Many years ago, a book of fiction was written by a man named Barrie. Many, in fact most, of those who know the story of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy, Hook and the Lost Boys in Neverland have not read this novel. They have probably seen the bastardization of the Barrie story by Disney or seen a similar concoction performed live or on television. It's a shame is all. The Barrie story is dark and creepy. In just the the first few pages Barrie talks of Wendy's mother drawing pictures of babies with no faces. He recounts of how the parents of Michael and John added up the expenses of each newborn to see if they would keep them. He even hinted that Wendy's mother had actually known Peter Pan as a child. Barrie wrote she "just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with the fairies. There were odd stories about him, as that when children died he went part of the way with them, so that they should not be frightened. She had believed in him at the time, but now that she was married and full of sense she quite doubted whether he was real". He describes Neverland as an alternate universe which is exactly what it is. He describes it: "Neverland is always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes of colour here and there, and coral reefs and rakish-looking craft in the offing, and savages and lonely lairs, and gnomes who are mostly tailors, and caves through which a river runs, and princes with six elder brothers, and a hut fast going to decay, and one very small old lady with a hooked nose". This sounds wonderful on the surface but Barrie didn't know the rest. It is an island, but one that is just slightly out of synch with our world as to make it invisible. And savages, indeed. They are the "lost boys" upon whom Peter's magic does not work, banished to live alone and grow old, outfitted in the special clothing provided by the Tailor Gnomes. Peter tells the ageless Lost Boys the others are Indians and Pirates and there will be many adventures with them. The old lady with a hooked nose has a secret, a dark and deadly secret. Yes, Barrie could only tell his story as fiction but he knew, he knew Peter was real. Nothing has changed. Young boys still go missing, you read the news reports and think could so many disappear and never be heard from or seen again and not a clue to go on. Neverland. Of course, you probably want to hear the whole story now. What happened after Hook died ? Why did TinkerBell leave Peter ? How, and why, is it that Wendy's great grandchild (also named Wendy), ended up with Peter. How does this story end ? Oh yes, there is a battle brewing.
About the Author: Brad L. Johnson has been a freelance writer since 1976 when his very first submission, a poem, was published in a national magazine. Since then, he has balanced the "real world" of working for a living and following his dream. Along with many newspaper and magazine articles, Brad interned at KFWB, Los Angeles, with Cleve Hermann, interviewing dozens of celebrities and providing radio copy for this renowned broadcaster. This former "hippie-nerd" has been a successful entrepreneur, opening and running a coffee house, art gallery, book store and charity organization. His credits include "The Slightly Whacked Vegetarian Cookbook for Regular People" (2007) and "The Comic Collector's Handbook" (2005). He recently adapted a television script to a comic book titled "Peace Corps Frebon". This is his first foray into fiction writing. Brad recently spent six weeks in England and Wales gathering adventures for his upcoming book "An American Vagabond in Britain", by tent camping, hosteling, living with the hippies in Tipi Village and even spending a few nights with the homeless in London as he crisscrossed the country. Brad writes much as he speaks having worked hard to develop a unique and compelling style of writing that would be true to his "voice". When he is not traveling, Brad calls New Mexico home, where he lives in a yurt on a mountain.