Inspired by the imaginative bedtime tales his grandfather once told, Santa Cruz piano instructor Ryan Daniele has released his debut novel, The Ring of Experience. The book marks the first installment in Daniele’s young adult fantasy trilogy, Arrendar Academy, and is now available in both print and digital formats.
Daniele, who grew up listening to stories crafted on the spot by his grandfather, said the tradition sparked a lifelong fascination with storytelling.
“My grandfathers were both incredible storytellers,” Daniele said in a recent interview. “One was a businessman who could captivate an audience just by speaking, and the other made up these fantastical stories at bedtime that I never forgot.”
Though his professional background is in music, Daniele’s passion for writing resurfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when extra time and inspiration led him back to fiction. After reading several popular young adult series, he realized the genre was a natural fit.
“I just sat with an idea and started writing,” he said. “It took off from there. I fell in love with the characters, the world, and the message I wanted to share.”
The Ring of Experience follows 15-year-old Taydis Fletcher, a teenager living in a post-technological society where modern devices have vanished and horse-drawn carriages once again rule the roads. Taydis is swept away to a secluded mountaintop academy—one his late grandfather once attended—where he is put through challenging survival trials and uncovers a rare gift: empathy.
“Empathy is central to the story,” Daniele explained. “In the world I created, it’s a forgotten virtue. That reflects how I sometimes feel about our world, too. If people could walk a moment in someone else’s shoes, maybe we’d show more compassion and understanding.”
Daniele cites literary influences ranging from Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire to authors like Andy Weir and Garth Stein. His early storytelling efforts began in middle school with a 420-page Star Wars fan fiction project—an ambitious start that foreshadowed his creative path.
“Of course, I thought I’d be published at 13,” he said with a laugh. “I was wrong, but it was such a fun experience. That passion stuck with me.”
The author describes his writing approach as that of a “pantser”—someone who writes by instinct rather than following a strict plot outline. He allowed the story to unfold organically, discovering twists and character arcs along the way.
Initially, Daniele wrote the book without the intention of publication. However, after exploring traditional publishing and finding the process creatively restrictive, he opted for self-publishing.
“Self-publishing gave me total control over the story and its presentation,” he said. “But it also meant taking on every role—writer, editor, marketer, promoter. It’s a challenge, but one that’s incredibly rewarding.”
Daniele has already completed the drafts for the remaining two books in the Arrendar Academy trilogy and is currently editing them. For now, he plans to focus on local promotion, including appearances at farmers markets and community events. The Ring of Experience is available as an e-book on Amazon and in print at Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Aimed at readers aged 10 and up, the novel explores universal themes such as bullying, friendship, loss, and personal growth.
“At the heart of it, I want young readers to walk away with a stronger sense of empathy,” Daniele said. “If we all had just a little more empathy, the world would be a better place.”
