Miss Kaye
Kaye was born in the Philippines. She had challenges as an adult neurodivergent. This serves as her inspiration for writing fun, engaging, and educational stories to teach life skills and mindfulness to kids.
Do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers what they want?
My author journey started when I was looking for a healthy outlet to release my negative feelings.
What’s in my mind is that I want to make something that can help others navigate my challenges. Then, I suddenly decided to create a children’s picture book.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I wanted to have a name that is unisex. Marion appealed to me because it means the “star of the sea”. And, for me, I am making a character that shall be a beacon of hope for every kid especially kids who lost touch with their hearts due to past traumas, or unhealthy environments.
What was the first book that made you cry?
It was more of a download of reality of how we can impact someone’s life than literal crying. The most unforgettable book for me was “Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom. The compassion and human aspect is profoundly narrated in the book.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
Have a dedicated time to religiously read every day.
Have you Googled yourself? Did you find out anything interesting?
I did but nothing interesting yet written about me which made me realise that perhaps I can create something that will make me proud on a personal level.
Are there any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Can you tell us one? Or give us any hints?
My illustrator is a cat mum. So, we added her cat as a character in the book.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? Why?
Having a pseudo is something I thought initially was cool but the main reason why I did was because that time my illustrator was not yet comfortable having her real name on the book. So, I decided to join her in that discomfort.
How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
I am absolutely new in the realm of this industry. Let alone to become a children’s picture book author. It is beyond my imagination that I could be. Also, that I can go this far. The writing process felt like a tango for me. One moment, I think I got the words so I did two steps forward then the next day I had a step backward. But, what I completely enjoyed is the process itself. The journey of making a book made me feel I am rebuilding myself too. Simply humbling.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have 3 concept books making my first one a series, and a new one to explore with.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
I needed to research the possible challenges of a baby boy, and how he should embody being a beacon of hope, especially for neurodivergent kids who have challenges on connect with their peers and environment. Being on that shoe made me observant of people to emulate at least how to make the character relatable.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I love hearing people say good things about my book. I appreciate the moments when people give me bad comments because it makes me grow. My brain thinks of ways how it can be made better. It makes me go back to my purpose why I wrote it in the first place.