News and Updates

Paperback, Summer Reading & a Little Fever

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen / 5 Comments

In my release post for Distorted Is The View, I mentioned that the paperback would follow shortly, after one final adjustment to the proof. Thank you for your patience.

I’m happy to say the paperback is now available.

Image: Print version of Distorted Is The View

So, for those of you who prefer holding a physical book, turning pages, marking a sentence, or simply adding another spine to your bookshelf, this one is for you. You can order the paperback directly from Amazon or ask your local bookshop to order it from Ingram.

As Teresa says in the novel:

There’s a flu going around, Sisi. Sam is likely catching something.”
— Teresa, Distorted Is The View

In this case, I hope what you’re catching is a little summer reading fever. 🙂

And speaking of summer reading, the ebook will also be part of the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale in July. So, if there is still space on your summer TBR list, July will be a good time to find Distorted Is The View at half price on Smashwords. While there, don’t forget to check out books by other indie authors. Who knows, you might even find new favourites!

Image: Smashwords July Summer / Winter Sale

Whether you read in paperback or ebook, thank you for making room for this story.

Happy Reading!

Reviews

REVIEW: When a Reader Invites Others to Stay

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

When a reader doesn’t only get your book but takes the time to write about it with care and generosity, it becomes its own kind of gift. I’m deeply grateful to Michelle of Intimately Worded with Michelle for this thoughtful review article on Distorted Is The View.

Her reflection honours the quiet layers of the novel, the silences, the tenderness, and the difficult work of seeing a family beyond the fracture. Please read the full article, Distorted Is The View: When a Story Invites You to Stay, on her blog.

Image: A floral background behind a book cover

PS. Comments are closed. Join the conversation on the other side. Thank you!

Writing & Living

Earworm, Playlist & Quiet Celebration

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen / 3 Comments

Music, much like stories, has always been woven into the fabric of my experiences. Though not for a living, I can sing. I sang in the high school choir. I sang in the church choir, back when it was still one of my hangout places. These days, I try to sing in my poetry and prose.

Anyway, music is my mind’s sanctuary. After a writing session, I put something on and let it do what words, for a moment, cannot — dissolve the residue of the work. There are songs that just keep me going, entertain or make me think. Sometimes a song gets stuck on a loop in my head, and I let it. There’s usually a reason.

In no particular order, here are the top three songs that have been on continuous replay lately:

Mostly, I write in complete silence. But every so often, in the middle of a scene, a song would surface unbidden — rising out of some interior place I hadn’t been consciously tending. That’s when I understood that music wasn’t separate from the writing. It was doing something underneath it.

With DISV, certain songs became almost cinematic for me. I could see the characters move to them, or go still. I could feel how a particular chord change would catch a character off guard, the same way a revelation might. Music didn’t just accompany a moment but unlocked it in my mind as I wrote.

So I built a playlist.

My Spotify Playlist for Distorted Is The View

Now, as I ease into summer, I’m slowly working through character and song pairings for specific chapters. I’m letting the music annotate the story in a different register. I’ll be sharing these via the newsletter, where I write earnestly and honestly about both the work and the life around it. In the meantime, check out the playlist — take a listen and take a guess!

In my newsletter, I’ve also written about why I’m not having a formal book launch. Let’s just say my word for 2026, flexible, has been earning its keep in ways I didn’t entirely expect. So I’m having a quiet celebration, and perhaps this feels right too for a book that began in silence.

So, here’s to music, solitude and a little summer wildness. 🙂

Happy Midsummer, in advance, if you celebrate it!