As a word, “nonfiction” doesn’t sound all that great. It has that negative “non” in there, meaning Not Fiction…which brings to mind dry facts and stats. Yawn.

But nonfiction can be so much more. True stories are as exciting, inspirational, bizarre, and heartbreaking as any made-up plot or characters. In my work I’ve written about everything from actor Jimmy Stewart smuggling a Yeti finger out of Nepal to raging rivers flowing through the depths of the ocean.

If you’ve never thought of yourself as a nonfiction reader, try it. Amazing true stories are waiting for you to discover them.