JOEL MANNERS

I am very pleased to announce that The Thief’s Tale is the winner of the 2019 IRDA Prize for Fantasy!

The IndieReader Discovery Awards are an annual competition sponsored by IndieReader, Ingram Spark, Kirkus, and Amazon that are open to any books from small publishers and indie writers.  The judges are a bunch of industry folks including bloggers, Kirkus editors, agents, and publicity execs.

https://indiereader.com/2019/06/announcing-the-2019-discovery-awards-winners/

The awards were announced June 1st at BookCon in NYC. 

Here’s what the judges said: “Gripping from start to finish, THE THIEF’S TALE by Jo...

Hello all,

Ahhh, the beginning of March.  Time for an update on The Thief’s Tale.

I was originally planning on releasing it in February, and as you may have noticed, that did not happen.  But for good reasons! 

I showed The Thief’s Tale to a horde of literary agents and quite a few showed interest and read through the manuscript, which is nice.  Nicer, though, is the fact that I am now working on a pass to enhance some areas of the story that were requested by one of the agents. 

I’m actually a bit pumped, despite the inward groan at the thought of tearing into a meticulously edited manuscript, beca...

The Thief's Tale received a 5-Star review from IndieReader!  Here's a snippet of what they said:

“A thrilling and exhilarating heist adventure that doesn't shy away from the shadows lurking underneath.  Gripping from start to finish, THE THIEF’S TALE by Joel Manners gives us an underdog to root for as Wyn and her crafty crew risk all on a near-impossible venture that could bag them either glory or death, but death seems more likely as they race against time to outwit the odds and avoid the butcher’s bill.  Vivid, violent and very addictive!”

Hello all!

I’ve been secretly working on some art for the books, secretly because I wasn’t sure I could pull off a piece that I would be willing to show.  But my recent efforts are… getting there.  I can’t compete with the spectacular cover art that Greg Follender and Bayard Wu painted for Blade and Tears, respectively, but hopefully I can continue to level up and perhaps get to a point where the art might be publishable? 

Maybe.  If so, it will only be because of some great feedback and advice I’ve received from folks who actually know what they are doing.  May it continue!

In any case the work is...

http://bit.ly/2QKrj4H

The Martyr's Blade is on sale for a few days this weekend, making it the perfect stocking pressie or escape from too much holiday cheer.  Enjoy the adventure!  

The reviews are starting to come in!  That means we are getting close to the release date.  Today The Thief's Tale got reviewed by the Manhattan Book Review and got four stars!  Here's a snippet:

"A rip-snorter from a master storyteller, The Thief's Tale is packed with action and features an extraordinarily exotic world that absorbs the reader utterly. In elegant prose and a translucent style, Joel Manners crafts a tale that is emotionally intense and psychologically exciting. He blends suspense and a rare gift of humor to keep the reader’s attention from one engaging page to the next exciting one. Th...

The Martyr’s Blade and The Martyr’s Tears are finalists for the 2018 Indie Book Awards prize for fantasy!

The Indie Book Awards are open to independent authors and publishers world-wide, and any book with a 2016 through 2018 copyright date was eligible, so The Martyr’s Blade just snuck in the door.

I’ll hang the certificate next to my Hugo.  When I get the Hugo, I mean.

The Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize reviewed The Artificer's Tale.

Here's what they said:

"Joel Manners' engaging tale is one of adventure and mystery that keeps readers turning pages and wondering what will happen next.  Manners' prose is vivid, well crafted, and compelling."

"A very refreshing and very entertaining novel... really brilliant!" ~ Readers' Favorites

"An energetic and captivating swords-and-sorcery tale that bodes well for the next book in the series."

Kirkus Reviews gave The Martyr's Blade a read this month, and recently posted a very nice review on their site.  You can read the entire review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joel-manners/martyrs-blade/

Check it out!

The Martyr’s Tears has released!  It is available on Amazon in print and eBook formats.

Really, the word running through my mind is, “woah” (said in a Neo voice).  Three years ago, I never imagined I would finish a story, let alone write an actual novel.  Yet here we are, with two books in the Chronicles out, plus two companion books, and the story of Danielle and Wyn is being read all over the world.

So, while being astonished by that fact, it is time to celebrate the people who donated their time and creativity to making it happen.

So many people have worked to make this book into the wonderful story...

Hello all!

I’m excited to announce a release date for The Martyr’s Tears, February 9th, 2018!  That is one year and three-hundred-sixty-four days after the release of The Martyr’s Blade, and I SWORE I would never be the kind of lazy author that takes two years between books. 

Extraordinarily lame, I know.

Honestly, I am so anxious to get The Martyr’s Tears to you that it’s agony to wait.   So I am happy to see review copies heading out the door, because that means the book is truly on final approach.

I am extremely pleased with the way Tears turned out, and I hope you will be too.  That’s due in a large...

The first book in the companion series, Tales from the Martyr's World, is out!  The Artificer's Tale is available through Amazon and on Kindle.

I had a lot of fun writing this one, as it allowed me to explore a very different part of the Martyr's world, the city of Criénne in Danielle's home country of Venaissin, and, of course, the Guild of Artificers in particular.  It was strange to write about someplace warm...

I'm absolutely in love with Devices and the Guild that crafts them, and it has been a nagging itch to delve more deeply into their creation.  The Artificer's Tale grew from there, but it qui...

Here it is, the full, glorious cover for The Martyr's Tears.

Thank you to Bayard Wu for his amazing rendition of Danielle and Wyn!

The Thief's Tale, the second book in the companion series, Tales from the Martyr's World, is here!

The Thief's Tale is a full-length novel that follows Wyn's life in the years before she met Sir Killock, when she was a thief on the streets of Kuray.

The manuscript has been sent out for beta readers, so it should be available in early 2018.

Here's the description:

When an audacious burglary goes spectacularly right, Wyn expects her young life to change for the better.  Glorious infamy and the respect and adulation of her underworld brethren will, at least, buy her a few drinks, and just might convince the othe...