Be There Now is a collection of true travel stories featuring twenty-two contributors who share adventures and escapades from around the world. The stories include the tale of an amateurish kidnapping in Nicaragua that could have been told by Woody Allen, and a David Sedaris-esque tale of two ships passing in a Paris art supply store. Existential stories from a man lost on the flooded Amazon River at night, and from a woman who encounters a grizzly--in the same area where her father and stepmother were killed by a bear. Insightful stories about a woman's spiritual journey in Peru (complete with hallucinogens ), and about a female journalist's friendship with an Iraqi translator in Syria. And stories about endangered species in exotic locales, including helping a sea turtle lay its eggs on a Costa Rican beach, and taking a blind man to visit the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Be There Now is travel writing at its most authentic--real people sharing real stories of awe and insight, fear and laughter, humility and humanity as they explore the world around us and seek footholds on their own inner journeys. In a world that often demands that we "be here now," it is nice to take a break, daydream, and "be there now" with thoughtful people who take us with them on journeys that lead to inspiration, insight, humor, and deeper meaning. Be There Now is part of a series of anthologies of creative nonfiction on various topics from Dream of Things, which strives to publish anthologies that fill the gap between popular collections that can be regarded as "short and sweet," and the Best American Essays series, which tend to be longer-form. The goal for Dream of Things anthologies is to be not short and sweet, but short and deep.

"Wise Men & Other Stories: Lessons from the Holidays on Santa, God, Heaven, Death & More Fun Stuff from Someone Who Still Has a Lot to Learn" is a collection of holiday-related essays that blend humor and poignancy in the tradition of Robert Fulghum, Dave Barry, Bill Bryson, P.J. O'Rourke and other great American humorists. "This collection started with 'Wise Men, '" says O'Mary. "It was a story from my childhood about a poor kid from my old neighborhood and the lesson I learned when we were both cast as wise men in the school play." That story was published in newspapers across the nation and broadcast on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" program, and so began a tradition of holiday essays from Mike O'Mary. Over the years, the essays in this collection were read as part of "Morning Edition" on Northern Illinois Public Radio, and published in the Sunday magazines of the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Baltimore Sun, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit Free Press and elsewhere. Along the way, O'Mary developed a cult following for his holiday stories. "O'Mary has a gift for simple, frank exposition of life's most poignant moments," says author Stephen Parrish (The Tavernier Stones). In Wise Men and Other Stories, O'Mary shares that gift with all of us. Enjoy this priceless collection of humorous and thoughtful stories this holiday season -- and for many holidays to come.

"Saying Goodbye" is a collection of true stories about how people say their heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor.

The true story of a family's generational battle with alcoholism and drug addiction, "Everything I Never Wanted to Be" is ultimately an uplifting story that contains valuable lessons for parents and teens, alike.