Jim Riva, an author and a humorist


Welcome. My name is Jim Riva. I'm an author and a humorist, not necessarily in that order. Although I was the class clown as a kid, I went on to become a serious student of philosophy – and finally came to the philosophical conclusion that the best outlook on life is to take humor seriously. For me, that meant to deliver humor in the form of writing.

To put myself in an atmosphere more conducive for becoming a better writer, I left a small town in Illinois for New York City. After a couple of years there, I decided that a culture change would do me some good, so I headed for Kathmandu. Then I was all over the place, especially Asia.

I lived in Japan for fourteen years, taking off occasionally to other countries with my backpack for off-the-beaten-track traveling and off-beat writing. Then I returned to the States with my Japanese wife. We live in Beaverton, Oregon with our daughter.

I wrote and self-published four books under the name Soaring Sparrow Press. Then I created (POOF!) Magic Carpet Publications for the publication of The Magic Carpet Trilogy.

The Four Books (three novels and a novelty book) are as different as apples, oranges, bananas, and pineapples; the three books of  The Magic Carpet Trilogy are very different as well, perhaps throwing kiwis, kumquats, and watermelons into the mix.

I am presently working on three short novels simultaneously, so I will be able to throw more fruit into the basket -- the one and only basket, where all of my eggs have been. My latest books, and new-and-improved editions of my older books, are available only as eBooks.

I am also writing Champion of Reason audio sketches for the Herd Mentality Podcast, which is a podcast that I highly recommend for free-thinkers and skeptics with a sense of humor.
 

My eBooks are available at Amazon for every smartphone, tablet, and computer.

If you don't have a Kindle, all you need is the free Kindle app.
You can get the free Kindle app HERE.

The story behind the story of Oregonian Nights is the Feature of the Week.