Purloined Boy : The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1

The Purloined Boy is a work of fantasy literature for young adults. In parts dark and grotesque, in others luminous and inspiring; it could be described as R.L. Stine meets Plato. It begins with the question, "Where do all those children on the milk cartons go?" It provides the answer through the eyes of a boy named Trevor Upjohn-the purloined boy. Trevor endures the misery of life in Superbia but dreams of going home. He finds unlikely allies in an old man, a girl named Maggie, and a strange but powerful mouse named Zephyr.The Purloined Boy brings together the worlds of young adult fantasy and classical philosophy. It reads like a popular young adult fantasy, but for those with eyes to see, the book is suffused with allusions to philosophical themes and insights. These are never presented in a didactic manner; rather they are woven into the story to provide depth and richness without drawing attention to them. The Purloined Boy is intended to be both entertaining and enriching - the sort of book that can be read again and again for enjoyment and profit.

Mortimus Clay, described as ôthe most prolific author writing posthumously in the world today,ö is the creation of Christopher R. Wiley. Mr. Wiley represents Mortimus as his personal secretary, telling audiences that, ôwhile alive, Mortimus Clay was, unfortunately, a dismal failure as an author. He was passed over by editors and scorned by fellow writers. Clay spent his life trying to emulate his hero, Charles Dickens, but instead ended up living like a character in a Dickens novel. His death was the best thing that ever happened to the old boy as his writing took an immediate turn for the better.ö Mr. Wiley is a successful writer having had non-fiction works published by Beacon Hill Press and Word Action Curriculum. In addition to writing, Mr. Wiley has been the founding director of a nonprofit organization, a youth speaker, a professor of philosophy, and a real estate investor with holdings in three New England states. He is an alumnus of Harvard Divinity School and has been named to Marquis', Who's Who in the East and Outstanding Young Men in America.