Florida Baptist Witness Paper Review

Novels set in Mt. Dora follow teens’ search for the armor of God
Published August 13, 2009

ORLANDO (FBW)—Imagining fantasies to tell his three children at bedtime, Orlando resident Eric Reinhold developed a cast of characters and events that became the basis for supernatural adventure novels published by Creation House. The recently released Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith follows book one of the series, Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword, published in 2008.
In the books, 12-year-old Ryann is set on a fantasy adventure by a command from the angel Gabiel “to search our and put on the full armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil’s schemes.” The angel leaves a glowing ring with Ryann to help on the quest. Unable to keep quiet about the angel’s visit, Ryann enlists his friends Terrell and Liddy in his search for pieces of God’s armor. Another boy—a classroom bully—is visited by a dark angel, Lord Ekron, who charges him with thwarting all of Ryann’s godly efforts.

All the non-fantasy action takes place in Mt. Dora, where the friends meet at the Dickens-Reed Book Nook and attend Mt. Dora Middle School. The lakes and gazebos around the city serve as passageways to the world of Aeliana where mythical friends and talking animals help them in their searches.

The second book, in which Ryann searches for the shield of faith, places Ryann and his friends in “more grown-up situations and more do-or-die circumstances,” according to a publisher’s news release.

The author is a member of First Baptist Church Sweetwater in Longwood where is he is a deacon, Sunday School teacher and volunteer with the high school youth group. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and University of Baltimore, he is president of Academy Wealth Management, a financial planning firm.

While growing up in Miami, Reinhold read the works of C.S. Lewis and sci-fi author Marion Zimmer Bradley. Such influences combine to produce what one reviewer called a “fine balance between virtuous substance and an enchanting romp.”

Reinhold began outlining the
Annals of Aeliana series in 2000, but was sidetracked by health and business issues before picking up the project again in 2007. The hard-cover volumes, 227 and 384 pages, are colorfully illustrated by Corey Wolfe, and contain maps of both Mt. Dora and Aeliana, and an illustrated list of characters.

Reinhold is currently writing book three in the series, Ryann Watters and the Belt of Truth. For more information on the Annals of Aeliana Series, go to www.ryannwatters.com.

Eric Reinhold, CFP, MBA, Academy Wealth Management, 1900 Summit Tower Blvd, Suite 230, Orlando, FL 32779. Securities and Advisory Services Offered Through Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser.