Hello there,

I’m Ryland Hayes, and I’ve spent most of my life asking tough questions—about power, survival, and what it really means to be free. Growing up in the hills of west Tennessee, I learned early that beauty and hardship can exist side by side. Those winding roads and wild forests shaped my mind as much as my writing, reminding me that every community, no matter how peaceful it seems, carries its own secrets and stories.

I’m fascinated by the way ordinary people adapt when the world tilts on its axis—how we cling to hope, negotiate morality, and carve meaning out of chaos. Dystopian fiction is my chosen lens, not because I love darkness for its own sake, but because I believe shadow and light reveal who we are at our core. I strive to create stories that push both my characters and my readers to the edge, urging us all to challenge complacency and reimagine what “normal” could mean.

Right now, I’m deep into editing my debut novel, The Heartland Protocol, which I hope to share with you before the end of 2025. Crafting this book has been equal parts agony and exhilaration—a journey through ruined societies and fragile new beginnings. My greatest hope is that, as you turn the pages, you’ll find not just warnings, but blueprints for resilience and glimmers of the future’s possibilities.

When I’m not lost in fictional ruins, you’ll find me hiking the Tennessee backroads, notebook in hand, watching the sunlight cut through morning mist. Inspiration is everywhere; you just have to step off the path and look. Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I can’t wait to see where the story leads us next.