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John Martin

Goodreads Author


Born
in Launceston, Australia
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Colin Bateman, Carl Hiassen, Tom Sharpe, Joseph Heller, John Mortimer, ...more

Member Since
November 2011

URL


I'm an Australian who writes funny novels with a dash of mystery and sometimes with a dollop of whodunnit. Heck, 2020 even brought out some black comedy from me.

...more

John Martin is currently not accepting new questions.

Popular Answered Questions

John Martin I don't believe in it. I think this is because I spent all my working life as a journalist on newspapers -- and meeting deadlines was a matter of nece…moreI don't believe in it. I think this is because I spent all my working life as a journalist on newspapers -- and meeting deadlines was a matter of necessity if you want to get paid. When you are writing fiction, sure there are days ideas don't flow. But there's always stuff to do. Work on a profile of a character. Do some research that's related to what you're doing. Proof-read/rework stuff you've already written. Write a scene from a chapter way ahead, and work out where it fits in later.(less)
John Martin I guess it's the same thing as completing a painting or building a nice piece of furniture. Satisfaction. A sense of achievement, knowing you've put l…moreI guess it's the same thing as completing a painting or building a nice piece of furniture. Satisfaction. A sense of achievement, knowing you've put long hours and all the knowledge and imagination you can muster into those 70,000, 80,000 or 90,000 words. I can't paint for nuts, I can't nail two pieces of wood together - but I can do this. If people enjoy it, that's a bonus.(less)
Average rating: 3.57 · 348 ratings · 99 reviews · 25 distinct worksSimilar authors
Lie of the Tiger

3.72 avg rating — 122 ratings7 editions
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Who Knew Tasmanian Tigers E...

3.12 avg rating — 68 ratings5 editions
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True Wit: Stories by Humor ...

by
3.34 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2019
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Blokes on a Plane

3.75 avg rating — 16 ratings5 editions
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The Wrong Magician

3.56 avg rating — 16 ratings4 editions
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Major BS: A Top Secret Mission

3.50 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2009 — 3 editions
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Blokes in the House

3.69 avg rating — 13 ratings4 editions
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Major B.S.

3.46 avg rating — 13 ratings6 editions
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Whitey and the Six Dwarfs

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings3 editions
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Blokes in Donegal

3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings3 editions
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More books by John Martin…

Thirty years of laughs in one compilation

My compilation of the first three funny mystery novels in the Windy Mountain Tasmanian Tiger series Different Stripes by John Martin is out.
Different Stripes is available at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

It contains three novels.
Who Knew Tasmanian Tigers Eat Apples! by John Martin Lie of the Tiger by John Martin Blokes on a Plane by John Martin

The books cover nearly thirty years of laughs and mystery.

Buy here Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 26, 2018 18:15
Who Knew Tasmanian Tigers E... Lie of the Tiger Blokes on a Plane Whitey and the Six Dwarfs
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The Speechwriter
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The Shortest Hist...
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Outback
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Quotes by John Martin  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The early worm gets eaten by the early bird.”
John Martin

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Making Connections: 4537. - MAJOR BS AND THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS by John Martin 1 8 Sep 03, 2016 08:02AM  
Aussie Readers: Reviewers sought for funny mystery 2 10 Sep 19, 2016 03:48AM  
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The Lost Challenges: When I Grow Up Challenge 171 336 Mar 09, 2025 07:43AM  
Hooked on Books : Amazing Race Mini: June 2025 19 51 Jul 03, 2025 03:09PM  
“The early worm gets eaten by the early bird.”
John Martin

“The first draft of anything is shit.”
Ernest Hemingway

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
Albert Einstein

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
Groucho Marx, The Essential Groucho: Writings For By And About Groucho Marx

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”
Mark Twain

57055 The Humour Club — 1644 members — last activity Dec 16, 2025 01:46PM
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Yeah, we judge books by their covers - So What!
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ALL GENRE COMMUNITY OF BOOK LOVERS-Perfect for those interested in good books of any genre, film and lively discussion!- from current fiction, thrille ...more
60696 Making Connections — 14765 members — last activity Dec 24, 2025 07:25PM
Read, Review, and Make Connections
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Welcome to Short & Sweet Treats! We are here to read books together, engage in discussions, and have fun. We play lots of games and read lots of go ...more
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Comments (showing 1-37)    post a comment »
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message 37: by John

John Martin Just a heads-up. My ebook version of my funny mystery novel Who Knew Tasmanian Tigers Eat Apples! by John Martin is now free from Amazon, B&N, Apple and Kobo.

books2read.com/u/4DAkyr


message 36: by Scott

Scott Roberts Merry Christmas


message 35: by John

John Martin To celebrate the release of the new cover for Escape from Mad Bill's Island by John Martin , I'm offering free review copies.
You can download a free copy of my book in Kindle or ePub format:
Kindle - https://books.pronoun.com/serve/1131c...
ePub - https://books.pronoun.com/serve/1131c...
Of course, a review on Amazon or Goodreads isn't obligatory. But it helps other readers decide if a book is worth reading, and it helps shape what I might write next.


message 34: by Carolyn

Carolyn Hi John, thanks for the friend request!


message 33: by Stacy

Stacy Merry Christmas John!!!!!!!!!


TyCobbsTeeth TyCobbsTeeth Hi John,
Sorry to be slow responding.
Thanks for connecting with me on GR.
Hope you have a great week.
Cheers!
Rob


message 31: by Orient

Orient

Nice to meet you in GR universe :)


message 30: by Majenta

Majenta Hi, John, just wanted to let you know that I've left reviews of MAJOR BS here and at Amazon. Thanks for the opportunity! Keep writing! I hope you're having a good week. Blessings!

Best wishes from Majenta


message 29: by John

John Martin FREE FOR FIVE DAYS
My funny (with pathos) novel, Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants.
Reviews appreciated.

https://www.amazon.com/Major-BS-illeg...
Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin


message 28: by John

John Martin Anyone want to review my latest novel? I can send you a .mobi file or a PDF.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Major-BS-il...Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin


message 26: by John

John Martin Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants


If anyone's interested in reviewing this ebook, which comes out in the next few days, give me a hoy at jkmdunno@gmail.com
I can send you a pdf or, alternatively, I plan to make the book free for five days at Amazon from September 2. All I want is an honest review at Amazon and/or Goodreads.


message 25: by John

John Martin New Zealand editor Anne-Marie Emerson McDonald has been casting her eagle eyes over my novel, which is on schedule for release as an ebook next week.
You can preorder it here.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G4JJCPO#...Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin


message 24: by Majenta

Majenta Hi, John! Thanks for contacting me, Friend Request Accepted, thanks for Requesting! Good to hear from another author! Congratulations on your books! Happy reading, writing, and everything else. Have a great writing day. I like the Hemingway quote about the first draft of anything being... Well, that could sometimes mean the ! the person went through and is now writing about! But, no, I think I understand what he meant. And I hope you don't have to deal with a lot of ! in your life. Blessings!

Best wishes from Majenta


message 23: by John

John Martin READ THE FIRST CHAPTER FREE. What's he going to do with 12 Illegal Immigrants he's accidentally rescued. http://ow.ly/xamG302DJtj
Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin


message 22: by John

John Martin Humour with pathos. PRE-ORDER MY NEW E-NOVEL from Amazon. http://ow.ly/WlNS302x3MXMajor BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin


message 21: by John

John Martin Forty-six years ago today I sat in my grade six classroom watching Neil Armstrong step on the moon via a black and white television. It was about the same quality of transmission as the ultra-sound of my son when he was but a foetus almost 22 years ago.

Fast forward to 2016 and a moon landing figures in my collection of funny flash fiction, Romeo and Julie.

It's one of 16 stories, and the good news is the ebook is currently free to download from Amazon, http://ow.ly/EqkH302sbUK

Find out who got the cocoa pops from the Variety Pack they took with them on the lunar landing module. Find out, too, who is most annoyed with his snap shots photo-processing lab.

Read also samples from my three upcoming novels. I call them funny novels with pathos.

Romeo and Julie Romeo and Julie by John Martin


message 20: by John

John Martin Romeo and Julie Romeo and Julie by John Martin
FREE July 18 to 22: Gorgonzola entree is served ahead of three funny new novels. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EF0BVQW/... … … via @amazon #ComedyBookWeek


message 19: by John

John Martin Get your free download tomorrow (July 15) and Saturday (July 16) of my ebook of flash fiction from Amazon http://ow.ly/psYP302bp4m I'm participating in #ComedyBookWeek and I've updated the book and added sample chapters from my new upcoming novels, Romeo and Julie Romeo and Julie by John Martin


message 18: by John

John Martin My participation in ‪#‎ComedyBookWeek‬ is paltry, but I was caught unawares this year. Who knew there was such a thing? I threw one book of flash fiction, Romeo and Julie, into the ring.
Find out more at https://comedybookweek.com


message 16: by John

John Martin Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants Major BS and the Illegal Immigrants by John Martin

My novel is due out on August 23 but you can pre-order now --

http://ow.ly/TTgy300ymYW (Australia, $4.85),
http://ow.ly/HmC7300ytAC (US, $3.50) and
http://ow.ly/NeIG300ytEQ (UK, £2.41)


message 15: by John

John Martin http://ow.ly/oWVR300t0jq Major BS rises again


message 14: by John

John Martin Fifty-one stories from a father. Diverse topics include the day he came to call himself a man in a fountain of pee, to the day he drove the getaway trolley at the teddy bears' picnic.
http://ow.ly/4nm6l1
Jack and the Jellybean Stalk by John Martin Jack and the Jellybean Stalk


message 13: by John

John Martin I have new blog entries up at my Amazon author page. http://www.amazon.com/John-Martin/e/B...


message 12: by John

John Martin Offer ends today. My short story collection is still free at Amazon Australia, http://ow.ly/4mV5E8

Romeo and Julie by John Martin Romeo and Julie


message 11: by John

John Martin I feel like the guy in the silly hat out the front of the sideshow. "Hurry, hurry. Step right up for the greatest show on earth."

Only it's not that momentus. But my book is still free on Amazon Australia http://ow.ly/4mV2Mn for a limited time. So hurry, hurry. Step right up.

Romeo and Julie by John Martin Romeo and Julie


message 10: by John

John Martin For those people living in the Northern Hemisphere and still slaving away towards the weekend, I feel the need to gloat. My Friday after work is here already. Now, what to read?


message 9: by James

James Thanks for the friend request!


Robert Thanks for the friend request, John.


message 7: by John (last edited Jan 09, 2012 05:01AM)

John Martin It's easy to like Mike Rokyo's stuff, jan.
He had the right mix for me of humour, anger and sensitivities.
When i entered journalism as a copyboy in 1976, one of my first jobs was to tear up the paper from the telex machine as it arrived and arrange it in piles - news, sport,features etc for the various editors.
Royko's columns reached us in Tasmania via worldwide syndication and was used inb our newspaper each week. But I read it first, so much so that I probably neglected the other piles a bit. Thus began my aspiration to write like Royko. I never reached it buyt, boy, I still read that collection from time to time and dream.


message 6: by Jan C

Jan C Thanks for the friend request, John.

As a Chicagoan, I've got to say that anyone who has Royko on their shelf, can't be all bad.


Sammy Goode Thank you for the friendvite--looking forward to chatting online with you!


message 4: by Becca

Becca Hi John :)


Rogier Thank you for the friend add


message 2: by Simon

Simon Thanks for looking me up, John.


Tamara Rose Blodgett Thanks for your friendship John and welcome to GR~! ;)


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