Author Spotlight: The Manning Brothers and Two Percent Power
Welcome back to Mind the Typos! I know, I know—it’s been a while since the last Author Spotlight. (August 17th, to be exact.) But today we’re back in action, and I’m excited to introduce you all to a dynamic writing duo—the Manning Brothers. Allen and Brian Manning, identical twins, are the minds behind Two Percent Power, a superhero trilogy that blends comic book energy, pro wrestling drama, and plenty of humor. Let’s dive right into the interview and see what these brothers had to say.
1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your book?
We’re the Manning Brothers, Allen and Brian—twin brothers collaborating to write books (without the psychic bond that would make it a lot easier, unfortunately). Two Percent Power is a street-level superhero trilogy packed with action and excitement and full of fun, witty characters with quirky super abilities.
2. What inspired you to write your book, and can you tell us about it?
Although the books are greatly inspired by comic books and pro wrestling, the idea for the crazy powers came from playing superhero tabletop role-playing games. Two Percent Power is a series about a plucky group of misfit superheroes trying to make a difference in the face of an escalating superpower crisis. It centers around a protagonist with the ability to control and manipulate milk—just milk.
3. What themes or messages do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Throughout the books, the main character, Patrick Akiyama, is a hero with no name, in search of who he wants to be—of his true identity. But really, we wrote these books for people to enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed creating them. Also, trusting your friends is a recurring theme in the series.
4. Are there any particular authors or books that influenced your writing style or inspired you?
As far as authors go, the Shadowrun series from the '90s was a huge influence. Books like Never Deal with a Dragon and Striper Assassin had us craving more. The Street Lethal series by Steven Barnes inspired the combat in the trilogy (and really in all of the other books we write). Action movies helped us establish pacing, so the books feel like they keep moving. Professional wrestling is also a major inspiration for our writing, teaching us how to build heat and tension, as well as ensuring readers hate the villains.
5. In what ways do you think your book stands out from others in its genre, and what do you hope sets it apart for readers?
We wrote the books with street-level heroes, rather than god-like paragons slugging it out in the skies, as the people below are more of an environmental variable. That let us explore unique takes and strange “side effects” of superpowers. The challenge was showing how these underdog heroes manage to use their unique abilities effectively. We also lean into some of the humorous moments, although this is not strictly a comedy.
6. Can you discuss any research or preparation you undertook while writing your book, particularly if it involved exploring new topics or settings?
We drew from a lot of comic books we read… like, figuratively and literally. We illustrated the covers ourselves, basing them on three different classic comic book covers, and we hired another artist to provide the colors. There’s also a lot of pro wrestling influence, studying wrestlers’ promos to lend credibility to a duo of supervillains that appear in books two and three. Our personal martial arts experience was also important, helping us craft exciting fight scenes.
7. Can you provide an excerpt of a specific scenes or passages in your book that hold particular significance?
We created a pair of menacing antagonists in book two that are very much like The Road Warriors from pro wrestling. Here’s an excerpt from that book, Spilled Milk:
Warhead’s voice boomed with intimidation and authority. “The walkin’ weapons of mass destruction are here! Point yer stinkin’ gazes at the two baddest supers roaming this pathetic planet!” his eyes locked on the heroes standing before them. “We told you to bring the biggest, the toughest, and the best of yer bunch to face us. What are we lookin’ at, brother?”
Without missing a beat, Ground Zero shook the air with his answer, “All I see are little kids in costumes. This ain’t Trick or Treat! I don’t see no bombs. I don’t see no tanks. I don’t see no way you could ever beat Armageddon!”
8. Can you provide insight into your future writing plans or projects? Are there any upcoming releases or ideas you're excited to explore?
We are currently writing the next book in our ongoing Daniel Lee action thriller series, titled Spear Fish. The plan is to release it before the end of this year, or early in 2026.
The first book of a planned YA sci-fi fantasy trilogy called Outlaw Slinger was just released under a pen name, B.A. Anderson. It’s a project co-written with another author, T.H. Thistleton.
And since we’re just now getting into Halloween season, we want to tell everyone about our horror novel, Blood Rad Moon, an 80s era kids on bikes werewolf story.
9. Lastly, could you provide your contact information or social media handles for readers who would like to connect with you?
Also, if you search for “Manning Brothers” on Amazon, you can find our books. We even outrank those “other” Manning Brothers in the search results. I think they played football, or something. 😉
Thanks for joining us in this edition of Author Spotlight! Dive into the world of Two Percent Power and experience the Manning Brothers’ action-packed, milk-powered mayhem firsthand. Follow them on Instagram @thetagteamchamps or explore their books at ManningBrothersBooks.com. Support these indie creators as they bring superheroes, horror, YA sci-fi, and more to life! And as always—Mind the Typos!
