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J.A. McLachlan

Goodreads Author


Born
in Toronto, Canada
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Member Since
June 2012

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J. A. McLachlan (also known as Jane Ann McLachlan) is a multi-genre Canadian author. She has ten published books: Three Historical Fiction novels, The Lode Stone; The Sorrow Stone; and The Girl Who Would Be Queen; IMPACT: A Memoir of PTSD; a short story collection, CONNECTIONS (Pandora Press); two College texts on Professional Ethics (Pearson-Prentice Hall); a science fiction novel, Walls of Wind (self-published); and two young adult fiction novels, The Occasional Diamond Thief and The Salarian Desert Game (EDGE SF&F Publishing).
Visit her website to learn more and read excerpts from her books: http://www.janeannmclachlan.com

Praise for Walls of Wind:
"Look out, C. J. Cherryh! Step aside, Hal Clement! There's a new master of truly alien SF, a
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Popular Answered Questions

J.A. McLachlan I like my life here and now. But I wouldn't mind a few DAY trips to meet some historical figures, like Shakespeare, Socrates, Jesus, Dostoyevsky, to n…moreI like my life here and now. But I wouldn't mind a few DAY trips to meet some historical figures, like Shakespeare, Socrates, Jesus, Dostoyevsky, to name a few. I'd probably be disappointed, though. Traveling back in history would mean I, as a woman, would become a second-class citizen at best, and my historical heroes would probably ignore me. Best to admire such giants from afar, I think. As for imaginary worlds, like Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games- love the books but a day in the middle of a war against monsters and mutts? Happier to read about them. (less)
J.A. McLachlan That's a very good question. I don't write mysteries, so I don't think in those terms. I am more interested in the psychological mystery of how people…moreThat's a very good question. I don't write mysteries, so I don't think in those terms. I am more interested in the psychological mystery of how people think and why they do what they do. But I do write some of my experiences into my books, in one way or another. I have put the experience of losing my father when I was young into The Occasional Diamond Thief, and a brief spell of PTSD into The Salarian Desert Game, although those aren't the main plots of either book.(less)
Average rating: 3.99 · 621 ratings · 126 reviews · 9 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Sorrow Stone

3.94 avg rating — 363 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions
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The Occasional Diamond Thie...

4.04 avg rating — 89 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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IMPACT: A Memoir of PTSD

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4.02 avg rating — 58 ratings2 editions
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The Salarian Desert Game

4.47 avg rating — 32 ratings3 editions
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Walls of Wind

4.21 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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Walls of Wind, Part 1

3.76 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2013
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Walls of Wind: Part III

4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2014
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Walls of Wind: Part II

3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2014
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Concerto in Black

2.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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Early Reviewers

I will be bringing out my new book this October, an historical fiction novel set in the south of France in the 12th Century.
If you are interested in being an early reader and will agree to post an honest review on Amazon during the first week of October, I would like to send you an ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) ebook now.

Here is a little about the book:

Would you sacrifice your marriage to escape an Read more of this blog post »
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Published on July 26, 2017 22:53 Tags: historical-fiction, medieval-fiction, women-s-fiction
The Occasional Diamond Thief The Salarian Desert Game
(2 books)
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4.16 avg rating — 121 ratings

Split the Sky
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Let's Get Digital...
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Lunging Blind
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J.A.’s Recent Updates

J.A. McLachlan rated a book it was amazing
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Uglies (Uglies, #1)
by Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author)
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An interesting and thought-provoking story that examines social belonging and popular notions of beauty in teens. Excellent plot, pacing, intriguing characters, captivating story. I look forward to reading the next in this series.
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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
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Intriguing. An interesting story, well-written with complex and sympathetic characters. Well worth the read. SPOILER: there were some plot holes that I found curbed my enjoyment and engagement. A few anachronistic errors for the historical period, an ...more
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The Last Shadow by Orson Scott Card
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Everything Card writes is good. This doesn't live up to his earlier books, but still worth reading. The regular info drops take away from the emotional engagement with the characters. ...more
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Anticipation by Neil  Taylor
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A very interesting proposition and well-written. Suspenceful till the end, with complex, interesting characters. The end was a bit simplistic, I thought, and left hanging the role of the gov't agency. but overall worth reading. ...more
J.A. McLachlan rated a book really liked it
Anticipation by Neil  Taylor
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A very interesting proposition and well-written. Suspenceful till the end, with complex, interesting characters. The end was a bit simplistic, I thought, and left hanging the role of the gov't agency. but overall worth reading. ...more
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Ship of Smoke and Steel by Django Wexler
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Interesting, well-written, with interesting characters and good world-building. I enjoyed this one.
J.A. McLachlan rated a book really liked it
Ship of Smoke and Steel by Django Wexler
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Interesting, well-written, with interesting characters and good world-building. I enjoyed this one.
J.A. McLachlan rated a book it was amazing
Patternmaster by Octavia E. Butler
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Everything Butler writes is brilliant. This is a great finale to a fantastic series which began with Wild Seed. If you haven't read it, and you like SF, go get it now and prepare for a marvellous reading experience. Then read everything else Octavia ...more
J.A. McLachlan is currently reading
Split the Sky by Marie Arnold
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J.A. McLachlan is currently reading
Patternmaster by Octavia E. Butler
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More of J.A.'s books…
Quotes by J.A. McLachlan  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“the line between hunter and hunted can be as small as a single moment of unreadiness.”
J.A. McLachlan, Walls of Wind, Part 1

“Look back. Because you carry it home. Everything you say, everything you do, you carry it home.”
J.A. McLachlan, The Sorrow Stone

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Making Connections: 2040. WALLS OF WIND: PART I by J.A. McLachlan 4 30 Apr 03, 2014 06:38AM  
Who's Your Author?: Spell It Supernatural April 2015 49 36 May 03, 2015 07:53AM  
Pro-Active Destru...: * Free Kindle Books 1176 638 Mar 11, 2017 02:18AM  
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes...you're Doing Something.”
Neil Gaiman

“Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.”
Francis Bacon

“You want to know about anybody? See what books they read, and how they've been read...”
Keri Hulme, The Bone People

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein

94882 Authors Helping Authors — 1153 members — last activity Apr 08, 2026 06:37PM
Being an indie author means you are part of an ever-growing family of like-minded individuals all working toward the same ultimate goal-writing and pu ...more
54239 Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction — 6203 members — last activity Jul 28, 2026 10:03AM
The focus of this group is historical fiction set in Ancient and Medieval eras(with some post Medieval), in any geographical location. Preference is g ...more
68913 WS Studio — 51 members — last activity Aug 04, 2014 05:43PM
Discussion of writing craft books and other relevant books
16548 Beyond Reality — 2041 members — last activity 3 hours, 11 min ago
Welcome to the Beyond Reality SF&F discussion group on GoodReads. In Beyond Reality, each of our members may nominate one SF and one fantasy book per ...more
60696 Making Connections — 14932 members — last activity 22 hours, 7 min ago
Read, Review, and Make Connections
99986 Modern Good Reads — 6823 members — last activity Aug 04, 2026 07:54PM
Modern Good Reads connects readers with books, authors, & challenges. We want to chat, inform, & provide events & discussions, a home for readers and ...more
41828 Bookworm Bitches — 12397 members — last activity 4 minutes ago
This group now has a Discord! https://discord.gg/QC8vCNfzKa I would encourage everyone to join as it will become a primary hub for book-of-the-month d ...more
181385 Future House Publishing — 185 members — last activity Oct 05, 2016 11:16AM
Founded in 2037 with roots in the film industry, Future House Publishing is seeking authors from 2015... ...to write the next generation of science ...more
169034 Non Fiction Book Club — 5167 members — last activity 4 hours, 19 min ago
This group is for anyone who enjoys Non Fiction. Genres discussed here include Histories, Autobiographies, Biographies, Memoirs, Science and Technolog ...more
77447 Virtual Writers — 2346 members — last activity Jun 25, 2026 05:11PM
Helping readers and writers connect. Virtual Writers is a popular online writers’ community committed to showcasing established and emerging writers ...more
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Comments (showing 1-1)    post a comment »
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message 1: by J.A.

J.A. McLachlan That would be cool. Unfortunately, I`m just learning Goodreads, so I`ll do my best to keep exchanges flowing.

Brooke wrote: "Hi Jane Ann! Thanks for the friend request. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Brooke"



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