I think that peddlar guy is most likely the author. But the twist might be that he simply records choices that the characters makes and he has no control over the direction of the story. That would be awesome.
I agree. I prefer the characters to make their own choices in life for better or worse, not be forced to act a certain way because the author said so. If everyone’s life was dictated by the author, then what did Regina and Rumple do to the author to deserved the life they got?