldson, actually)

For primary school kids:

• East Asian Folktales, Myths And Legends by Eva Wong Nava
• The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill
• My BFF Is An Alien series by Vivian Teo
• The Prophecy Of The Underworld series by Low Ying Ping

Quickfire questions:
I wish I had more time for… myself.
I always feel saner after… I’ve had a proper length of time (like an entire day) to myself doing things I like such as shopping, gardening, reading or writing, or going out with my sister or either one of my two best friends.
As a mama, I wish I were better at… parenting. I very much prefer to reason with people but everyone knows you can’t really reason with young kids.
I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about… work, if I’m stressed. But generally, I’m too tired to wake up in the middle of the night. LOL
My favourite moment of the day is… at night, after my kids go to bed and I’m in bed reading or scrolling through TikTok (oops).

If you’re a fan of fantasy novels, check out The Night of Legends trilogy. Mark your calendars for the release of her final book in the three-part series, The Dawn of Reckoning, coming out in June 2025!

Read our past That Mama interviews here.