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John McDonell

Goodreads Author

Born

in Halifax, Canada

Website

http://www.riverwaterbooks.com

Twitter

john_mcdonell

Genre

Fantasy, Biography, Historical Fiction

Member Since

April 2012

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A father of two. A husband of one. Servant of a Canine Rose and Sufferer of feline whims.
An archer. A D&D'er.
Longtime listener-lifetime fan of CBC Radio.
Carpenter, painter, guitar pretender, flamenco guitar obliterator and cringe-worthy mandolin picker. Compasser, mapper, big -time napper.
Logger, axe wielder, keyboard jockey.
Sketchy sketcher. Funky dancer (not).
Eloquent and persuasive biography writer who has a distinct flare for the s h o r t form.
Harmonica playing Neil wannabe. Camp building, never-finished, procrastinating, put-the-kids-to-bed, story telling son of a wonderful woman kind of guy.

or check out my website to see something a little more legible but far more boring.
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Popular Answered Questions

What books are on your summer reading list this year?

John McDonell I am so backlogged with my reading. I really want to dig in to Harbinger by a fellow New Brunswick author, Ian McKinley. I tend to do lots of re-readi…moreI am so backlogged with my reading. I really want to dig in to Harbinger by a fellow New Brunswick author, Ian McKinley. I tend to do lots of re-reading in the summer, so a book or two from Stephen King's Dark Tower series may be warranted, especially with the movie coming out! I would like to get a bit of Naomi Novak in and I haven't read any Terry Pratchett in years, and I am ashamed to say that I have never read Mercedes Lackey and I think it is high time! So there are a few books I want to read and I am sort of like a crow when I see a new shiny thing;I want it, so there will likely be a few unmentioned books as well. Thanks for the question :)(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

John McDonell Fortunately I have not had to deal with this too much. I think it is because I schedule my writing periods to a couple hours each day and just force m…moreFortunately I have not had to deal with this too much. I think it is because I schedule my writing periods to a couple hours each day and just force myself to start writing. Some days are much better than others both in quantity and quality. On a first draft, my belief is that it best to put it down and revise or delete it later. Some writers, however focus on perfecting each page before they move on to the next. I believe I read somewhere that Dean Koontz writes one page a day and makes it pristine and perfect and his editors love him for it. (less)

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Combine Editions
John McDonell’s books

Average rating: 4.1 · 42 ratings · 9 reviews · 1 distinct work

Orphans of Tarnalin (Bloodline Magic, #1)

4.10 avg rating — 42 ratings — 2 editions

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John McDonell's Blog

Orphans of Tarnalin is now live on amazon!!

I am so happy to announce that Orphans of Tarnalin has gone live on amazon! Take a peek!

Here is the amazon.com link:

Orphans of Tarnalin on Amazon.com

Here is amazon.ca:

Orphans of Tarnalin on Amazon.ca

Series by John McDonell

Bloodline Magic (1 book)
by

John McDonell (Goodreads Author)

4.10 avg rating — 42 ratings

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John McDonell is now friends with Sarah Lane
Jul 26, 2024 01:55PM · like

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John’s Quotes

“Revenge proves its own executioner.”
― John Ford, Broken Heart

tags: revenge

743 likes

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde

177919 likes

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill

tags: bravery, courage, failure, inspirational, success

23542 likes

“The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.”
― George Carlin

tags: humor, insanity, lies, lying, self-indulgence, truth

19799 likes

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway

tags: good, writing

19431 likes

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Goodreads Authors/Readers — 56527 members — last activity 22 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers and Readers — 233 members — last activity Feb 05, 2021 04:59AM
Do you enjoy science fiction and fantasy and absolutely love talking about it?Have you written any science fiction or fantasy on goodreads and would l ...more

Indie Book Collective — 2953 members — last activity Jan 12, 2026 02:38AM
A group of indie authors, helping each other out and bringing new books to the world

Indie and Self-Pub Book Corner — 978 members — last activity Apr 05, 2026 09:44PM
Why should major publishing houses determine everything we read? There are a lot of great stories out there, just waiting for readers to find them! Wr ...more

Author Interviews, Book Reviews & Promotions — 767 members — last activity Apr 22, 2026 08:27AM
Books are amazing to read - escapism at its best. But, do you ever wonder how the author wrote it or what inspired it? If so, author interviews are ...more

Net Work Book Club — 1277 members — last activity Dec 30, 2025 12:44AM
Hey everyone! I’ve created a new group called Booktok & Bookstagram for book lovers who enjoy talking about books, sharing recommendations, and making ...more

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John McDonell

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