John Riha

I was born and raised in the Midwest. I traveled to the western states many times and finally resolved to stay there, with the big mountains and clear rivers. I'm married to a beautiful, funny woman I don't deserve, and I'm father to two sons who certainly must have done something right in their previous lives to earn such a generous, understanding, and doting dad.

Both my grandfathers were carpenters, and maybe I inherited the gene, as I've always been fascinated by wood and making things with my hands. I have built and remodeled houses and have a fondness for fine woodworking.

As construction aficionado, I built a career and parlayed my building experiences into journalism. I’ve been an editor on several national magazines, and I’ve gotten to write books and articles on all kinds of things— remodeling, sports heroes, insects and wildland fires. Now, I write historical fiction and books about the West.

The West can swallow you up. Maybe that’s what makes it so intriguing for the writer: The scale, the raw beauty, the danger, and the promise.